Social Work and Power

ISBN-13: 9781403991249 / Angielski / Miękka / 2008 / 248 str.

Roger Smith;Jo Campling

Opis

Power is an unavoidable issue in social work. Practitioners frequently work with the marginalized and disadvantaged. While they have a duty to protect the vulnerable, sometimes this means exercising authority against the wishes of those they are working with - as when they have to remove a child from abusive parents, section a severely mentally distressed person, etc. This important text explores these complex issues, both at a conceptual and applied level, in order to give students a clear understanding of the theoretical frameworks relevant to practice and to help them begin to think through the kinds of challenges they are likely to face and how they will deal with these.

Spis treści

PART 1: IDEAS OF POWER Why do we need to think about Power.- Ideas about Power.- Modes of Power.- Sites of Power.- PART 2: MECHANISMS OF POWER Structural Influences on Practice.- Professionals and Organisations: Autonomy or Constraint.- The Myth of Powerlessness: Service user Strategies.- PART 3: TAKING, MAKING AND USING POWER Empowering Relationships: Growth and Change.- Beyond the Individual: Groups, Communities and Systems.- Changing the World: The Challenges for Social Work.

O autorze

Dr ROGER SMITH is Professor of Social Work Research at De Montfort University, UK. He qualified as a social worker in 1980, practicing in probation and youth justice settings. He has worked as head of policy with The Children's Society, and as course director for social work at the University of Leicester.