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Social work and power / Roger Smith.

By: Material type: TextTextSeries: Reshaping social workPublication details: Basingstoke ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, c2008.Description: x, 237 p. : ill. ; 24 cmISBN:
  • 1403991243 (pbk.)
  • 9781403991249 (pbk.)
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 361.301 SMI
Online resources:
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Copy number Status Date due Barcode
Standard Loan Moylish Library Main Collection 361.301 SMI (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 39002100381244

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Power is an unavoidable issue in social work. This important text explores these complex issues, both at a conceptual and applied level, in order to give students a clear understanding of the theoretical frameworks relevant to practice and to help them begin to think through the challenges they are likely to face and how they will deal with these.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-226) and indexes.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • List of Illustrations (p. viii)
  • Acknowledgements (p. x)
  • 1 Why Do We Need to Think about Power? (p. 1)
  • A persistent problem (p. 1)
  • The power to be late (p. 3)
  • What is the place of power in social work? (p. 5)
  • The contexts of power in social work (p. 7)
  • Key questions about power (p. 9)
  • The structure and aims of this book (p. 10)
  • Main points (p. 13)
  • Stop and think (p. 13)
  • Taking it further (p. 14)
  • Part 1 Ideas of Power
  • 2 Ideas about Power (p. 17)
  • Power is a double-edged concept (p. 17)
  • Historical ideas of power (p. 18)
  • From recognition to definition? (p. 19)
  • Power as potential (p. 23)
  • Power as possession (p. 28)
  • Power as process (p. 32)
  • Power as product (p. 35)
  • Main points (p. 38)
  • Stop and think (p. 39)
  • Taking it further (p. 39)
  • 3 Modes of Power (p. 40)
  • Interests and difference (p. 40)
  • The 'personal' aspect of power: the role of identity (p. 42)
  • Positional power (p. 47)
  • Relational power (p. 52)
  • Main points (p. 56)
  • Stop and think (p. 57)
  • Taking it further (p. 57)
  • 4 Sites of Power (p. 58)
  • The importance of context (p. 58)
  • Situating power: three frameworks (p. 59)
  • Up close and personal: the family (p. 65)
  • The community as 'local authority'? (p. 69)
  • State institutions: speaking directly to practice (p. 73)
  • The global dimension (p. 76)
  • Main points (p. 79)
  • Stop and think (p. 79)
  • Taking it further (p. 80)
  • Part 2 Mechanisms of Power
  • 5 Structural Influences on Practice (p. 83)
  • Making it real (p. 83)
  • Appearances count: the media and social work (p. 84)
  • Speaking directly to practice: the role of government (p. 88)
  • Law and legitimacy (p. 92)
  • Social work and the market (p. 96)
  • Main points (p. 101)
  • Stop and think (p. 102)
  • Taking it further (p. 102)
  • 6 Professionals and Organizations (p. 103)
  • Practice and the impact of systems (p. 103)
  • The power of professions? (p. 104)
  • Social work: a transformative profession? (p. 108)
  • Professionalism and 'managerialism' (p. 111)
  • 'Reprofessionalizing' social work? (p. 112)
  • Social work and other professions (p. 114)
  • Social work professionals and service users (p. 118)
  • Social work as a 'critical' profession (p. 122)
  • Main points (p. 123)
  • Stop and think (p. 123)
  • Taking it further (p. 124)
  • 7 Service-User Strategies (p. 125)
  • The power of people who use services (p. 125)
  • Compliance (p. 127)
  • Non-cooperation (p. 131)
  • Resistance (p. 133)
  • Challenge (p. 136)
  • Collaboration (p. 138)
  • Control (p. 141)
  • Main points (p. 144)
  • Stop and think (p. 144)
  • Taking it further (p. 145)
  • Part 3 Taking, Making and Using Power
  • 8 Empowering Relationships (p. 149)
  • Power and practice (p. 149)
  • Working with individuals: understanding power relationships (p. 151)
  • Exploring power relationships: relational practice (p. 156)
  • Reframing power relationships: language, choice and change (p. 160)
  • Towards user-led services: changing power relationships (p. 165)
  • Main points (p. 169)
  • Stop and think (p. 170)
  • Taking it further (p. 170)
  • 9 Groups, Communities and Systems (p. 171)
  • Making links (p. 171)
  • Understanding power: systems thinking (p. 172)
  • Exploring power relationships: tuning in to the networks (p. 176)
  • Reframing (again): whose problem is it anyway? (p. 180)
  • Generating power: changing relationships in networks and systems (p. 184)
  • Main points (p. 189)
  • Stop and think (p. 189)
  • Taking it further (p. 189)
  • 10 Power: Meeting the Challenge (p. 191)
  • The political nature of social work (p. 191)
  • Knowing our place: recognizing the impact of social work (p. 193)
  • Sites and sources of power: their meaning for practice (p. 198)
  • 'Reframing' social work: solidarity and commitment (p. 203)
  • Proper social work? (p. 203)
  • Structural change is a legitimate objective for social work (p. 207)
  • Social workers, power and justice (p. 211)
  • Bibliography (p. 213)
  • Author Index (p. 227)
  • Subject Index (p. 231)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Roger Smith is Professor of Social Work Research at De Montfort University.

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