Review

Author(s): David Howe

Review by: David Howe
Source: The British Journal of Social Work, Vol. 9, No. 1 (1979), pp. 125-127
Published by: Oxford University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23698136
Accessed: 28-08-2015 21:45 UTC

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BOOK
a trial period
Some
and

of the now

was expected

classic

different

sections
from

worker;

community

Council,
of one

and the resultant

expected;

hood

limitations

the Council

the research
person

what

and

the
over

effectively

with what those

autonomous

is advertised,

to researching

goals

of Social

institute

working

of stimulating

only

expect

wards.

from the differing

self-help

i.e.,

'neighbour
and

dynamic

complex

interaction.

It is a good

case

answers.

easy

people

one full time

of three electoral

of work compared

sphere

the difficulty

the technical

from

advice';

human

when

groups

limited

from

area

in the project:

of the Borough

such a large area

community

involved

front and

arose

They

the impossibility

different

actors

a catchment

are revealed.
actors

125
with a shop

library

to cover

problems

of the various

expectations

Service,

in a disused

of 18 months,
worker

community

REVIEWS

what

worker,

study

What

he thinks

pieces

of classic

would

be churlish

community
perhaps

thus giving

too, to have

some

impression

not be expected

could

work

community

and

work

why

and

values,

'theory',

to ask

to provide

literature

is a focus

relating

them to one

the ideas

namely

of T.

own views

the worker's

R.

were

any

on the
chapter

of the few
'
Batten.
It

not included

of them.

In all, this is a stimulating

ture. It is good,

not, and

and why. Not so here, for there is a whole

aims

ideas,

the interpretation

alongside

does

in much

he is doing

the worker's

describing

which

is lacking

and

to community

addition

fascinating

an epilogue

written

five years

work

litera

after the trial period

of the effect of the intervention

in the longer
Florence

Lecturer

in Applied

and

term.
Rossetti

Social
Bath

Studies

University

REFERENCES
A Critical Study of Method',
1. Batten, T. R. (1962) 'Training for Community Development:
Oxford University Press; Batten, T. R. and Batten, M. (1965) 'The Human
Factor in
Community Work', Oxford University Press; Batten, T. R. and Batten, M. (1967) 'Non-Dir
ective Approach in Group and Community Work', Oxford University Press.

Casework

Effective

an

Practice:

eclectic

approach,

Fischer.

Joel

Maidenhead,

McGraw-Hill, 1978. Pp. 393. 9.70.

Today

it is possible

talking

about

between

relationships
mutual
are

hostility,

sharp

cannot

just

that area

of social

consider

how

it should

area

books

the various
from

camps
of apparent

Others

those

with

social
Each

work

makes

and

hardly

guess

sense

within

its own

is generated

hint that social

but its being

work

that each
terms,

is
but

through
vary from polite neighbourliness,
that other types exist. There
unawareness
inclinations

sociological

get on with the job, striving for technical

work is a moral and political
life. Social

its work

not exist,

about

of activity.

to a position

reminders

simply

structures.

to read

the same

within

the

activity.

in a certain

business.
economic

prevailing

is a symbolic

there, standing

that

proficiency

This

work

social

in this and
It ought
and

to

social

is not to say that

relationship

between

This content downloaded from 121.52.154.136 on Fri, 28 Aug 2015 21:45:15 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

the

weak

and

is in large

the strong,

that there is a job

clear

approach
how

Casework'

social

work

in which

in practice.

the traditional

they were measured.

ted.

Fischer

work.

to have

Joel for telling

so clever

both anticipated

and

which

indication

of how

that casework

which

actually

emphasized

achieve

the best,

around

which

modification,
make

(3)

dry

and

it a valuable

makes

on

source

illustrates

are

informative

book.

The

to show
mind

the

not

limits

book.
how

conditions
therapeutic
These sections

of
can

a comprehensive

on in each
are

of these

then

put

worker

effective

as

and

areas.

This

together

in an

someone

who

to do within

to do casework.

work

casework

the criteria

in

about

might
taste.

used

seem

the

than

to be of strained

However,

writing,

procedural
and

relevance

even

and

of the family
problems
the air of some confusion.

clear

of

first paragraph

ever before,

on

effectively.

The

behaviour

for those

this

is an

lack of effectiveness,

why

but it does

who

this

if

value

intractable

helps

is towards

provides

work

in spite of the alleged

be practised

of acceptability,

be to everybody's

is rare in social

at least

not explain,

Fischer

them,

This

the seemingly

outlined

It does

social

examples
faces

the model

term caseload,

there is more

for eclectic
(2) behaviour

process,

of what

how

who

important

in the model

is

finds

approach

worker

Within

author

but no details
and

his long

This

of what

conducive

to promote

of the methods

to the social

an

an

so that

is offered.

efficacious,

provide

going

components

describes

entail

systematically

The

has

is discussed.

and

work

work

thereafter.

not necessarily
model

It

the eclectic

that is able

about

details

social

helping'.

the core

a clear

techniques

to do

eclectic

component

pertinent

those

most

to be most

(4)

books

to give

on what
work

for inclusion

if he

anyway,

was
challenge
review is the result.

only

in the intervention
and

and

of procedures
to the implementation
The
final
and
'loving
learning'.
part of the book
Unlike others who offer
works out in practice.

how

frameworks

an

social

is to be undertaken.

far,

social

proven

Each

which in effect
model
integrated
in creating
a relationship
succeeds
for change,

casework
So

on

job

recent American

to help does

practice,

has

procedures,

they

at

was that in

masochistically

somewhat

fields of 'interpersonal

genuiness.

looked

The

under

many

developing

to do.

to consider

the criteria

of the most

review

now

with little advice

which

meet

but

reading,

up-to-date

and

the ability

effect

cognitive

warmth

book

effective

severe

too

the text eases

are (1) the use of structure

They

empathy,

and

that

of

hatchet

to be done.

styleof

set out

In order

in the various

components

practice.

