Applying Social Work Theory

To become effective and knowledgeable social workers, students need to be able to draw upon and apply a wide range of theories to the complex lives of service users in professional practice.

For many students this is no simple task: social work draws upon theories from a wide range of disciplines and students are confronted with a plethora of approaches and ideas. The result is a gap between theory and practice. This book, with its unique journal format, will provide readers with a framework for engaging with and applying theory to practice.

Part 1 introduces 12 common theoretical approaches in social work. Each chapter starts with a short, accessible summary of the theory and then presents five steps which help students to consolidate their understanding and engage with the theory:

- Step 1: students write their own short summary of the theory
- Step 2: reflective questions/exercises help students to consider the theory in terms of their own life experience
- Step 3: questions/exercises to help students apply the theory to their placement experiences
- Step 4: a case study from social work practice to illustrate this approach
- Step 5: a commentary on the case study with key questions to ask in order to examine the case in relation to this approach

Part 2 contains three complex and contrasting case studies. These help students to examine the ways in which theory can help them understand more about the complex lives of service users. Reflective prompts encourage students to reflect on which theories help to inform understanding of the situation, with discussion over how particular theories can be applied.

Part 3 contains space for students to capture their own experiences from placement. Key questions will help them to think about which theories might offer most insight, and prompts help to assist students in the act of reflecting deeply about theory. This text presents students with an original, hands-on way of engaging with theory.