Social work and the environment: An ecosocial approach

Norton CL. Social work and the environment: An ecosocial approach This article draws on insights from social work, ecopsychology and ecofeminism to inform an ecosocial approach honouring humans' interconnectedness with nature. It re‐examines social work's ecosystems perspective and redefines its central ‘person‐in‐environment’ configuration to embrace a broadened emphasis on the natural world. It identifies insights from ecofeminism on the parallels between the oppression of women and domination of nature, and presents feminist ways of relating that may enhance connection with the planet as a whole. It introduces the concepts of empathy and empowerment from relational cultural theory as important ideas to integrate with social work's ecosystems perspective to promote deeper awareness of this connection. Finally, the ecosocial approach thus derived is examined as a means of promoting environmental sustainability at all levels of social work practice.     

Bridging the gap: feminist theory and practice reality in work with the perpetrators of child sexual abuse

Child sexual abuse has been a focus of concern for feminist writers for over a decade, and social work and probation practitioners are spending an increasing amount of time undertaking intervention with men who sexually abuse children. This paper uses a review of feminist literature which identifies three contested areas in the feminist discussion: theory, power and the fixity of gender, and discusses whether these debates are reflected in any way in the interventions being undertaken with men who sexually abuse children. The conclusion reached is of a distance between theory which draws on a radical patriarchal analysis of child sexual abuse and the practice of those who attempt to work with the perpetrators of such abuse. Although some workers frame their intervention in terms of a patriarchal understanding of society and of the nature of power within this – to this extent following a radical feminist approach – there is a sense in which practitioners' use of feminist theory is only partial. Thus feminist theory is often presented as unitary and there is a sense in which practitioners who say they are espousing feminism are not in touch with the subtleties of feminist analysis revealed in the literature review. In addition, the logic of the radical feminist perspective is not followed through in practice as there is evidence of a sensitivity to difference which may be aligning practitioners with a post-modern/post-structural interpretation of men's sexual violence towards children.     

Familiar subjects? Domestic violence and child welfare

Historically, domestic violence and child welfare have been seen as largely separate concerns. Over the last decade domestic violence has finally gained a place on social work agendas, partly as a result of linking domestic violence with child protection issues. Whilst welcoming the extent to which domestic violence is being taken seriously, we raise concerns about the dominant feminist perspectives guiding this project. We argue that current feminist theory is based on fixed and essentialist gender and generational categories which are unhelpful in understanding the complexities of family situations and family processes. Instead we argue for the relevance of relational understandings of gender, power and violence developed from feminist post-structuralist and psychoanalytic theorists. In doing so, we challenge accepted feminist understandings of domestic violence, and question the basis upon which dominant feminist approaches claim an unviolable alliance between the interests of women and children.     

VII. Foster children: The Jewish home finding society and the institute for Juvenile research 1

Although there is a body of literature that applies Gestalt therapy techniques to clinical practice, little has been written about the use of Gestalt therapy theory as a comprehensive framework for social work practice as a whole. Gestalt therapy theory unifies social work's ecological and strength perspectives and is highly consonant with the core values of the profession. Four major theoretical aspects of Gestalt therapy that are highly applicable to social work practice are described: field theory, “I-Thou” relationship, creative adjustment, and the phenomenological perspective. Case examples are provided to demonstrate a Gestalt approach to social work practice.     

Symbolic Boundaries and Collective Violence. A New Theoretical Argument for an Explanatory Sociology of Collective Violent Action

The sociology of violence still struggles with two critical questions: What motivates people to act violently on behalf of groups and how do they come to identify with the groups for which they act? Methodologically the article addresses these puzzling problems in favor of a relational sociology that argues against both micro‐ and macro‐reductionist accounts, while theoretically it proposes a twofold reorientation: first, it makes a plea for the so called cognitive turn in social theory; second, it proposes following praxeological accounts of social action that focus on the dynamic interpenetration of cognition and socio‐cultural practices. The argument is that symbolic boundaries constitute the “missing link” that allows for overcoming the micro‐macro gap in violence research: Symbolic boundaries can cause people's participation in collective violence by providing the essential relational resources for violent action and by triggering the cognitive/affective mechanisms necessary for social actors to become drawn into mobilization processes that can cause their engaging in coordinated attacks on sites across the boundary. The article offers a new theoretical argument by drawing on knowledge from violence research, social action theory and cognitive science allowing for a non‐reductionist theory of action that explains how and why people engage in collective violence.     

Social Work: Gender, Care and Justice

Correspondence to: Joan Orme, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, Lilybank House, Bute Gardens, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8RT, UK. Summary This article, in examining gender and justice, seeks to examinethe relationship between feminist theory and social work. Specificallyit reviews writings on social work ethics and suggests thatlittle attention has been paid to feminist scholarship thatresonates with social work practice. Focusing primarily on communitycare, it demonstrates how debates within feminism have becomemore complex and have problematized understandings of both careand justice. It argues that for social work it is unhelpfulto dichotomize justice and care; we should aspire to just socialwork practice.     

