'Another important contribution to the growing literature on critical social work. It is on the cutting edge of thinking about social work and its goal of social change.' - Kate van Heugten, Social Work Review Critical Social Work starts from the premise that a central goal of social work practice is social change to redress social inequality. Taking a critical theoretical approach, the authors explore the links between personal and social change. They confront the challenges for critical social work in the context of pressures to separate the personal from the political and in responding to the impact of changes in the socio-political, statutory and global contexts of practice. Critical Social Work has been thoroughly revised to take into account recent social, economic and political developments. Coverage of theoretical frameworks has been substantially expanded and reflects current concerns such as evidence based practice and human rights. The causes of people's marginalisation and oppression are examined in relation to class, race, ethnicity, gender and other forms of social inequality.Case study chapters in the earlier edition on working with immigrants, Indigenous people, women, men, families, people with psychiatric disabilities and those experiencing loss and grief have been updated and revised. The second edition includes new case study chapters on disability, older people, children, rurality, and violence and abuse. Critical Social Work is an essential resource to inform progressive social work practice.

What we think must inform what we do, argue the editors and authors of this cutting-edge social work textbook. In this innovative, expansive and wide-ranging collection, leading social work thinkers engage with social work traditions to bridge social work theory and practice and arrive at social work praxis: a uniting of critical thought and ethical action. Critical Social Work Praxis is organized into sixteen sections, each reflecting a critical social work tradition or approach. Each section has a theory chapter, which succinctly outlines the tradition’s main concepts or tenets, a praxis chapter, which shows how the theory informs social work practice, and a commentary chapter, which provides a critical analysis of the tensions and difficulties of the approach. The text helps students understand how to extend theory into praxis and gives instructors critical new tools and discussion ideas. This book is the result of decades of experience teaching social work theory and praxis and is a comprehensive teaching and learning tool for the critical social work classroom.

The Routledge Handbook of International Critical Social Work is a companion volume to the Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work. It brings together world-leading scholars in the field to provide additional, in-depth and provocative consideration of alternative and progressive ways of thinking about social work. Critical social work is increasingly involved in a global conversation, and as a subfield of social work it is rapidly becoming an interdisciplinary field in its own right and promoting novel forms of political activism. The Handbook showcases the global influences and path-breaking ideas of critical social work and examines the different stances taken on important political and ethical issues. It provides the first complete survey of the vibrant field of critical social work in a rich international context. This definitive volume is one of the most comprehensive source books on crucial social work that is available on the international stage and an essential guide for anyone interested in the politics of social work. The Handbook is divided into sever sections • Thinking the Political • Politics and the Ruins of Neoliberalism • Negotiating the State: Resistance, Protest and Dissent • Race, Bordering Practices and Migrants • Post Colonialism, Subaltern and the Global South • Critical Feminism, Sexuality and Gender Politics • Posthumanism, Pandemics and Environment The Handbook is comprised of 46 newly written chapters (and one reprint) which concentrate on differences between European and American contributions in this field as well as explicitly identifying the significance of critical social work in the context of Latin America. It provides a further vital trajectory of intellectual practice theory via interdisciplinary discussion of areas such as biopolitics, critical race theory, boundaries of gender and sexuality, queer studies, new conceptions of community, issues of public engagement, racism and Roma people, ecological feminism, environmental humanities and critical animal studies. The Handbook is an innovative and authoritative guide to theory and method as they relate to policy issues and practice and focus on the primary debates of today in social work from a critical perspective, and will be required reading for all students, academics and practitioners of social work and related professions.

Critical Social Work Studies in South Africa: Prospects and Challenges is a convergence of 18 critical Black African minds from various South African universities, who challenge the hegemonic status quo in society. In this collection of conceptual and empirical papers, each author tells a compelling story with common themes that are firmly rooted in advancing decolonial knowledge. This book covers pertinent issues in social work practice and education, ranging from rethinking parenting roles, utopian notions of family, mediation practice in relation to unmarried fathers to race and landlessness. The book contains practical suggestions in respect of decolonising the self as well as social work curricula in higher education. In addition Critical Social Work Studies in South Africa: Prospects and Challenges delves into trusting relationships as cornerstones to effective supervision, centring African spirituality in social work, economic emancipation of Black women, cultural trauma as well as drug abuse prevention. Based on the range of themes, this book would benefit social work practitioners, students, academics, social activists and anyone who is curious to understand how decoloniality may be operationalised in social work.

