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Social Workers
Celebrating Community –Honouring Diversity
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Social Work is a practical job. It is about protecting people and changing their lives, not
about giving theoretical explanations of why they got into difficulties …
Social work is about social change at the individual as well as at community level.
Change is complex, diversified and risk prone. To understand it, social worker need
knowledge. imagination, comprehension & creativity….in short, a radical shift in
understanding “Knowledge as process” as opposed to “Knowledge as product” is
needed.
But our understanding of social work (especially with the faculty and students of social
work colleges in non metropolitan cities of India and students with low level mastery of
English language) is frozen with the simple definition of social work ...it is the art and
science of helping the people to help themselves.
Compilation and interpretation of social work definition accessible to the students (PD
Mishra 1994) conveys a meaning that social work is a “helping” “assisting” „enabling”
activity, which in turn suggests social work is seen as a benign and uncontentious
activity, willingly accepted. This understanding fails to reflect the major transformations
social work discipline has undergone as well as its global outlook. There is nothing
wrong in simplifying a concept, but if it ignores the complexities associated with the
concept, that will end our further seeking.
Whatever may be a definition of social work, it is normally based on certain perspectives
and understanding of that perspective / theory will help us to appreciate that definition.
It is this clarity that normally make one to commit in his/ her professional
responsibilities.
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To answer these
questions one need to
What is the need know why people are
suffering. What is our
of social work or responsibilities towards
Why Social work? fellow human beings?
How we gain knowledge
about the human
problems? What makes
us perceive the human
Definition of problems in a particular
social work How social work way? Why we subscribe
generally convey is carried out? to certain methods of
solving problems? ….
Social workers need to
answer these questions
To whom social before addressing others
work is going to problems. Theories &
serve? or perspectives of social
characteristics of work may provide some
answers to these
its cliens
questions
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What is theory?
Theory is an “attempt to retrospectively explain and to
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It will be useful if we understand the different types of theories taught and the
logic as why are these theories imparted to the students.
It may be logical to group these theories in broader categories
e.g.
Theories of evolution,
Theories of personality (development) & learning theories,
Theories of social organization and social change, theories of
social stratification,
Theories of individual and group behavior,
Theories of deviance, crime and correction,
Theories of economic growth and development, theories of group
dynamics and leadership,
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Conceptual Frameworks
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Practice Frameworks
Orienting Theories Practice Perspective Practice Theory
Orienting theories describe and This is a particular way of It offers both an explanation of
explain behaviour and how and viewing and thinking about certain behaviours or situations
why certain problems develop. practice. It is a conceptual lens and guidance on how they can
They provide important through which one views social be changed. A practice theory
background knowledge and are functioning and it offers very serves as a road map for
usually borrowed from other broad guidance on what may be bringing about a certain type of
disciplines such as biology, important considerations in a change. Most practice theories
psychology, sociology, practice situation. Like a camera are rooted in one or more
economics, cultural lens, a perspective serves to orienting theories. An example
anthropology, and the like. focus on or magnify a particular is psychosocial therapy, which is
Examples feature. Two perspectives, the based primarily on
include the various theories general systems perspective and psychodynamic theory and ego
related to human development, the ecosystems perspective, are psychology. Another is
personality, family systems, commonly used in assessing behaviour therapy, which is
socialization, relationships between people derived from the psychology of
organizational functioning, and and their environment. learning
political power, as well as
theories related to specific Practice Model
types of problems Practice Model is a set of concepts and principles used to guide
such as poverty, family intervention activities. The term model is also used when referring to
violence, mental illness, teen a conceptual framework that is borrowed from one field and applied
pregnancy, crime and racial in another, for example, the medical model (study, diagnose, treat)
discrimination. and the legal model (an approach to social action and client advocacy,
involving competition and conflict among adversaries).
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1. Theories about social work explain the nature and role of social work in
society
2. Theories of social work describe which activities constitute social work, set
aims for social work activities and explain why those activities are relevant
and effective in meeting the aims
3. Theories contributing to social work are the psychological, sociological and
other theories which explain or describe personal and social behaviour
and are used to make theories of social work systematic, related to general
social science explanations and to give supporting evidence for the social
work theory’s prescriptions
4. Theories of social work practice and method prescribe in detail how the
other theories so far outlined may be applied in the interaction between
workers and clients
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Social-Cultural Theory
Lev Vygotsky: Solution Focused Therapy Structural Family Therapy
Thomas Scheff: 11 (Model) Murray Bowen, Virginia Satir
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Social Work …..The profession for people
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In brief, social work practice models are like recipes. They are step-by-step guides
for client sessions. Perspectives represent what aspects of the session are
emphasized or highlighted in a session (i.e. questions asked or time spent).
Theories are overall explanations of the person-in-environment configuration.
Theories help explain why the problem is occurring and where the most efficient
intervention should take place.