Why We Need a Biopsychosocial Perspective with Vulnerable,Oppressed, and At-Risk Clients

This article considers why we need to take a biopsychosocial perspective in assessment and treatment of individuals. Using psychological concepts drawn from drive theory, ego psychology, object relations, attachment theory, self psychology and relational theory, the author makes explicit the need to connect these ideas with social and biological contexts. Arguing that psychodynamic theories contain the social as well as the psychological, the author traces Freud's social commitments, the role of critical race theory, the importance of social contexts in shaping development while also considering the effects of neglect, trauma and abuse on the developing brain. Holding in mind all of these positions, is what makes clinical social work truly the impossible profession.     

Social Work and Narrative Ethics

Most accounts of social work values contain two central conceptualstrands: social work ethics and anti-discriminatory practice.Within social work, relatively little attention has been paidto the potential of feminist approaches to ethics, groundedin identity to bring these two strands together. Narrative ethicsis an approach which, like the feminist ethic of care, takesidentity as its starting point and therefore has the potentialto bridge these two distinctive approaches to social work values.However, in asserting the centrality of narrative in the constructionof our identities, it moves beyond the feminist approach. Narrativeapproaches to ethics have been widely adopted in medicine. Thispaper explores their applicability to social work practice,particularly in the light of an increasing interest in narrativeas a basis for practice intervention.     

H. S. Sullivan and “Interpersonal Learning”

Although many of the basic tenets of Harry Stack Sullivan’s interpersonal theory have been incorporated into the Relational School of psychoanalysis, Sullivan’s original ideas about clinical practice are, in many respects, distinct from the intersubjective perspective of relational psychotherapists. Using three case examples that addressed a similar clinical problem, Sullivan’s approach to clinical practice will be contrasted with contemporary relational approaches.     

Towards a critical realist epistemology?

When critical realists consider epistemology they typically start from “epistemological relativism.” We find this position necessary, but we also find it insufficient because it lacks a critique of the highly unequal social relations among observers themselves—relations that shape the very production of knowledge. While it is indeed the case that all knowledge is fallible, it is also the case that all knowledge is positioned, with a particular standpoint. What is more, the social power relations between standpoints organize the production of truth in ways that produce systematic distortions. In this paper, we propose a critical realist social epistemology. We introduce feminist standpoint theory and postcolonial theory as our suggested interventions into critical realism and we use two case studies of existing work to highlight i) the social production of truth and the real, and ii) what is at stake for radicalizing epistemology in critical realism. In so doing, our paper emphasizes the epistemic complexities that continuously shape ontology, a commitment to subaltern voices or experiences, and a thorough interrogation of the relations between positions of knowledge production.     

The Interface of Institutional,Sociopolitical, and Relational Trauma in Clinical Encounters: The Case of Adelita and Mrs. Diaz

In this article, the author addresses the importance of considering the interface of institutional, sociopolitical, and relational trauma in clinical social work practice. Assessment and treatment are discussed using a clinical case composite drawn from the author's previous encounters in clinical social work practice. In this composite, the author uses a biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective and concepts such as intergenerational trauma and psychodynamic theories as a framework for gaining a deeper understanding of clients in social work practice.     

The Moral Arc as a Pretzel: Social Justice in the Trenches

This article explores how social justice has been defined in social work practice and contests the claim of some in our profession that direct practice and social welfare programs are incompatible with social justice, drawing on Foucault’s work on the inextricable link between power and knowledge. This article proposes that social justice “in the trenches” needs further theorizing. Literature supporting a view that direct practice is congruent with a social justice perspective is reviewed. Theory of recognition is introduced as a possible overarching theory to ground direct practice within a social justice framework.     

On the Value and Meaning of Trauma-Informed Practice: Honoring Safety,Complexity, and Relationship

ABSTRACT

In social work, as in other mental health fields, there has been a surge of literature regarding trauma-informed practice. Even so, the value and meaning of being a trauma-informed practitioner still call for further explication and analysis, especially in the realm of clinical social work practice. Approaching and engaging traumatized clients with a trauma-informed lens carry profound implications in the assessment, diagnostic, and intervention stages of treatment, and these implications warrant further unpacking. Additionally, it is critical to explore, through real-world case examples, the significance of working with a trauma-informed lens. This article develops a stage-based, relational definition of trauma-informed practice and argues that trauma-informed practice prioritizes client complexity, social context, and the therapeutic relationship throughout the assessment, diagnostic, and treatment process. In addition, it prioritizes the nuanced experiences and needs of the client, in particular the need for safety, above specific treatment modalities. In this way, it has vital importance to the field of social work. The significance of being trauma informed is considered at all stages of treatment and will be illuminated through practice examples and a longer clinical vignette.     

