Social Work or Social Control: Power, and the Values and Contradictions in Social Work Practice and the American Indian

Illustrations of the contradictions that exist between values in social work discourse and practice, within the context of power and social control will be examined, utilizing a case example: early federal legislation, the Indian Adoption Project 1958-1967, and contemporary Indian Child Welfare Act. Through the use of a critical analysis, this paper will highlight the ways in which Native American families were not in a position to combat social welfare intrusion within a historical context.