ABSTRACT
For much of the last quarter century, the social work profession has encountered a growing array of alternative conceptual approaches, from various points on the intellectual spectrum, which have competed with the profession's conventional theoretical models of human development. For example, in recent years we have seen a small but growing body of postmodern social critique challenging the reductionist, materialistic, and hierarchical assumptions of the positivist/empiricist world view (Imre, 1982; Roberts, 1990; Saleebey, 1991, 1996; Weick, 1981, 1991), as well as alternative viewpoints delineating the relevance and application to social work of such theoretical constructs as strengths-based perspectives (De Jong & Miller, 1995; Saleebey, 1991, 1996), chaos/complexity theory (Warren, Franklin & Streeter, 1998), empowerment theory (Gutierrez, 1994; Gutierrez, DeLois & GlenMaye, 1995), spiritual beliefs and practices (Canda, 1989, 1991, 1997; Canda & Furman, 1999), constructionist and constructivist approaches (Fleck-Henderson, 1993; Granvold, 1996), and feminist perspectives (Van Den Berg, 1995).
