ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the specific uses of theory for social workers and for the profession. Social workers have an ethical and professional responsibility to have knowledge of established and researched theories that are grounded in social work values and to draw continually upon these theories in social work practice. Theoretical knowledge has many important uses for the generalist social worker, for the social worker who specializes later in his or her career, and for the profession of social work. Social workers serving families, communities, and international organizations face information management demands that also make them vulnerable to information overload. Theoretical knowledge helps establish a profession's identity and its boundaries. Social workers prefer to use theories committed to explaining person-in-environment (PIE) configurations, and social workers prefer theorizing in ways appreciative of the multiple dimensions of human functioning and the multiple contexts of behavior.
