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The 70s saw the inauguration of a cycle of successive socioeconomic crisis until the starting of the current crisis in 2008, marked by speculative capitalism, which has been growing during the last two decades following the thread of neoliberal globalization. This article outlines the four main positions in the current politico-economic systems, describing how in one of them (self-regulated capitalism) the Welfare State tends to drop in favor of a rising Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The author uses tetralemas to describe the four main variants of the CSR and how these are used by non-profit associations and social movements, from their different approaches and relationships with the public and private institutions, analyzing the example of the associations working on the social action on disability. ; En los años setenta se inaugura un ciclo de sucesivas crisis socioeconómicas hasta el comienzo en 2008 de la actual, marcada por el capitalismo especulativo que es el creciente en las dos últimas décadas y que se desarrolla al hilo de la globalización neoliberal. En el artículo se describen cuatro posiciones dominantes en los sistemas político-económicos actuales y cómo desde una de ellos (capitalismo auto-reglado) se potencia un Estado de Bienestar a la baja en favor de una Responsabilidad Social Corporativa (RSC) en alza. Mediante la utilización de tetralemas también se describen las cuatro variantes principales de la RSC y cómo son utilizadas por asociaciones no lucrativas y movimientos sociales, desde sus diferentes posturas y en sus relaciones con los ámbitos del poder público y privado, describiendo el ejemplo de las asociaciones de acción social de la discapacidad.

The philosopher Michel Foucault's theoretical work provides fertile ground for an analysis of areas of significant concern in researching of social work through his development of the ideas of discourse, power/knowledge, surveillance and governmentality. His development of these concepts allows an insight into the function of policy not always apparent in mainstream and contemporary social policy analysis which has been based on the sociological triumvirate of social class, gender and 'race'. In this article, we can explore how and why these conceptual gifts from Foucault are pertinent to understanding how service users are constructed as objects of social work, particularly with respect to contemporary discourses of social welfare and social exclusion. The paper argues that the use of these ideas challenges some of the less obvious assumptions permeating current developments in social policy and social work provision, whilst also enabling an ability to respond more contextually to shifting frameworks of power and knowledge. There is an acknowledgement of power and its potential positive impact on subjective sense of self and social work has a part to play in this. At the same time, the paper concludes with a warning of 'risk' and professional surveillance and its restriction in facilitating empowerment of vulnerable groups.