ABSTRACT
Self-determination finds a place in any social work text and indeed in some writing about social administration. H. H. Perlman argues against an easy assumption that 'the concept is equally applicable across all the social work methods', wondering 'whether it is usable chiefly when the client can be designated as a "self" ', but since all clients must be so designated it does seem sensible to assume that in self-determination we have a central social work concept. Finally, self-determination often becomes caught up with ideas of determinism. In brief, self-determination can be discussed adequately without involving the complex question of whether or not the universe is determined. This is not, of course, to suggest that 'determinism' should not be discussed in any central consideration of social work. The processes through and by which an occupation becomes accepted as a profession are complex and imperfectly understood.