Norma Lang’s Use of Nondeliberative Approaches: Through a Multidimensional Lens of Activity in Social Work Groups

ABSTRACT

This article is intended to enter into a conversation with the significant work done by Norma Lang on nondeliberative approaches in social work with groups, and, in particular, her use of these approaches in working with people who have limited social skills. The intention is to locate significant strands of her conceptualizing, teaching, and practice within a discussion of the concept “activity”—a concept that social work with groups has uniquely contributed to social work theory and practice. It is proposed that aspects of “activity” can be more fully understood and analyzed using a number of intersecting dimensions: interaction, purpose, meaning, and analog.     

Nested or Networked? Future Directions for Ecological Systems Theory

Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (EST) is among the most widely adopted theoretical frameworks for studying individuals in ecological contexts. In its traditional formulation, different levels of ecological systems are viewed as nested within one another. In this article, we use Simmel's notion of intersecting social circles and Bronfenbrenner's earlier writing on social networks to develop an alternative ‘networked’ model that instead views ecological systems as an overlapping arrangement of structures, each directly or indirectly connected to the others by the direct and indirect social interactions of their participants. We redefine each of the systems discussed by EST—micro, meso, exo, macro, and chrono—based on patterns of social interaction, and then illustrate how this alternative model might be applied in the classic context of the developing child. We conclude by discussing future directions for how the networked model of EST can be applied as a conceptual framework, arguing that this approach offers developmental researchers with a more precise and flexible way to think about ecological contexts. We also offer some initial suggestions for moving a networked EST model from theory to method.     

Regaining Promise

This paper explores several facets of feminist theory for its power to focus social group work practice with vulnerable populations more precisely. Through its examination of male-female relationships feminism has forced us to develop our subjective consciousness of the minute and massive ways in which one vulnerable population has been marginalized over time and in all cultures. Given this "dawning of insight" about women we may be in a better position to utilize the skills of social group work to change ourselves and the contexts of our lives.     

Case work treatment of adult patients of a psychiatric clinic 1

Social work instructors need to understand racism and promote racial justice to help social work students become skillful at addressing racism in practice and policy. Reflective practices, such as journal writing, can help instructors explore the impact of their racial socialization and identity on their teaching and guide their professional development in this area. This article presents a shared journaling project between peers within a social work doctoral program. Participants used this medium to increase their self-awareness and promote racial dialogue within a relational context. Relational-cultural theory is used as a lens for understanding how the relationships between journaling partners deepened over time and facilitated antiracist practice. Implications for social work practice, education, and research are discussed.     

Social Change and Citizen Action

This paper explores the import of two selected philosophical/ theological perspectives, feminist theory and liberation theology, for social group work practice with citizen groups. Its purposes are to focus on the power of social beliefs and theoretical perspectives to shape the meaning of life circumstances and situations for populations, and either to provide support for group action, or engender resignation or cynical indifference. Social group work's philosophy of democratic participation and religious commitment to social justice produced a unity of purpose for practitioners. The identification and incorporation of facets of liberation theology and feminist theory offer more current and perhaps sophisticated frames for integrated practice. Both perspectives highlight the centrality of the participant's thinking, knowing and doing both for personal becoming and community renewal.     

Developing critical social work in theory and in practice: child protection and communicative reason

This paper argues that a critical analysis of the ideologies that inform contemporary child care has been missing from the 're-focusing debate'. Such an analysis points up the necessity of reasserting a critical social work position in order to provide a basis for reconstructing practice and engaging with other social actors and their ideologies in an open and creative fashion compatible with Habermas' aspiration of 'communicative reason'.     

Reassessing a Theory of Professional Expertise: A Cross-National Investigation of Expert Mental Health Social Workers

This paper presents the findings from a cross-national studyof expert mental health social workers in Melbourne, Australiaand San Jose, California, USA. In this study, expert socialworkers were selected based on a peer-nomination process andthey were invited to participate in two-hour focus group interviewsin which they described memorable practice situations. Detailedaccounts of these practice situations were gathered from nineteenAustralian and American expert practitioners employed in community-basedmental health settings. The study findings corroborate manyof the dimensions that are explicated in a theory of professionalexpertise developed by Fook et al. (2000). Further, the findingsdescribe the skilful and ethical comportment of these socialworkers in the context of often complex and challenging practicesituations. Narrative accounts are used to demonstrate the distinguishingdimensions and features of expert practice described by Fookand her colleagues, especially when providing services to peoplewith chronic mental illness. In-depth articulation of practiceexpertise using cross-national data enhances social work researchand pedagogy by providing important exemplars that inform morefully the development of empirically based practice theories.