Theoretical pathways to the future: Globalization, ICT and social work theory and practice

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah West ◽  
David Heath
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
New Managerialism ◽  
Holistic Approaches ◽  
Social Work Theory ◽  
Patterns Of Communication ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Core Issues

• Summary: Society has changed substantially and rapidly with the advent of globalization where technology is both a catalyst for and a response to globalization. Concurrently and connected to these trends has been the advent of neo-liberalism, new managerialism and postmodernism. Globalization, technological change and neo-liberalism underpin and are driven by each other in a continual cycle. This rapidly changing, globally connected and technologically based society is the context for clients and social workers alike. This article explores the connections between globalization, ICT and neo-liberalism. This forms the basis for critical reflection on theories, models and modes of practice in light of the changing context allowing a proactive response to the challenges that face the profession and our clients. • Findings: Irrespective of the agency of employment, social workers are faced with challenges that arise out of an ideology of outsourcing, reductionism, speed of response, accountability and cost effectiveness with a decreased value on practice wisdom and holistic approaches. However, many of our theories and models were developed at a time when social structure, political ideology and economic underpinnings were different. As such workers are left being reactive to situations with limited opportunities to influence the core issues. This has contributed to the decreasing role and value of social workers. • Application: To remain relevant social work needs to continue to influence systems for the benefit of society while reviewing and updating theories and models to reflect current lifestyles, modes and patterns of communication and the impact of globalization.

Partnership working between young carers project and social services

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 50-64
Author(s):  
Anna Heyman
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Young Carers ◽  
Social Work Theory ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Impact

This article draws on in-depth qualitative interviews with ten practitioners who specialise in working with young carers, to examine how members of the emerging profession of ‘young carers’ worker’ view their partnerships with social services. It focuses particularly on one case study area (Town Z), where partnerships between social services and the voluntary sector around young carers were relatively highly developed. It explores the practitioners’ comments about the impact of their organisations’ partnerships with social services on their work. This is done in the context of their conceptualisations of care and family relationships. In particular, the themes of identifying young carers and working with the family as a whole are discussed, and young carers’ workers views are compared to the conceptualisations that come across in literature from both disability studies and social work perspectives. It is concluded that young carers’ workers conceptualisations of care and disability do differ markedly from the perspectives that appear to dominate both social work theory and practice, and that this impacting on how the former view their partnerships with the latter.

More than Pills and Beds

2014 ◽  
pp. 113-129
Author(s):  
Sebastian Rosenberg ◽  
Fiona McDermott
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Mental Health Recovery ◽  
Social Work Theory ◽  
Integral Element ◽  
The Way

Contemporary models of mental healthcare emphasise the importance of multi-disciplinary approaches in supporting recovery for consumers. There is growing evidence of the key role to be played by social workers derived from both the principles of recovery and those underpinning social work theory and practice, particularly a focus on person-in-environment. However, pressures on the way mental healthcare is provided in Australia are threatening this confluence. These pressures are much more concerned with the needs of funders than professionals, consumers, and their families. The aim of this chapter is to explore the evidence to support social work as an integral element in mental health recovery and to better understand these emerging challenges. The role of social work in good mental healthcare is too important to become marginalized; yet this prospect is real. Better understanding of the contemporary landscape of social work can help ensure this does not occur.

More than Pills and Beds

2016 ◽  
pp. 1111-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Rosenberg ◽  
Fiona McDermott
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Mental Health Recovery ◽  
Social Work Theory ◽  
Integral Element ◽  
The Way

Contemporary models of mental healthcare emphasise the importance of multi-disciplinary approaches in supporting recovery for consumers. There is growing evidence of the key role to be played by social workers derived from both the principles of recovery and those underpinning social work theory and practice, particularly a focus on person-in-environment. However, pressures on the way mental healthcare is provided in Australia are threatening this confluence. These pressures are much more concerned with the needs of funders than professionals, consumers, and their families. The aim of this chapter is to explore the evidence to support social work as an integral element in mental health recovery and to better understand these emerging challenges. The role of social work in good mental healthcare is too important to become marginalized; yet this prospect is real. Better understanding of the contemporary landscape of social work can help ensure this does not occur.

