Terminology

Terminology
Social change is a very broad term for transformation (large or small) in parts of, or across, a given society or group. In a series of studies with smaller, social welfare voluntary organisations, we understood social change to be a positive improvement in the social order that increases the common good (understood very locally as well as nationally). Examples of social change would be where an organisation/individual is concerned about the causes as well as the presenting ‘problem’ and is prepared to initiate solutions or steps to solutions.
What are the characteristics of an organisation that effectively drives social change? What is the best way to approach this work? What helps and what gets in the way?
Read on for our collated learning about advocacy and campaigning for social change, which culminates in our recent case study for Detention Action exploring their successful use of strategic litigation.
Social change
Understanding problems
& finding solutions for the common good.

Over a series of research and evaluation projects, we have learnt about the different ways local voluntary organisations work to achieve social change.
These organisations have between five and 15 members of staff; 15 – 30 income streams; and turnovers of around £200-£500,000 per annum.
For some, social change takes the form of advocacy for individuals; for others, it involves campaigning.
Social change – what helps?
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Relationship of trust with local people: ‘Starting where people are.’
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Change work is indistinguishable from practice work: ‘Service or advocacy? It’s both.’
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Synergy between campaigns and casework: Policy and campaign priorities largely dictated by issues emerging from client feedback.
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Strong senior staff with capacity: The time and space to attend meetings and speak out, in order to influence networks, coalitions and policy.
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Independence: The importance of a degree of independence in funding, in order to speak out about local public sector policy issues.
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Communication: Being able to articulate their social change role, by thinking about where on the spectrum of social change work they are best placed to focus.


Watch:
Duncan McLaggan shares the work of Quaker Social Action
Social change – what hinders?
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Welfare cuts and austerity measures: The work itself is demanding enough without tackling wider issues.
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Lack of power: Example – An urban organisation working with families in poverty struggles to get people to feel they have power over their lives or that they matter to those in authority. The area is often targeted for initiatives that are short-lived with little real long-term impact. Even longer-term resources such as the area’s Community Centre have recently closed down as a result of council cuts. One staff member described how local people feel ‘surveyed and piloted out’, and therefore wary of attempts to change things.
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Negative media portrayal: For example, people on benefits and immigrants creates divisions in communities and stigmatises individuals, making it harder to build social cohesion.
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Challenges in rural areas: The time consuming nature of attending meetings and related lack of access to networks and power can make it difficult to exert influence at more than an individual or family level.
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Articulating the impact of social change work: ‘We make a lot of change. I know because I see it in the families. I see the staff. The work is preventative so it is very hard to say what effects it had – if you see a family – like a train crash about to happen … it is not easy because you’re saying you stopped what would have happened.’
Case study

Publications:
Detained Fast Track Litigation Case Study: Detention Action
Leila Baker, Miranda Lewis
Are you interested in the practice of bringing lawsuits to effect social change? This case study, commissioned by Detention Action, looks at the collaborative process that led to the suspension of the Detained Fast Track. We highlight the success factors, risks and challenges, ending with four lessons from the strategic litigation.
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