ABSTRACT
Throughout its history social work has been influenced by the wider socio-political environment within which it is located: from the Charity Organisation Society (COS) and the moral reformers of the 19th and 20th centuries, the eugenics policies of the early 20th century and the welfarism of the mid to late 20th century to the neoliberal managerialism of the present day. A cursory glance at these developments shows the influence of various political ideologies, from the left, right and middle ground of British politics.
