Theoretical Perspective Keys Flashcards
Whats the Area of focus for Ecosystem Theories?
Conceptualizes individuals as part of broader environmental systems that interact to shape human behaviour.
What are key components of Ecosystem theories?
- Microsystem (individual level)
- Mesosytem (interrelations between the individual and those around them)
- Exosystem (systems that impact the person indirectly)
- Macrosystem (systems that impact all other systems)
- Chronosystem (time/context)
Whats the practice approach for ecosystem theories?
Eco-maps
What are the strengths of ecosystem theories?
- Mapping of interactions between people and their environment
- Attention to the interaction between risks and protective factors
- Moves beyond the individual-level
What are limitations of ecosystem theories? 3
- Overlooks notion of power
- Assumes all systems exert equal influence
- More descriptive than prescriptive
What is the area of focus for onion peeling theories?
Understands human behaviour as shaped by influential layers of experiences and relations.
What are the key components of onion peeling theories? 7
- Psychodynamic theories
- Unresolved past conflicts
- Unconscious drives and motivations
- Id, superego, and ego
- 4 Developmental Stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital
- Attachment theory
- Person-centred approaches
What is the approach to onion peeling theories?
Therapeutic alliance driven by insight, interpretation and understanding
What are the strengths to onion peeling theories?
4
- Widespread and long-standing influence
- High levels of reported client satisfaction
- Rich insights into the complex mind
- Healing outcomes
What are the limitations to onion peeling theories? 5
- Past• Reductionist (reduces to past events)
- Resilience • Overlooks resilience
- Oppression • Overlooks systems of oppression
- Effectiveness • Lack of evidence documenting effectiveness
- Longterm • Not feasible in short-term social work settings
What is the area of focus for faulty engine theories?
Focuses on concretely changing problem behaviours through assessment and monitoring.
What are the key components of faulty-engine theories? 4
- Behavioural approaches
- Cognitive-behavioural theories
- Faulty thinking/distorted thinking
- Reframing
What are the approaches to faulty engine theories? 3
- Reframing
- Behaviour therapy
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy
What are the strengths to faulty engine theories? 3
- Strong evidence-base supporting effectiveness
- Practical focus on immediate concerns
- Provides sense of hope
What are the limitations to faulty engine theories? 4
- Some behaviours too deeply-rooted for a quick fix
- Pathologizing of appropriate human responses to adversity
- Overly individualistic
- Ethical concerns with universal applicability
What is the area of focus for story telling theories?
Emphasizes narratives of events that influence identity and well-being.
What are the key components to story telling theories? 4
- Strength-based social work
- Importance of culture and context
- Social constructionist theory
- Foucault’s “truths”
What is the approach to story telling theories?
Narrative therapy
What are the strengths of story telling theories? 3
- Client-centred
- Optimistic orientation
- Applicable to individual, group, and organizational levels
What are the limitations to story telling theories?
- Dismisses client’s distress
- Interventions as driven mainly by social worker
- Geared toward educated middle-class
What is the area of focus for mountain moving theories?
Connects the personal with the political to focus on structural oppression.
What are key components to mountain moving theory 6
- Feminist theories
- Anti-oppressive practice
- Intersectionality
- Critical race theory
- Indigenous approaches
- Structural social work
What is the approach to mountain moving theories? 4
- Critical self-reflection
- Social reform
- Control & self-actualization
- Participatory practices
What are the strengths of mountain moving theories? 3
- Critical analysis of social issues
- Highlight the role of power relations and privilege
- Transformational
What are the limitations to mountain moving theories? 4
- Overly focused on collective action
- Neglects immediate personal needs
- Founded on set of assumptions; not client-driven
- No empirically-tested explanations