scholarly journals Surrender and Contemporary Social Work Theory

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan C. Duckham ◽  
Meagan J. Greenfield
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Time Limits ◽  
Social Work Theory ◽  
Practice Models ◽  
Faith Traditions ◽  
And Control

Surrender is an important and foundational spiritual/religious belief and practice found within many faith traditions. However, despite this important practice, valued by many clients who see social workers, little has been done to integrate this concept into social work theory and practice. This paper examines the fundamental beliefs of psychodynamic theory and practice, as well as several recent social work practice models, as they relate to spiritual surrender. It is suggested that areas of cooperation and conflict exist between the fundamental tenets of these models and the practice of surrender. These areas of difference and commonality have important practice implications for religious/spiritual clients. A danger exists within social work theory and practice to overemphasize time limits and control for some religious/spiritual clients.

scholarly journals Professionals unprepared: A critical appraisal of social work practice at the Drugs Abuse Rehabilitation Centres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-120
Author(s):  
Shakeel Ahmad ◽  
Abida Bano
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Services Delivery ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Social Work Theory

Social work is a practice-based profession that facilitates, enables, and rehabilitates the neglected segments of society facing various issues, including substance abuse. However, social workers' efficiency in substance use rehabilitation is constrained by several factors. Pakistan follows the imported theoretical models of social work, which face enormous challenges during implementation for lacking contextual understanding. This study examines professional social workers' role to examine the challenges in providing institutional service delivery in substance (drugs) abuse treatment centres in Pakistan. The study found that the social work theory and practice gap hurts services delivery in Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Centres through qualitative approaches. Training in social work theory does not adequately equip the students to provide the required social services at the drugs rehabilitation centres. Donor-driven social work drives and demotivated social workers testify to the mismatch between social work theory and practice. Indigenous philanthropy models and broadening institutional support could remedy the situation.

Growing: experiencing social work education and socialisation

2020 ◽  
pp. 61-76
Author(s):  
Linda Bell
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Anthropological Perspective ◽  
Social Work Theory ◽  
Link Theory ◽  
Background Material ◽  
Work Education

This chapter explores the views of some social workers and social work students about socialisation into their profession. It also provides some background about this concept from an anthropological perspective. The chapter begins with what social workers think they should learn and sets this against epistemological background material describing some key frameworks for social work theory and practice. Reflecting on examples and interviews with social workers and others, the chapter reveals that the often-stated attempt to ‘link theory and practice’ in social work education is much more complicated than it first appears. To set the stage for the next chapter, an experience relating to personal interaction and the use of self is described.

Art in Social Work: Do We Really Need It?

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 721-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ephrat Huss ◽  
Michal Sela-Amit
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Theoretical Foundation ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Professional Work ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Social Work Theory

The arts have been used in social work practice with individuals and communities since the beginning of the profession, and yet an articulation of a rationale for their use is missing. An exploration of how the arts fit within the profession’s mission is also lacking. The lack of a theoretical foundation for the arts in social work has thus resulted in the marginalization of arts practice in the field. This article examines fundamental questions regarding the use of the arts in social work: the relevance of the arts to clients, to social workers, and whether the arts can provide evidence to promote professional work. Addressing these concerns will clarify the relevance of the arts to social work theory and practice and explore their advantages and limitations, thus helping to create more nuanced collaborations between social work and the humanities, arts therapy, and the arts in general.

Silenced stories of social work with minority ethnic families in Norway

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Signe Ylvisaker ◽  
Marianne Rugkåsa ◽  
Ketil Eide
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Child Protection Workers ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Social Work Theory ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Minority Ethnic

This article draws on 160 cases of actual practice with minority ethnic families provided by child protection workers in Norway who were enrolled on the postgraduate course 'Child welfare in a minority perspective'. This course is part of a programme launched by the Norwegian government aimed at developing knowledge-based child protection practice. The article discusses the ways in which social workers construct stories about who their clients are and the reasons for their clienthood. Particular attention is given to parenting and the ways in which race, class and gender serve as overt, subtle or muted stories constructed in and through social work theory and practice.

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