`Fred Powell argues for social work as civic engagement, promoting inclusion and justice through dialogue and trust. His book is an impressive combination of deep scholarship and fresh, up-to-date analysis of current issues′- Bill Jordan, University of Exeter `An illuminating discussion of the influence of postmodern trends on the practice of social work that also offers a bracing guide for the future of the profession. Social work practice, Powell argues, needs to be anchored in a commitment to an inclusive idea of citizenship, and especially the inclusion of the most vulnerable citizens′- Francis Fox-Piven, City University of New York `[T]his is an extraordinarily useful book for studies of social policy, especially in its presentation of a condensed history of social work′s relationship to social policy... The book is well documented, well written and challenging. It stimulates more thought than is common in professional literature′ - International Social Work The Politics of Social Work provides a major contribution to debates on the politics of social work at the beginning of the 21st Century. It locates social work within wider political and theoretical debates and deals with important issues currently facing social workers and the organisations in which they work. By setting the current crisis of identity social workers are experiencing in international context, Fred Powell analyses the choices facing social work in postmodern society. Fred Powell explores in this text contemporary and historical paradigms of social work from its Victorian origins to the development of reformist practice in the welfare state to radical social work, responses to social exclusion, the rennaissance of civil society, multiculturalism, feminism and anti-oppressive practice. In conclusion the he examines the options facing social work in the 21st century and argues for a civic model of social work based on the pursuit of social justice in an inclusive society. The Politics of Social Work will be essential reading for students on qualifying and post-qualifying social work courses, as well as courses in sociology, social policy, social administration and politics.

Social Theory, Social Change and Social Work has two inter-related themes. First to account for and analyse current changes in social work and secondly, to assess how far recent developments in social theory can contribute to their interpretation. Representing the work of a range of academics all involved in research and teaching in relation to social work, it considers issues of central significance to everyone interested in the theory, policy, and practice of social work.

Social Change and Social Work discusses and examines how social work is challenged by social, political and economic tendencies going on in current societies. The authors ask how social work as a discipline and practice is encountering global and local transformations. Divided into three parts, topics covered include the changing social work mandate throughout history; social work paradigms and theoretical considerations; phenomenological social work; practice research; and gender and generational research. Taken together, the chapters in this anthology provide an authoritative and up-to-date overview of current discussions within the European social work research community.

An Introduction to Using Theory in Social Work Practice equips the reader to use fourteen key social work theories to guide each phase of the planned change process, from engagement through to evaluation. Suitable for a generalist approach, this book illustrates the value of applying theory to practice in a variety of social work roles, across diverse fields and facing assorted challenges. The first section provides a practical foundation for beginning to use theory in your social work practice. Section two looks at how you can translate and integrate fourteen theories commonly found in social work across each phase of the planned change process. The theories discussed are: behavioural, interpretive anthropology, psychodynamic, evolutionary biology, cognitive, symbolic interactionism, strengths, social constructionism exchange economics, role, ecological, critical, feminist, and systems theory. The final section addresses some key issues for real life social work practice, including common barriers to using theory in practice, the potential for multi-professional communication and theory-sharing, and developing an integrative theoretical model for your own personal practice. Linking to core competencies identified by the Council of Social Work Education, this text supports social work students and practitioners in developing vital skills, including critical thinking, applying theory and the effective use of the planned change process.

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.

The second edition of Organisations and Management in Social Work examines the complex organisational settings in which social workers practice and identifies opportunities for taking action for positive change. A robust critique of organisational practices is encouraged throughout the book with an emphasis on active participation in the everyday life of organisations. The new edition covers: - Leadership and supervision - Inter-agency and inter-disciplinary working - Ethical practice and decision-making - Communication and the emotional life of organisations Each chapter includes updated practice examples and reflective questions so readers can apply the knowledge learned to real life practice. It will be essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students of social work. The book will also be a valuable text for front-line practitioners and managers wishing to understand the organisational context of social work.

Riding on the success of Indigenous Social Work Around the World, this book provides case studies to further scholarship on decolonization, a major analytical and activist paradigm among many of the world’s Indigenous Peoples, including educators, tribal leaders, activists, scholars, politicians, and citizens at the grassroots level. Decolonization seeks to weaken the effects of colonialism and create opportunities to promote traditional practices in contemporary settings. Establishing language and cultural programs; honouring land claims, teaching Indigenous history, science, and ways of knowing; self-esteem programs, celebrating ceremonies, restoring traditional parenting approaches, tribal rites of passage, traditional foods, and helping and healing using tribal approaches are central to decolonization. These insights are brought to the arena of international social work still dominated by western-based approaches. Decolonization draws attention to the effects of globalization and the universalization of education, methods of practice, and international ’development’ that fail to embrace and recognize local knowledges and methods. In this volume, Indigenous and non-Indigenous social work scholars examine local cultures, beliefs, values, and practices as central to decolonization. Supported by a growing interest in spirituality and ecological awareness in international social work, they interrogate trends, issues, and debates in Indigenous social work theory, practice methods, and education models including a section on Indigenous research approaches. The diversity of perspectives, decolonizing methodologies, and the shared struggle to provide effective professional social work interventions is reflected in the international nature of the subject matter and in the mix of contributors who write from their contexts in different countries and cultures, including Australia, Canada, Cuba, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and the USA.

This book argues that incorporating the idea of three 'generations' of human rights allows us to move beyond the limitations of conventional legal frameworks. It examines current human rights issues and shows how a broader understanding of human rights can be used to ground a form of practice that is central to social work, community development and broader human services. The argument extends the idea of human rights beyond the realm of theoretical analysis, and into the arena of professional practice and social action, using a critical theory perspective. This is set within the context of current debates about globalisation and the need to incorporate an internationalist viewpoint into all social work practice. This insightful new international study adds a vital new perspective to the challenge of promoting international human rights.

Presents an assessment of the historical, sociopolitical, and economic factors that have influenced social work policy and practice in the United States.

The book presents a theoretical and practical approach to international social work. It uses examples from Germany with a long tradition of social work and focuses on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which is in a pioneering phase in teaching social work while at the same time experiencing a highly explosive situation in global politics. Socio-political challenges such as violence, traumatization, (religious) fundamentalism, ethnicization, changing gender relations, flight and migration call for a professional examination of social work as a human rights profession in international comparison.