Review Feature: Symposium Review of

Book reviews in this article:
G eorge A. H uaco , University of New Mexico
L awrence J ohn R edlinger , University of Texas, Dallas     

Review

For the time being: ethnography of everyday life By Richard Quinney. New York: State University of New York Press, 1998. 198 pages. $20.95 paper. ISBN: 079143852x.     

Review

Representing reality: issues and concepts in documentary by Bill Nichols. Bloomington and Indianapolis: University of Indiana Press, 1991. $39.95 cloth. ISBN: 0–253–34060–8. $17.50 paper. ISBN: 0–253–20681–2.     

Book Review

The prevalence of suicide suggests social workers will encounter clients at risk for suicide, but research shows social workers receive little to no training on suicide and suicide prevention and feel unprepared to work effectively with clients at risk. Baseline results from a randomized intervention study of the Question, Persuade, and Refer suicide prevention gatekeeper training with 73 advanced master’s of social work student interns show suicide knowledge was average, attitudes about suicide prevention were generally neutral, and use of suicide prevention practice skills was low. These results indicate an opportunity for enhancing student outcomes through training and inform social work education regarding necessary preparation for student interns and new graduates to identify and respond effectively to client suicide risk.     

Review essay

Manuale di Antropologia Visuale by Paolo Chiozzi. Milano: Edizioni Unicopli S.P.A.,1993. Lira 32,000 paper. ISBN: 88–400–0298–7

Sociologia Visuale by Francesco Mattioli. Torino: Nuova Eri/Edizioni RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana, 1991. Lira 24,000 paper. ISBN: 88–397–0642–9.

Introduzione alia Sociologia Visuale by Contantino Cipolla and Patrizia Faccioli, editors. Milano: Franco Angeli s.r.l., 1993. Lira 45,000 paper. ISBN 88–204–8077–8     

Review articles

This article is a critical review of two books (O'Hagan, 1996; Vass, 1996) which set out to assist practitioners and educators working with the competence framework in social work. O'Hagan offers a defence of the competence model and a series of case studies showing how competences can be evidenced. It is argued that this defence is inadequate and that the case studies unwittingly reveal a tendency for those using the model to ignore some vital dimensions of practice. Vass offers a comprehensive model of competence in social work. It is argued that this contains much of value to social work educators, but that their alternative structure is likely to confuse readers who are expected to work within national requirements. It is suggested that competence-based education has encouraged an unfortunate parochialism in social work education in the UK.