Social work and social exclusion : the idea of practice / Michael Sheppard.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sheppard, Michael.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social service.

Marginality, Social.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (290 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Aldershot, England ; Burlington, VT : Ashgate, c2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Social exclusion is a subject of major importance in contemporary social work and has been a core feature of social policy developments in the UK and Europe in the past decade. Michael Sheppard argues that the issue of social exclusion lies at the very heart of social work and he examines the implications of this position for both theory and practice. He goes on to examine a range of key topics in social work including: Ø Social work values and knowledge Ø Empowerment Ø Need Ø The exercise of authority Ø Authority and Choice Ø Evidence-based practice Ø Reflection and reflective learning Ø Judgement and decision making Ø Social work and 'art' Ø Social work as 'science' He discusses how each of these topics reflect an underlying concern with social exclusion, making it clear that even though the term 'social exclusion' is of recent origin, it provides a framework for understanding the enduring themes of social work. The book offers an original contribution to the understanding and practice of social work and includes a reappraisal of some fundamental aspects of the profession and its practice. In its focus on issues of wide concern it will be essential reading for practitioners and students in social work. It will also be of interest within social policy generally, offering an example of the way in which social exclusion becomes an issue of professional concern in welfare, and the form this takes in practice.

Contents:

Introduction

Social exclusion and social work

Social work and social exclusion

The nature of social work

Knowledge and values, postmodernism and social work

Need

Authority and choice

Empowerment

Maintenance, social functioning and coping

Interpretivism, reflection and social work as art

Social work, science and technical instrumentalism

Judgement and decision making : practical reasoning, process knowledge and critical thinking

Social work intervention and human nature

Conclusion : the discipline of social work.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [249]-269) and indexes.

OCLC-licensed vendor bibliographic record.

ISBN:

1-351-89929-5

1-351-89930-9

1-315-24285-0

1-281-09693-8

9786611096939

0-7546-8074-6

9781315242859

OCLC:

437113701