Which statement best describes Social Action?

• A. building relationships within the community through broad participation
• B. advocate, remedy imbalance of power, solve problems, advocate to lawmakers
• C. Expert driven consultants with community leaders to expand, develop, coordinate social policies and services
• D. increasing the ability of a community to act on its own behalf, make decisions and direct its own actions

Answer: (B)

Social Action centers on changing systems of power and policy to reduce social injustices. The best description is the one that emphasizes advocacy to remedy power imbalances and to influence lawmakers, because it highlights actively challenging unfair structures and pushing for policy changes through collective action and political engagement. In social work, this means mobilizing communities, advocating for greater equity, and working to shift the policy environment to redistribute power and resources.

The other statements miss one key element: broad participation and relationship-building (A) is important for community development but doesn’t inherently focus on altering power dynamics or policy. Expert-driven planning with consultants and leaders (C) describes a top-down policy development process rather than grassroots advocacy and empowerment. Increasing a community’s ability to act on its own behalf (D) reflects empowerment, which is part of social work, but it doesn’t explicitly capture the policy-changing, power-redistribution aim that defines social action.