SW 200: Introduction to Social Work (Smith): Additional Literature

This volume details both quantitative and qualitative methods and data collection, as well as suggesting the methods appropriate to particular types of studies. It also covers issues such as ethics, gender and ethnicity, and offers advice on how to write up and present your research.

The role of research in social work has become increasingly critical and relevant to training and practice. This book explains the links between practice, knowledge and research, bridging the gap between theory and reality by discussing a range of research paradigms and placing them in the context of professional social work. It discusses the political and ethical contexts that are intrinsic to social work practice and addresses topical issues such as the need for evidence-based practice and an awareness of ethics.

Social Work: The Basics is an insightful introduction to the often misrepresented world of social work. This accessible book presents a broad view of contemporary social work, exploring its roots and its possible future. It dispels myths surrounding social work, addresses media debates, and offers a balanced account of what social workers do. The book argues for a social work that is partisan in support of social justice. Questions covered include: How did social work arise? How and why do people come into contact with social workers? What are the true aims of social work - to help or to control? What is the relationship between social work and social policy? How and why do people become social workers? What's it like to be a social worker? Can social work cross borders?

Traces the development of relational ideas from their origin in object relations and self psychology to their evolution in current relational, intersubjectivity, and attachment theory. This volume opens with a historical perspective on the role of relational thinking in social work and the evolution of relational theory. It presents an overview of the key concepts in relational theory and its application throughout the treatment process with diverse clients and in different practice modalities. The book concludes with a discussion of the challenges in learning and teaching new theoretical and practice paradigms, particularly in creating a more mutual exchange in the classroom and during supervision.