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.

This book stages a provocative dialogue between social work, health and social care and contemporary philosophy in order to inform theory and practice in a complex and challenging world. Today, the social world is marked by deep-rooted complexities, tensions and challenges. Health workers and social workers are constantly reminded to employ critical thinking to navigate this world through their practice. But given how many of these challenges pose significant problems for the theories that these subjects have traditionally drawn upon, should we now be critical of critical thinking – its assumptions, its basis and its aspirations – itself? Arguing that health and social work theory must reconsider its deep-rooted assumptions about criticality in order to navigate complex neoliberalism, post-truth and the relationship between language and late capitalism, it examines how the fusion of theory and practice can re-imagine critical thinking for health, social care and social work. It will be of interest to all scholars, students and professionals of social work and health and social care.

This text builds upon texts addressing anti-discriminatory frameworks, but focuses specifically upon black perspectives in social work and takes into account current issues and concerns.

This book serves as an introductory reader for understanding a professional competencies framework for social work through a new approach. It not only discusses what professional competencies are and why they are significant, but it also shows how to develop a professional competencies approach, measure and research competencies, and learn how to use them to empower professional identity and career development. There has been growing interest to define the social work profession within a professional competencies framework. Professional competencies are considered in their complexity as a triangle of knowledge, skills and values. They are not solely a tool for education and practice, but they are also important for professional socialization and identity in social work. A professional competencies approach has been used to define standards and expectations for social workers-practitioners; it is an evaluation tool for formal education and lifelong learning programs, provides guidance for field practice and placements for social work students, and could be a frame for distinguishing levels of professional expertise. The volume provides an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of a professional competencies approach in social work with 10 chapters organized in four sections: Part I: Understanding a Professional Competencies Approach, including Criticisms of the Competency-Based Education Approach Part II: Major Areas of Professional Competencies, including Leadership and Professional Socialisation Part III: Measuring Professional Competencies and Education Outcomes, including How to Conceptualise, Operationalise and Measure Professional Competencies in Social Work Part IV: Professional Competencies and Professional Development, including A Model of Holistic Competence in Social Work and the unique Professional Capabilities Framework Social Work in the Frame of a Professional Competencies Approach is essential reading for social work instructors, academics and national professional associations interested in developing or reviewing their professional competencies framework. It is an invaluable resource for experts in statutory bodies that set up a legislative framework of social work practice or work in the accreditation of social work education programs. The book is useful for social work students interested in understanding the theoretical background of social work, as well as for field practitioners who wish to use professional competencies for their self-reflection, self-evaluation and professional identity.

Social Work: From Theory to Practice provides a critical introduction to core and emerging theories of social work and teaches students in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand how to apply these theories in their practice to facilitate change. The fourth edition introduces a cultural lens through which to interrogate theory. A new chapter on Aboriginal perspectives explores a range of theories, from emancipatory frameworks and approaches to deep listening and provides insights for students on how to decolonise their practice and responsibly provide socially just outcomes for communities. New discussions on navigating the service system, feminist and anti-oppressive approaches, sustainability and the impact of COVID-19 on social workers and the communities they serve are included throughout the book. Each chapter includes reflections from social workers and case examples with accompanying questions. New end-of-chapter questions help students engage critically with the content.

Welfare, health, education, conflict, security and migration are examples of phenomena that are prevalent across all societies. With chapters from leading scholars from around the world, this exciting new book draws upon the impacts of globalisation, colonialism, and capitalism, to explore the common challenges facing nations across the globe and provide an insight in to the history, theory and practice of a new anti-racist social work.