ABSTRACT
Theoretical pluralism is a philosophical position comprised of the convictions that a theoretical framework is a representation of reality created by a theorist, that no theoretical framework is the 'true' or only representation, and that there are many useful theoretical frameworks. Scientific thinking about complex person-in-environment (PIE) configurations requires, then, the adoption of theoretical pluralism, and cultivation of the ability to observe interrelated systems from many different perspectives using a wide range of theoretical tools and research tools. Some theory users appreciate the proliferation of theoretical frameworks and endorse many theories. Social work is a broad profession with a mandate to deal with many different collective and individual problems. The multi-theory social worker is like a linguist or translator who has expert knowledge of a native language, has become fluent in several additional languages, can converse effectively with persons from various speech communities, and can translate the communication of non-English speaking persons to English listeners.
