Jan Fook

Transforming Social Work Practice: Postmodern Critical Perspectives

Transforming Social Work Practice shows that postmodern theory offers new strategies for social workers concerned with political action and social justice. It explores ways of developing practice frameworks, paradigms and principles which take advantage of the perspectives offered by postmodern theory without totally abandoning the values of modernity and the Enlightenment project of human emancipation. Case studies demonstrate how these perspectives can be applied to practice.

Theorizing from Practice Towards an Inclusive Approach for Social Work Research

Practitioner researchers often experience difficulties in understanding and using the plethora of approaches to the ways in which practice can be theorized, and mistakenly feel they must be committed to one main approach. In this article I argue that an inclusive approach to the many different methods is crucial to social work. I develop this approach by describing, in broad terms, the major different approaches to theorizing and the methods associated with this. I begin by relating an inclusive approach to the changes in knowledge-making becoming recognized with postmodernism. I then develop an inclusive approach by examining three major areas: what theory is; how it is generated; and who it should be generated by. I end by arguing that an inclusive approach best fits the range of practice which social workers wish to research, but that it must include research of the ‘tacit’ knowledge of practitioners.

Critical reflection in social work

This is a special issue on critical reflection. Critical reflection is not new to European social work, particularly not in the UK and the Nordic countries. However it is used in many different ways, and in this special issue we try to make sense of what these are, and in addition, in this Editorial, focus on why the ‘critical’ aspects of reflection may be particularly pertinent. (We overview the different usages of the term further on.) So, why are we concerned about critical reflection in social work in Europe? We hope that with this special issue European social workers will become interested in critical reflection’s theoretical basis and better understand the use and value of critical reflection in practice, education and research. Lorenz (2005, p. 93) maintains that European social workers seem to avoid taking political stands concerning the changes and challenges in government welfare agencies. Instead, he suggests, they either withdraw to privatisation and therapy or accept new public management service delivery without opposing it. He emphasises that neither of these two solutions responds to the ‘social’ in public social work. Therefore we need to critically reflect on how we, both as a profession and as individual social workers and educators, meet these challenges and whether we take a passive or active stance towards them. A critical reflection process starts with an awareness process, but is not fulfilled without a commitment to changes for the benefit of people.

Is Casework Dead? A Study of the Current Curriculum in Australia.

The current status of casework within the social work profession is said to have declined, given the recent shift to structural perspectives. This study surveys current social work and welfare courses in Australia in order to determine the validity of this claim, and at the same time to begin to establish the exact status of casework within the curriculum. Results suggest that casework still occupies a significant portion of the curriculum, but that the nature of the casework which is taught has changed. Much of the casework content which is now taught is comprised largely of interpersonal skills training, as opposed to the social and environmental skills of casework practice. The conclusion drawn is that it is this shift in focus, away from the essentially social nature of casework, which has contributed to its marginalised status within the profession. Casework is not dead, but a truly social casework may be dying.

Bereavement care for the non-bereaved

Abstract This article outlines key approaches for a health promoting approach to end-of-life care. Although direct service provision for end-of-life care and bereavement are crucial to any public health approach to dying, death and loss, a broader public health approach – one that targets people in good health and outside acute episodes of need – is also vital to building a communitys capacity for resilience and self-care. The approaches described in this article include community development, death education and social marketing, partnerships between statutory services and communities, local policy changes and critical reflection. International examples of these approaches are described with the aim of stimulating discussion and debate about their potential and worth in bereavement care.

What is the aim of the Bachelor of Social Work

this technology is to be used being cognisant of ethics and educational requirements. Many educators have also to recognise that technology is similarly affecting the workplace. New skills and knowledge are needed. The major challenge that faces BSW courses is the ageing of the profession. Many educators were recruited during the 1970s and early 1980s and in the coming decade will begin to retire. Many students are similarly ageing with courses recruiting more mature aged students. Can the profession renew itself? How will it face the challenges of welfare reform? And, how will it manage the online educational developments? These are challenges that are critical to the development of the profession and they cannot be ignored. Let us begin the dialogue.

Critical Social Work Practice

This article examines the history and development of critical social work as an approach and a practice. It reviews the major historical perspectives on a critical social work approach and then outlines an approach to critical social work based on the major tenets of critical social theory, which includes postmodern thinking about how beliefs about how knowledge is made and is inextricably linked to power. Specific concepts (knowledge, power, language, and identity) and some specific ways that might translate into the practice of critical social work are also considered. These include critical reflection and deconstruction/reconstruction, problematization and research, narrativity, and contextuality.