ABSTRACT
The family occupies a central position in social work theory and practice across the whole range of social work sectors, not only in children and families’ work but also in community care and criminal justice. Much of what we think and do as social workers is underpinned by what may be unchallenged, unrecognised assumptions about the nature of the family and its relation to society. It is important, therefore, to look critically at the family and at our ideas and beliefs about the family so that social work policy and practice can reflect a deeper understanding of the contradictions and complexities which characterise both family life and the relationship between the family and the state.
