Summary
Contents
Subject index
A step-by-step guide to the underpinning theoretical knowledge in social work helping your students to confidently apply theory in practice. - Exercises will help them get to grips with the essentials and reflect on learning. - Case studies from eight fictional social workers located in a busy local authority office will allow them to explore a range of different practice experience, theoretical perspectives and approaches to understanding situations and identifying possible courses of action. - The authors’ own experiences will show the importance of reflection, supervision and continual learning to help them prepare for the reality of practice.
Understanding theory in practice
Understanding theory in practice
Introduction
This chapter is our starting point: a place to examine what theory is and is not, to recognise its often-ambiguous nature and to consider how it relates to social work. We will help you think through your existing understanding of theory, and recognise how it influences your sense making – sometimes explicitly, but most often implicitly.
What is theory?
A standard definition of theory is:
a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained [or] an idea used to account for a situation or justify a course of action. (Oxford Dictionary, 2019)
Exercise 1.1
In the beginning, what existed? This question poses many possibilities and the way ...
- Loading...