Major theories and principles * Flashcards
Theory (Payne 1997/2005):
Theory is not something ‘set in concrete’, but as changeable and mutually constructed by each worker and each client/consumer/service user/community in the context of welfare agencies, society and culture.
Theory are general explanations supported by evidence.
Theory in social work (3):
- Provides guidance for the practice and ethics of social workers.
- Reflects the biases of those who control the production of knowledge.
- Is found in a professional body of literature.
Importance of theory in human services. A clear theoretical perspective guides and influences social work practice in five key areas…
- Observation: what to see/look out for.
- Description: provides conceptual vocabulary and framework in which observations can be arranged and organised.
- Explanation: suggests how different observations might be linked and connected; it offers possible causal relationships between one event and another.
- Prediction: it indicates what might happen next.
- Intervention: it suggests things to do to bring about change.
Social work practice model…
Describes how social workers can implement theories.
Practice models provide social workers with a blueprint of how to help others based on the underlying social work theory.
Formal and informal theories:
Both influence social welfare practice. Formal theory includes written accounts/theories/data; while informal theory includes the use of morals/experience/culture.
Payne’s 4 Groups of Social Work Theories
- Reflexive-therapeutic: Individual focus on personal growth & self-fulfillment.
- Humanist and cognitive-behavioural: Focus on individual strengths and choice.
- Socialist-collective: focus on empowerment of oppressed groups.
- Individualist-reformist: adapting individuals to the social structure.
…Therapeutic; behavioural; socialist; individualist
Major Theories of Human Service Work (10):
- Humanist/existential theories.
- Psychodynamic theories.
- Cognitive behaviourist theories.
- Feminist theories.
- Social justice and human rights.
- Systems and ecological theories.
- Radical and Marxist theories.
- Social and community development.
- Postmodern (constructivist/narrative).
- Task-centred/crisis intervention theories.
A holistic approach to social work:
Considers multiple aspects of a clients life. Some examples include: social, cognitive, spiritual/cultural, physical, psychological, economic.
Humanist/existential theory:
- Belief in the capacity of human consciousness to reason/choose and act.
- Ability to make meaning from their own existence.
Psychodynamic theory (2):
- People’s behaviour is determined by inner forces (instincts & drive) that are moderated/learned in childhood and other significant moments in the past.
- Problems result from the tension between drives, ego, defence mechanisms, and rational mind.
Cognitive Behaviourist Theory (3):
- Focus on identifying defence mechanisms and trauma which impacts behaviour patterns (especially repetitive behaviours).
- Focus on the individual and their family.
- People are rational and can change their thinking and behaviour. Beneficial behaviours and thinking should be promoted, and undesirable ones should be dealt with.
Feminist theories:
- Men and women have socially and politically constructed identities. Gender is relational, not physiological.
- Liberal feminism- equality within social structures.
- Radical feminism- society is patriarchal and oppressive to women. Eliminating the patriarchy will lead to liberation.
- Marxist feminism- focus on economic status due to the interaction of patriarchy & class. Undervalue of motherhood and ‘empathetic’ professions.
- Postmodern feminism- - Challenges traditional essentialist practices, reject universal grand narratives as a way to understand society both within and outside feminism, all women are not the same.
- Practice… ‘personal is political’ consciousness-raising; analysis of power relationships; empowerment.
Social justice and human rights:
- Human rights are constructed, rather than objective; therefore the process of dialogue, discussion & exchange is central to discovering whose voices are privileged in human rights discourse and whose voices are not.
- Aims to protect humanity.
Systems and ecological theories (4):
- People exist within systems (informal, formal and societal) which have boundaries (e.g. the family, peer-group, religion). Boundaries may be open (permeable to other influences) or closed (rigid).
- Changing one part of the system will impact the rest.
- Used for organisations, social groups and individuals.
- Problem solving within systems (build new connects, resources, modification, etc).
Radical and Marxist theories (2):
- Problems are defined as social and structural, not individual. Individual problems are a product of unequal social relations in a capitalist society.
- No ‘victim blaming’; social and political action are necessary.
