SWRK 525 Lecture 5: SWRK 525 - 2018-01-29
29 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
SWRK 525 – Critical Thought and Ethics in Social Work
29 January 2018
Theory validating the work that we do as social workers
oEx. if doing intervention and want to see just the individual, what theory/where in the theory
justifies this
Formal vs. informal theory:
oFormal: written down, debated in profession and academia
oInformal: derived from experience
Discourse (what is social work), practice, “client world”/social reality theories
oUnderstanding that you cannot treat theories like cookie cutters: not applicable to all situations,
will not always garner the same results
Using theory to make us aware of potential risks in client’s situation, allows us to combat the harm these
risks might bring to client
Intervening with clients based on a knowledge base that legitimizes what we’re doing, what we say, how
we work with communities and levels of advocacy, etc.
Allows social worker to be neutral by keeping biases in check and working more objectively with client
because you’re applying a certain knowledge base, not just enforcing your own political views or beliefs
Hierarchical structure of theory:
oHistories; social work has been used as colonialism, oppression tool
Naming as a tool to devalue or diss another culture
Ex. name of theory, Professor Maurer removing “Indigenous Worldview” on
Professor Gabriel’s slide
“Indigenous worldview”: way of understanding, navigating the world
Holistic relationships
Interconnectedness
Tension between “hetero” way and “traditional” way
Rights of collective > rights of individuals
Interdependency
Hollow Water, film.
oUnderwent healing process to recover from sexual abuse in community
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Swrk 525 critical thought and ethics in social work. Theory validating the work that we do as social workers: ex. if doing intervention and want to see just the individual, what theory/where in the theory justifies this. Formal: written down, debated in profession and academia. Discourse (what is social work), practice, client world /social reality theories: understanding that you cannot treat theories like cookie cutters: not applicable to all situations, will not always garner the same results. Using theory to make us aware of potential risks in client"s situation, allows us to combat the harm these risks might bring to client. Intervening with clients based on a knowledge base that legitimizes what we"re doing, what we say, how we work with communities and levels of advocacy, etc. Allows social worker to be neutral by keeping biases in check and working more objectively with client because you"re applying a certain knowledge base, not just enforcing your own political views or beliefs.
