Critical commentary on 'Social work as art revisited'

While agreeing with the importance of art as a stimulus for the imagination in social work practice, Healy takes issue with the broader aspirations of the article. Healy questions whether art can or should be used to foster "a collective moment of political truth" for social work, as such an inspiration is likely to gloss over the important differences in context and purpose that profoundly shape the nature of social work in the wide variety of contexts where it is practised. Healy argues for the recognition of art as a possible contributor to knowledge and practice but contends that an ongoing and productive engagement with other forms of knowing is equally if not more critical to the development of social work knowledge and identities.