Social work theories and reflective practice

Abstract

The first part of this book has presented ideas about the nature of social work and the social and political world in which social workers operate. As Part I has shown, we need to approach such ideas critically because many of them are in debate. Understanding the purposes and context of our work does not, therefore, give us any easy answers, and we must find ways of connecting our knowledge and understanding of society, policy and people with the actions we will take as social workers. Part II examines some examples of important and well-known ‘practice theories’ which seek to explain in organised ways how social workers may usefully act, using their knowledge about the social world in which they operate. Practice theories are no less debated than the material considered in Part I, so we have to come to a view, as practitioners, not only about the most helpful knowledge of the social world to use, but also what ideas we can use to apply that knowledge to the particular social and interpersonal situations we are dealing with. If we are to practise from this knowledge and theory, we must have ways of thinking which turn thinking into practice action. Reflection is a way of doing this.