Social Work: A Critical Approach to Practice

by Jan Fook

Overview

Celebrating the ageless ideals of the profession, this book throws a life belt to all social work students and professionals looking to engage with the critical tradition of social work to improve their understanding and practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781529790238
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	02/15/2023
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.53(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jan Fook has social work degrees from the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney and PhD from the University of Southampton and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (UK). She has had a long career as a social work educator and a Professor of Education and has also worked in continuing education and the interprofessional field in Australia, the UK, Canada, Norway and the USA. She is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Social Work at the University of Vermont. She is best known for her work on critical social work, practice research and critical reflection and has published extensively in these areas. She has travelled widely delivering lectures and workshops on critical reflection.

Table of Contents

PART ONE: CRITICAL POTENTIAL AND CURRENT CHALLENGES
The Critical Tradition of Social Work
Current Contexts of Practice: Challenges and Possibilities
PART TWO: RETHINKING IDEAS
New Ways of Knowing
Power
Discourse, Language and Narrative
Identity and Difference
PART THREE: REDEVELOPING PRACTICES
Critical Deconstruction and Reconstruction
Empowerment
Problem Conceptualization and Assessment
Narrative Strategies
Contextual Practice: Strategies for Working in and with Contexts
Ongoing Learning

Editorial Reviews

'The strength of this book lies in its coherent exposition of a critical stance

towards both technocratic and structural social work, offering something

strong and coherent in their place. It expounds an approach to critical practice

that is both theoretically grounded and accessible to students and practitioners.

Students can engage with the issues and use Fook’s work to understand and

develop their practice differently'
Dr Carolyn Taylor

Department of Applied Social Science, University of Lancaster

'This second edition is a very welcome addition to the library shelf. Aimed at social work students and practitioners, this revised volume identifies the features of a critical approach to social work practice. These include commitments to anti—oppressive practice and social change, and the recognition that personal problems can be traced back to the socio—economic contents of individual lives. Any reader — from new student to seasoned practitioner — will find something here to sharpen up their critical thinking and the way they work' —
Professional Social Work

From the Publisher

Fook is effective in placing herself within her writing and this compels readers to journey with her in exploring the interface of our evolving personal and professional selves.

G. Brent Angell

This has been a valuable resource both in my teaching of undergraduate social work and for my own continuous development.

Prospera Tedam

The content and approach offer a high standard of learning materials for students studying social work.

Audrey Roulston

A must-read for progressive social work.

Merlinda Weinberg

This book is our "social work bible ".

Christine Morley

It is a very useful book that integrates post modern and critical theory in a way that challenges the reader to develop more effective social work practice.

Anna Gupta