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9780230553064

Theorizing Social Work Practice

by
  • ISBN13:

    9780230553064

  • ISBN10:

    0230553060

  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2010-03-15
  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
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List Price: $43.00

Summary

This important new text from Neil Thompson explores the relationship between social work theory and social work practice in a way that promotes reflective practice and identifies the value and limitations of different theoretical positions from an applied perspective. The book is outstanding for its clarity, balance, organization and integrity.

Author Biography

Neil Thompson, Director of Avenue Consulting Ltd (www.avenueconsulting.co.uk), is a highly sought-after trainer, consultant and conference speaker. He is author of many books, including the companion volume, Practising Social Work (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009) and The Critically Reflective Practitioner (with Sue Thompson, Palgrave Macmillan, 2008). His website is at www.neilthompson.info.

Table of Contents

Prefacep. xi
Acknowledgementsp. xiv
Introductionp. xv
The need for practitioners to theorizep. xv
Beginning with practicep. xvi
Outline of the chaptersp. xvii
Making Sense of Theoryp. 1
Theory into practicep. 2
The role of theoryp. 3
Introductionp. 3
What is theory?p. 4
Why is theory important?p. 6
Flawed theoryp. 11
Integrating theory and practicep. 15
Conclusionp. 19
Points to ponderp. 19
Further readingp. 19
Theory and postmodernismp. 20
Introductionp. 20
The rejection of positivismp. 21
The Siren call of postmodernismp. 25
The rocks of postmodernismp. 27
Beyond postmodernismp. 36
Conclusionp. 37
Points to ponderp. 38
Further readingp. 38
Practices redefinedp. 39
Introductionp. 39
Conceptualizing social workp. 40
Social work in international contextp. 46
Professionalism and the managerialist challengep. 47
Conclusionp. 55
Points to ponderp. 56
Further readingp. 56
Making Sense of Practicep. 57
Dimensions of the social work worldp. 58
The personp. 59
Introductionp. 59
Identityp. 60
Subjectivity, objectivity and narrativep. 66
Time and changep. 71
Conclusionp. 74
Points to ponderp. 74
Further readingp. 74
Interpersonal interactionsp. 75
Introductionp. 75
Intersubjectivityp. 76
Communicationp. 81
Consensus, conflict and powerp. 87
Conclusionp. 90
Points to ponderp. 91
Further readingp. 91
Group dynamics and intergroup relationsp. 92
Introductionp. 92
Groups in contextp. 93
Group processesp. 94
In groups and out groupsp. 102
Groupworkp. 104
Partnership and teamworkp. 105
Conclusionp. 106
Points to ponderp. 107
Further readingp. 107
Cultural contextsp. 108
Introductionp. 108
What is culture?p. 109
The benefits of culturep. 114
The drawbacks of culturep. 116
Equality and diversityp. 120
Conclusionp. 121
Points to ponderp. 122
Further readingp. 122
Sociopolitical structures and processesp. 123
Introductionp. 123
Social work as a psychosocial enterprisep. 124
Social divisionsp. 126
Social and political processesp. 130
Power revisitedp. 134
Conclusionp. 137
Points to ponderp. 138
Further readingp. 138
The organizational contextp. 139
Introductionp. 139
Organizational culturep. 140
Structures, strategies and policiesp. 146
Influencing organizationsp. 150
Conclusionp. 153
Points to ponderp. 154
Further readingp. 154
Morality and ideologyp. 155
Introductionp. 155
Social work as a moral-political activityp. 156
The social work value basep. 158
Values, 'habitus' and culturep. 160
Discourse and ideologyp. 163
Conclusionp. 168
Points to ponderp. 170
Further readingp. 170
Developing Theoryp. 171
Taking theory forwardp. 172
Developing coherence: drawing on existentialismp. 173
Introductionp. 173
The importance of coherencep. 174
Existentialist theoryp. 180
Existentialist practicep. 183
Conclusionp. 187
Points to ponderp. 189
Further readingp. 189
The linguistic turnp. 190
Introductionp. 190
The importance of languagep. 191
Working through languagep. 198
Developing linguistic sensitivityp. 202
Conclusionp. 205
Points to ponderp. 206
Further readingp. 206
Spirituality and meaningp. 207
Introductionp. 207
Spirituality and religionp. 208
Meaning, purpose and directionp. 211
Connectednessp. 216
Awe, wonder and hopep. 221
Conclusionp. 223
Points to ponderp. 224
Further readingp. 224
Developing emancipatory practicep. 225
Introductionp. 225
The radical social work legacy 1: The sociopolitical focusp. 226
The radical social work legacy 2: Dogmatic reductionismp. 229
Developing emancipatory theoryp. 234
Conclusionp. 240
Points to ponderp. 241
Further readingp. 241
The challenges we facep. 242
Introductionp. 242
Theory, theorizing, knowledge and truthp. 242
The demands of practicep. 246
The need for theory developmentp. 251
Existentialism as a basis for theorizingp. 253
Conclusionp. 257
Points to ponderp. 258
Further readingp. 258
Referencesp. 260
Indexp. 272
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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