Social workers spend their time trying to ease social suffering. They encounter the extreme casualties of social inequality: the victims of poverty, illness, addiction, and abuse; they work with abusers and offenders; and operate in the space between the State and the poor or marginalized. Social
work is replete with vivid human stories: the troubled teenage boy who cannot settle in a foster home; the frail older woman who is desperate for social contact; the community seeking a way to tackle gang violence; the sex offender leaving prison; and the disputed territory of international
adoption. Social work therefore holds a fundamental importance throughout the modern world.
In this Very Short Introduction, Sally Holland and Jonathan Scourfield explain what social work is and look at its rich historical development. Reflecting international human stories of social
problems and social work relationships, as well as the philosophies behind the practice and the evidence about what works throughout the world, they look at the various definitions, history, and debates about purpose and effectiveness, theory, and methods. Including wide ranging examples of social
work practice around the world and within particular population groups, they reflect the international variation of social work theory and practice, as well as highlighting all of the main controversies and debates.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford
University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly
readable.
1. What is social work?
2. The politics of social work
3. Social work with individuals and families
4. Social work with groups
5. Community social work
6. Does it work?
Further reading
Index
There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.
Sally Holland is a Reader in Social Work at Cardiff University and Director of the CASCADE Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre. She teaches qualifying social workers on the MA Social Work and PhD students. She also carries out research on all aspects of children's social
work. Before becoming an academic she worked in a range of social work settings, including residential child care, with street homeless people, as a local authority children's social worker, and in a family centre. Jonathan Scourfield is Professor of Social Work at Cardiff University. His research
covers child welfare, children's identities and suicide prevention and he also has a long-standing interest in social work with men. He teaches Masters and doctoral students in social work. Before becoming an academic he worked as a history teacher, a probation officer, and a group worker in a
therapeutic community for people with drug and alcohol problems.