Social Work: A Critical Approach To Practice - Softcover

Fook, Jan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1446200523 ISBN 13: 9781446200520

Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd, 2012

Synopsis

Social work is a human profession founded on social justice. It is difficult however to negotiate this in the constantly-changing context of the twenty first century. Now in its′ second edition, this book considers the critical tradition of social work and updates it with postmodern thinking. Jan Fook draws on critical reflection to help social workers deliver flexible, responsible and responsive practice and to celebrate the ageless ideals of the profession.

Key ideas covered in the text include:

- Postmodernism

- Critical theories

- Critical reflection

- Contextuality

The author draws on her own experiences, to relate theoretical ideas to real life. Summaries, exercises and further reading are also included in each chapter.

The book will be essential reading for all undergraduate students of social work. It will also be a valuable resource for postgraduate students and qualified professionals, who want to revisit the critical tradition of social work.

About this title

About the Author

Jan Fook has been a social worker and academic for 30 years. She is currently Director, School of Social Work, Faculty of Health Professions, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada. She was recently Professor of Professional Practice Research and Director of the Interprofessional Institute at the South West London Academic Network (Royal Holloway, St Georges (University of London) and Kingston University), UK. She has born and educated in Australia where she has worked most of her life. She has held a variety of academic positions in Australia, the UK and Norway (including professorial positions at Deakin, La Trobe and Southampton Universities, and Diakonhjemmet College, Oslo) but has an ongoing interest in professional education and practice research. Over the last 15 years she has focused on developing critical reflection, and has conducted many workshops with professionals across Australia and in Europe, the UK, Asia and Canada.

She is probably most well known for her work on critical social work and critical reflection. Her research work involves the empirical research of professional practice, and developing better methods for representing the complexity of this. In particular, she is currently engaged in developing critical reflection as a method for researching experience. She has published approximately 80 book chapters and articles. Her 13 books include: Radical Casework (Allen & Unwin); Professional Expertise (with Martin Ryan & Linette Hawkins, Whiting & Birch); Social Work: Critical Theory and Practice (Sage), and Practising Critical Reflection (with Fiona Gardner, Open University Press)

Edition details

• Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1446200523
• ISBN 13: 9781446200520
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 232