The compleat social worker / David Howe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Howe, David, 1946- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social service--Practice.

Social service.

Social case work.

Social workers.

Physical Description:

xi, 225 pages ; 20 cm

Other Title:

Complete social worker

Place of Publication:

London ; New York, NY : Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

Summary:

The role of the social worker is to be found lying interestingly between society and the individuals they work with. As a result, social workers often feel pulled between the demands and challenges that each presents. The Compleat Social Worker explores the many debates the profession enjoys, including those between nature and nurture, care and control, thought and feeling, art and science, facts and values. In examining these ideas and the discussions they sponsor it celebrates social work's rich heritage of scientific thought and human relationships. It is out of these many divisions and disagreements and their resolution that the idea of the well-rounded, compleat social worker emerges. For those wishing to explore and enjoy, argue and acknowledge what it is to be a good social worker, this elegant book will prompt Lively interest and debate. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 The Individual and Society 1

Looking both ways 1

Agency and structure 4

Either-or, and-both 6

2 Order and Change 9

Introduction 9

Conflict and radical change 10

Order and regulation 14

Changing and maintaining the order 17

3 Care and Control 20

Introduction 20

Care 20

Control 22

Care and control 25

4 Bureaucrats and Professionals 29

Introduction 29

Bureaucracies 29

Professions 31

Street-level bureaucrats and welfare professionals 34

5 Certainly and Uncertainty 41

Introduction 41

Certainty 42

Uncertainty 50

Good practice in an uncertain world 54

6 Objects and Subjects 57

Introduction 57

Objective understanding 57

Subjective understanding 60

Objective outsides and subjective insides 63

7 Qualitative and Quantitative 67

Introduction 67

Quantitative methods 69

Qualitative methods 71

Research in the round 73

8 Thought and Feeling 77

Introduction 77

Thought 78

Feeling 82

Thinking and feeling 84

9 The Past and the Future 87

Introduction 87

The past 88

The future 92

Past, present, and future 95

10 Nature and Nurture 98

Introduction 98

Nature 99

Nurture 101

Nature and nurture 102

11 Art and Science 111

Introduction 111

Social work as science 113

Social work as art 116

Social work as craft 122

12 Good Relationships and Working Well 127

Introduction 127

Good relationships 128

Working well 131

Feel secure then explore 133

13 Freedom and Equality 140

Introduction 140

Liberty and freedom 141

Equality and welfare 143

The clash of imperatives and living with moral uncertainty 146

14 Facts and Values 152

Introduction 152

Facts 153

Values 155

Knowledge, skills, and values 163

15 On the Whole and Taking Everything into Consideration 169

Introduction 169

Pragmatic social work 172

Constructive social work 173

Critical best practice 174

16 The Compleat Social Worker 180

Introduction 180

Curiosity and an interest in people 182

Ethics, values, and practical judgement 183

Empathy, structure, and process 185

Relation ship-based work 187

Evidence-based and pragmatic practices 189

Critical thinking and reflexive practices 191

Completing the journey 198.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9781137469465

1137469463

OCLC:

885228627