A conversation between Noel Timms and a US social work practitioner, nascent sociologist

Abstract

In this section essay, I engage in a conversation with Timms’ (1967) A Sociological Approach to Social Problems, 50 years after its initial publication, from the perspective of an experienced social work practitioner and nascent sociologist. I use, and build on, Timms’ work in three areas, considering: the usefulness of a sociological approach to social problems for social work, the integration of critical-reflexivity in social science scholarship, and how a sociological approach to social problems can inform analysis of social work practice experience, particularly in terms of being an agent of social change or social control.