ABSTRACT
Using theory, research evidence and experiential knowledge is a critical component of good social work. This unique text is designed to help social work students and practitioners to integrate theorizing into practice, demonstrating how to search for, select and translate academic knowledge for practical use in helping people improve their lives and environments.
Presenting 32 core skills, Skills for Using Theory in Social Work provides a conceptual foundation, a vocabulary, and a set of skills to aid competent social work theorizing. Each chapter outlines the knowledge and action components of the skill and its relationship to core practice behaviours, along with learning and reflection activities. The lessons are divided into four parts:
- Section one discusses foundational material, including self-identification as a theorist-practitioner, the deliberate use of the term theory, and a social work approach to the selection of knowledge.
- Section two focuses on the adept use of theorizing skills. It covers identifying assumptions, using concepts, formulating propositions, organizing theory elements inductively or deductively, summarizing and displaying the elements of a theory, gathering and organizing assessment information and communicating with clients and colleagues about tentative theories.
- Section three includes lessons preparing social workers for the construction of useful middle-range theories including causal theories and interpretive theories and for testing and sharing these practical theories.
- Section four presents skills to develop critical thinking about theoretical knowledge. These include avoiding the misuse of theory, judging a theory using scientific standards, judging a theory by professional standards, critiquing theory in its cultural and historical context and making judgments about the likely long-term impact of a theory.
This key text will help readers to demonstrate their expertise in reflective, competent, and theory-informed practice. It is suitable for all social work students and practitioners, particularly those taking practice, theory and human behaviour in the social environment courses.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter |30 pages
Introduction
section |60 pages
Theorizing basics
chapter |14 pages
Identify and act as theorist engaged in theoretical thinking
chapter |14 pages
Identify and use purposefully different styles of theorizing
chapter |7 pages
Identify and use the social work approach to knowledge selection
chapter |9 pages
Identify and use knowledge from varied sources
chapter |9 pages
Identify and use theory differentially by level of abstraction
chapter |5 pages
Identify and use theory differentially by system level
section |106 pages
Applying theory (deconstructive and reconstructive theorizing)
chapter |13 pages
Identify the theoretical aspects of the practice puzzle
chapter |8 pages
Identify and borrow from relevant theoretical frameworks
chapter |10 pages
Check on and imagine puzzle patterns using theory's root metaphors
chapter |9 pages
Check on and specify theory's assumptions
chapter |7 pages
Identify and reorganize a theory's deductive argument
chapter |9 pages
Identify and reorganize a theory's inductive argument
chapter |10 pages
Summarize the relationship between a theory's elements
section |36 pages
Constructing practical theories
chapter |5 pages
Construct practical theories in the middle range
chapter |11 pages
Construct a middle range theory about causes
chapter |12 pages
Construct a middle range theory about processes or themes
chapter |6 pages
Translate and speak theory with clients and colleagues
section |76 pages
Critical thinking about theoretical knowledge using scientific, practical, and professional standards
chapter |7 pages
Think critically about theory
chapter |10 pages
Critique theory using scientific and practical standards
chapter |7 pages
Critique theory using professional standard of ethics and values
chapter |5 pages
Critique theory using professional standard of evidence
chapter |5 pages
Critique theory using professional standard of holism
chapter |6 pages
Critique theory using professional standard of justice
chapter |9 pages
Critique theory using professional standard of sensitivity to diversity
chapter |6 pages
Critique theory using professional standard of strengths
chapter |7 pages
Critique theory by reference to moral and technical uses
chapter |7 pages
Critique theory in historical and cultural context
chapter |5 pages
Critique theory considering long-term impact
section |9 pages
Conclusion