Poverty and the Controversial Work of Nonprofits.

There has been a significant shift among antipoverty nonprofits toward what we call 'relational work,'which involves working with clients over time on life changes. Some scholars discuss this, often in negative terms, as part of a broader neoliberal trend. We argue that relational work is an important and unavoidable part of ongoing efforts against poverty and homelessness. We also discuss the broader theoretical context that make scholars suspicious of this kind of antipoverty work, and argue for a multifaceted approach topoverty that includes attention to relational work and the agency of clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]