In psychology and social work practice, Social Role Valorization (SRV) is the name given to an analysis of human relationships and human services, formulated in 1983 by Wolf Wolfensberger, PhD, as the successor to his earlier formulation of the principle of Normalisation (Lemay, 1995; Wolfensberger, 1972). Although Normalization and the initial versions of SRV were described as an 'Ideology', the most recent formulation explicitly denies that SRV is about what should be done, and reinforces that SRV is intended to be a tool for analysis of the process and effects of Societal Devaluation. Wolfensberger's most recent (1999) definition of SRV is: "the application of what science can tell us about the enablement, establishment, enhancement, maintenance, and/or defence of valued social roles for people" (Susan Thomas and Wolf Wolfensberger in Flynn and Lemay 1999, p. 125).

Social Role Valorization (SRV) is a relationship theory of empirical knowledge for the design and rendering of formal and informal services and relationships to people with any need or condition, especially those who are devalued or are at risk. Social Role Valorization is intended to address the social and psychological wounds that are inflicted on vulnerable people because they are devalued, that so often come to define their lives and that in some instances wreak life-long havoc on those who are close to them.

SRV does not in itself propose a 'goal'. However a person who has a goal of improving the lives of devalued people may choose to use insights gained from SRV to cause change. They may do so by attempting to create or support socially valued roles for people in their society, because if a person holds valued social roles, a person is highly likely to receive from society those good things in life that are available or at least the opportunities for obtaining them. In other words, all sorts of good things that other people are able to convey are almost automatically apt to be accorded to a person who holds societally valued roles, at least within the resources and norms of his/her society.

Social Role Valorization identifies Social Devaluation as a critical human experience that has long-term effects on the individual. SRV is designed to raise consciousness about the fate of Socially Devalued persons. SRV holds that the human being is vulnerable to the regard of others for both the heights of edification and the depths of degradation. On one the approaches of SRV involves Socially Valued persons to ally themselves with Socially Devalued persons. This alliance will unify people, broaden acceptance of differences, and encourage the coexistence of people.

SRV is a realistic if not pessimistic sense of human behaviour, holding that human beings are imperfect and capable of great evils even if they are occasionally saintly, heroic or kind.

Criticisms

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1) SRV has had a life span of barely a generation even if taking into account its predecessor normalization. This should give anyone pause in granting to it a substance it has not yet had time to establish.

2) SRV does not consistently raise consciousness and guarantee concern about socially devalued persons. Ideologies cannot ultimately control the character of their adherents even though they are influential. Further, their theoretical value can be nullified if used wrongly.

3) Not all alliances between socially valued and devalued persons are moral, fruitful and advantageous.

4) Knowing how social devaluation works in society may still leave one impotent against it.

5) SRV’s societal impact, thus far, is largely confined to several narrow human service fields.

6) SRV is open to criticism because of the later politico-moral stance of its founder, Wolf Wolfensberger, in which he advances a non-mainstream response to the plight of the wounded in society. This response may be seen as anti-death (opposing all abortion and all forms of euthanasia), morally conservative, anti-bourgeoise feminist (stressing the 'importance' of motherhood rather than parenthood, and persistently relegating women to subsidiary power roles), homophobic, anti psychiatry and religiose. Although he attempts to isolate SRV from his underlying beliefs, SRV is negatively affected by this association. Reference to the series of Pamphlets entitled 'TIPS' and edited by Wolf Wolfensberger provides graphic evidence of the politico-moral stance of the lead proponents of SRV.

Supporters point out that devalued people have enough problems without being pushed into a vanguard (cannon fodder) role by advocates.

References

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Wolfensberger, W. (1983). Social role valorization: A proposed new term for the principle of normalization. Mental Retardation, 21(6), 234-239.

Kendrick, M. (1994). Some reasons why Social Role Valorization is important. SRV-VRS: The International Social Role Valorization Journal, 1 (1) 14-18. (http://www.kendrickconsulting.org/pubreg.asp?pid=32&ptype=)

Osburn, J. (1998). An Overview of Social Role Valorization Theory. The International Social Role Valorization Journal/La revue internationale de la Valorisation des roles sociaux, 3(1), 7-12. (http://www.diligio.com/osburn.htm)

Thomas, S. and Wolfensberger, W. (1999) An Overview of Social Role Valorization. In Flynn, RJ. and Lemay, RA. A Quarter Century of Normalization and Social Role Valorization: Evolution and Impact. University of Ottawa Press.

Wolfensberger, W. (1998). A Brief Introduction to Social Role Valorization. A higher-order concept for addressing the plight of societally devalued people, and for structuring human services. Syracuse, NY: Training Institute for Human Service Planning, Leadership & Change Agentry (Syracuse University).

Race, DG. (1999) Social Role Valorization and The English Experience. London: Whiting and Birch Ltd.

Wolfensberger, W. (1981-date)(Vols 1-25) TIPS (Training Institute Publication Series), Training Institute for Human Service Planning, Leadership & Change Agentry, 800 South Wilbur Avenue, Suite 3B1, Syracuse, New York 13204.