The

work,

they

he was

weighty

assessment

be a beneficial

gathers

currently
four

what
and

of

Effectiveness

reached,

to the findings

ought

to be employing

is not helping,

might

model

social

of causation.

understanding
there

up by Fischer.

ought

diagnosis

Understanding

said

things

the task of developing

argues

This

questions

which

studies

convincingly

to react

others

start in the grand

to intoduce

purport

invited

he say how

taken

After an ominous

tradition.

'The

a thorough-going

conducted

the truth;

why didn't

research

conclusion,

last

techniques,

called

being

to get to grips with

is in this
and

a book

seventeen

a third group,

ought

being offered were ineffective in whatever

way
in some instances,
actual harm was being commit

few of the contributors

thanked
was

worse,

Fischer

presented

sobering

approaches

Even

seemed

Fischer

And

work

of methods

he selected

The

it is about.

that social
Joel

effectively.

than why. In 1976,

Social

the main

and

what

declare

the development

encourages

rather

measure

to be done,

it well

it; doing

doing

some

REVIEWS

BOOK

126

review,

meet its own

inevitable

bias,

modification

and

believe

challenge
bearing

in

this might

that technical

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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

com

BOOK
must improve,

petence
who

can

afford,

this book

127
of things to come

may well be the flavour

and

intellectually

REVIEWS

to follow

practically,

for those

this direction.
David

Basic

Tom

Tom

Groupwork,

Science

has clearly

designed

'to show

what

applied'.

It seems

aimed

intervention

planned

Pp.

in Social

University

of East

Anglia

Work

196 Hardback

6.00,

Social

2.95.

paperback

Douglas

1978.

Tavistock,

Douglas,

Howe

Lecturer

set out to write a simple

not only

in group

get further pleasure

and

basic

(its)

and

and practical

essential

skills

at professionals

satisfaction

with

from

on group

how

work
be

they might

little or no experience

of

at 'ordinary
who might
people'
in chosen
of their daily
aspects

but also

situations,

book

are and

'sharing

lives'.
these

Though
get

interests

have

out, been

deeply

exclusive

province

extensively
can

prespective

with others
The

of an

elite

trained

and

situations

'method',

such

of highly

skilled,

No-one

until they have

amount

into practice

advocates

therefore

As

a result,

what

has often, as Douglas

profoundly
should

should

imply,

undergone

the
and

knowledgeable

be encouraged

is

points

remain

to think they

this lengthy

socialization,

to a baptism
roles,

as totally illigitimate.

vested
competing,
intent on establishing
the

of practice.

style

specialists.
roles

of, often

apparently

in collective

they will not necessarily

objectives,

number

work,

work

can frequently

the uninitiated

group

mystified.

take on group

which

own

enough

the years

around

gathered

in working

reasonable

Over

approval.

of their

superiority
involved

seem

might

everyone's

of fire. Simplified
texts, designed
can thus be treated as inherently flawed,

to ease
or even

attitudes
Yet, even though such hard-line
rather than
usually end up displacing
text is faced
advancing
'helping'
goals, anyone
setting out to write an introductory
with genuine problems.
Can s/he prevent the approach
Can
becoming
patronizing?
the emphasis
on practical
usefulness
with a systematic
s/he balance
consideration
of
the often complex
Above

theoretical

all, will the written

significant

difference

new terms and

Tom

to what

abstract

ideas

book

Douglas's

classifications-for
inconsequential:
make?

and

content embedded
in all practice?
philosophical
be usefulthat
is, will such a book make any
of
do, or will it merely lodge a number
practitioners

word

really

in the reader's
does

head

but leave

action

untouched?

not avoid

all these pitfalls. Some of his lists of

of groups'seemed
example,
early on, of the 'origins
pretty
what difference
to practice,
one must ask, will learning
such
certainly

some

of his simplifications
seem at times to spill over into
brief discussion
of 'contract',
for instance,
with
procds
out any reference to the different degrees of power
brought to contract-making
by
social
worker
and
and indeed
sometimes
group
member,
by different
group
categories

Also,

The

over-simplification.

members

word,
put

themselves.

Douglas

may

dilemmas

range
forced

asserts
from

Purposes

for group

that 'knowledge
beneficial

on practitioners

work

to destructive'.
who

are

mentioned

itself is neutral;
concentrate

Yet

the uses

he pays

and,

as

to which

his

little attention

on manipulating

final

it can

be

to the

personal

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