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Types of theory
Formal written accounts Moral, political, cultural
defining the nature and values drawn upon by
Theories purposes of welfare (e.g. practitioners for defining
explaining what upon by practitioners for ‘functions’ of social work
social work is defining personal pathology,
liberal reform, Marxist,
feminist)
Formal written theories of Theories inductively
practice (e.g. casework, derived from particular
Theories family therapy, group work); situations; can be tested to
explaining how applied deductively; general see if they apply to
to do social ideas may be applied to particular situations; also
work particular situations unwritten practice theories
constructed from
experience
Formal written social Practitioners’ use of
science theories and experience and general
Theories
empirical data (e.g. on cultural meanings (e.g. the
explaining the
personality, (e.g. the family as an institution,
client world
marriage, the family, race, normal behavior, good
class, gender) parenting)
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Theory
A general statement about the real world whose essential truth can be supported
by evidence obtained through the scientific method. – Must explain in a provable
way why something happens. Ex: Learning theory explains behavior on the basis of
what organisms have learned from the environment.
Model
Is a blueprint for action. It describes what happens in practice in a general way.
Ex: The behavioral model (based on learning theory) gives specific guidelines to for
how to effect change. If a parent complains that his child is having difficulty staying
in his own bed at night and the parent has been allowing the child to sleep in
his/her bed( thereby reinforcing the child‟s difficulty) the practitioner would help the
parent to extinguish the behavior by removing the reinforcement.
Perspective
A way of perceiving the world flows from a value position. Note: The perspective
will influence choice of theory and model. Note: Payne (1997) argues that social
work theory succeeds best when it contains all three elements of perspective,
theory and model.
Example: Men who batter their partners
Theory: Social learning theory – men learn their violent behavior in their family of origin,
and from a culture that rewards anger and violence in men; cognitive theory – what men
say to themselves in situations of stress increases their anger and their propensity to be
violent. Model: Cognitive-behavioral Perspective: Feminist
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Nation- The process of working toward the integration of a nation's social, political,
Building economic, and cultural institutions at all levels of political organization.
Region- The process of working toward the integration of a geo-political region's social,
Building political, economic, and cultural institutions at all levels of social organization.
World-Building The process of working toward the establishment of a new system of interna-tional
relationships guided by the quest for world peace, increased social jus-tice, the
universal satisfaction of basic human needs, and for the protection of the planet's
fragile eco-system.
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While considering a theory or theories, social workers also understand its limitations too:
motives.
Related to the first point, recognise that some theoretical
approaches just don't work with some people. Applying Brief
Solution Focused Therapy can be really effective with some
people. For other people, it leaves them cold.
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Whilst individual social work Using theory can help to
theories have different Theories can help us to justify actions and
purposes, using all kinds of make sense of a situation. explain practice to
theory in our work offers us, Using theory, we can service users, carers
generate ideas about
as social workers, some and society in general.
what is going on, why
important things. 1 The aim is that this will
things are as they are etc. lead to social work
For example the
becoming more widely
In work with individuals, information obtained as accountable and
making use of the theories part of an assessment can
ultimately more
which may relate to their seem like a jumble of respected.
information - applying
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specific situation will give us
more direction in our work theory can help "make
with them. 4 sense" of the information.
It is clear then, that
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theory is important in
Using theory can give an explanation about why an action practice - both for work
resulted in a particular consequence. This can help us with service users and
review and possibly change our practice in an attempt to for social work to be
make the consequences more effective. 5 more valued in society.
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The vast majority of Social Workers function within one of four basic models of practice: the Personal Social Services
Model (PSSM); the Social Welfare Model (SWM), the Social Development Model (SDM), and the New World Order
Model (NWOM).
MODELS OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
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Theories widely used in Diagnostic & Theories with social / Concepts/ Theories /
Clinical Social Work Sociological thrust in Social Philosophies (Lesser
Work Used)
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TRANSPERSONAL THEORY
[Developmental Perspective; built
PSYCHOSOCIAL upon Humanistic Perspective]
DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY
[Developmental Perspective] Theories
of SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
Human [Social Constructionist Perspective]
SOCIAL EXCHANGE THEORY
[Rational Choice Perspective] Behavior
CONTINGENCY THEORY
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM [Systems Perspective]
[Social Constructionist Perspective]
CONFLICT THEORY
[Conflict Perspective]
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TRANSPERSONAL How the spiritual and *Focuses on meaning, connection, and purpose
THEORY religious aspects of human *Some people achieve developmental level beyond the personal (ego-
[Developmental existence can be based) level into transpersonal (beyond self or ego) levels of
Perspective; built upon understood consciousness and functioning.
Humanistic Perspective] How spiritual *There is an inherent tendency to express innate potentials for love,
development builds upon creativity, and spirituality
and goes beyond bio- *There is a difference between psychopathological phenomena and
psychosocial development spiritual growth experiences
SOCIAL EXCHANGE How persons *Antecedents, consequences, personal expectations, and interpretation shape and
THEORY minimize costs maintain behavior in the present
[Rational Choice and maximize *Self-interest determines social exchange
Perspective] rewards through *Unequal resources determine power inequities and reciprocity is essential
social exchange *Six propositions:
--Success proposition --Stimulus proposition --Value proposition --Deprivation-
satiation -- proposition --Aggression-approval proposition --Rationality proposition
SOCIAL How socio cultural *All experience is subjective and human beings recreate themselves through an
CONSTRUCTIONISM and historical on-going, never static process
[Social Constructionist contexts shape *Knowledge is created through an interplay of multiple social and historical
Perspective] individuals and the forces
creation of *Social interaction is grounded in language, customs, cultural and historical
knowledge contexts
How individuals *All phenomenon, including the sciences, must be approached with doubt in
create themselves order to understand how people construct reality
*Humans are self-interpreting beings
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