Building on the successful 1st edition, this reader brings together some
of the most significant ideas that have informed social work practice
over the last fifty years. At the same time as presenting these
foundational extracts, the book includes commentaries that allow the
reader to understand the selected extracts on their own terms as well as
to be aware of their relations to each other and to the wider social
work context.
There is no settled view or easy consensus about what social work is and
should be, and the ideas reflected in this volume are themselves diverse
and complex. The world of social work has changed greatly over the last
ten years, and this new edition reflects that change with new material
on the decolonisation of social work knowledges, the greater emphasis on
inter-disciplinarity and co-production and the new concern for
identities.
With an accessible introduction to contextualise the selections, the
book is divided into three main sections, each presenting key texts
drawn from a wide range of perspectives: psychological, sociological,
philosophical, educational and political, as well as perspectives that
are grounded in the experiences of practitioners and those who use
services, which have contributed to the development of:
- the profession of social work
- knowledge and values for social work and
- practice in social work.
By providing students and practitioners with an easy way into reading
first-hand some of the most interesting, foundational texts of the
subject, it will be required reading for all undergraduate and
postgraduate programmes and professionals undertaking post-qualifying
training.
