Social Work Research For Social Justice

by Humphries, Beth

• ISBN13: 9781403949356
• ISBN10: 1403949352
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-04-15
• Publisher: Red Globe Pr

Summary

Research is a major source of social knowledge and understanding. In a climate of rising expectation, social workers are required to demonstrate research-mindedness in their work and an awareness of the evidence base for their decision-making.

Author Biography

BETH HUMPHRIES is Reader in Social Work in the Department of Applied Social Science at the University of Lancaster. She teaches in the areas of social divisions, social work and immigration, and research methodology. She has conducted research over many years using a range of methods and has published extensively in this field. Her most recent publications include Rethinking Social Research (with Carole Truman).

Table of Contents

List of tables	p. ix
List of abbreviations	p. x
Acknowledgements	p. xi
Introduction: research as contentious	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Research-mindedness	p. 2
Evidence-based practice	p. 4
The qualitative-quantitative divide	p. 7
The paradigm debate	p. 9
Conclusion: the contentious nature of social research	p. 15
Structure of the book	p. 17
Main points	p. 18
Stop and think	p. 18
Taking it further	p. 18
Ethical research and social justice	p. 19
Introduction	p. 19
Research ethics for social work	p. 19
Codes of ethics	p. 20
The concept of social justice	p. 24
Reflexivity in research	p. 28
Putting it all together	p. 30
Conclusion: appropriate ethics for social work research	p. 30
Main points	p. 32
Stop and think	p. 32
Taking it further	p. 32
Experimental ways of knowing	p. 33
Introduction	p. 33
Origins of experimental approaches	p. 34
Principles of experimental methods	p. 35
Examples of experiments in social work and social care	p. 38
Drawbacks of experimental research	p. 41
Conclusion: experimental methods and social justice	p. 45
Main points	p. 48
Stop and think	p. 48
Taking it further	p. 49
Participatory research	p. 50
Introduction	p. 50
Origins of PR	p. 51
Principles of PR	p. 52
Examples of PR in social work and social care	p. 55
Other models of PR	p. 60
Drawbacks of PR	p. 62
Conclusion: PR and social justice	p. 66
Main points	p. 68
Stop and think	p. 68
Taking it further	p. 68
Action research	p. 69
Introduction	p. 69
Origins of action research	p. 70
Principles of action research	p. 72
Varieties of action research	p. 74
Examples of action research in social work and social care	p. 78
Drawbacks of action research	p. 83
Conclusion: action research and social justice	p. 85
Main points	p. 86
Stop and think	p. 86
Taking it further	p. 86
Case study research	p. 87
Introduction	p. 87
Origins of case studies	p. 88
Principles of case study research	p. 89
Examples of case study research in social work and social care	p. 95
Drawbacks of case study research	p. 100
Conclusion: case study research and social justice	p. 101
Main points	p. 102
Stop and think	p. 103
Taking it further	p. 103
Critical social research	p. 104
Introduction	p. 104
Origins of critical social research	p. 105
Principles of critical social research	p. 106
Examples of critical social research in social work and social care	p. 109
Drawbacks of critical social research	p. 117
Conclusion: critical social research and social justice	p. 118
Main points	p. 119
Stop and think	p. 119
Taking it further	p. 119
Discourse analysis	p. 120
Introduction	p. 120
Origins of discourse analysis	p. 120
Principles of discourse analysis	p. 121
Examples of discourse analysis in social work and social care	p. 126
Drawbacks of discourse analysis	p. 131
Conclusion: discourse analysis and social justice	p. 132
Main points	p. 133
Stop and think	p. 133
Taking it further	p. 133
Ethnographic research	p. 134
Introduction	p. 134
Origins of ethnographic research	p. 134
Principles of ethnographic research	p. 136
Examples of ethnography in social work and social care	p. 139
Drawbacks of ethnographic research	p. 143
Conclusion: ethnography and social justice	p. 147
Main points	p. 150
Stop and think	p. 150
Taking it further	p. 150
Social surveys	p. 151
Introduction	p. 151
Origins of social surveys	p. 152
Principles of social survey research	p. 153
Examples of surveys in social work and social care	p. 158
Drawbacks of social surveys	p. 164
Conclusion: social surveys and social justice	p. 165
Main points	p. 167
Stop and think	p. 167
Taking it further	p. 168
Evaluation research	p. 169
Introduction	p. 169
Origins of evaluation research	p. 170
Principles of evaluation research	p. 171
Examples of evaluation in social work and social care	p. 180
Drawbacks of evaluation research	p. 185
Conclusion: evaluation research and social justice	p. 186
Main points	p. 187
Stop and think	p. 188
Taking it further	p. 188
Conclusion	p. 189
Introduction	p. 189
Choosing methods that are 'fit for purpose'	p. 190
Rediscovering research methodologies for social justice	p. 192
Main points	p. 194
Stop and think	p. 194
Taking it further	p. 195
References	p. 196
Internet resources	p. 211
Index	p. 213
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