Social theories II

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Social theories II

• Interpretivism, reflection and social work as art

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In this lecture, we will

• Review the meaning of interpretivism
• Examine the claims of Social Work to be an Art
• Discuss the notion of common sense
• Explore ideas of Creativity and Holism
• Relate these ideas to practice examples

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What is Intepretivism?

• We can only understand human beings, groups and
  society by exploring the meanings people
  attribute to any event or phenomenon
• There is no single view of the world
• Individuals construct their own view
• of actions and events
• This has become connected to discourse theory and
  supports the notion of social work as an art

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An Example from Child Abuse Studies

• Approaches to Screening for Child Abuse and
  Neglect (1988) Kevin Browne and Sarah Saqi
• Follow up study of 14238 children born in North
  East Surrey in 1984
• Identified a whole range of risk factors
• Not planned / not wanted born early born with
  difficulties age of mother status of father
  parental history of abuse/ neglect/ public care
  poverty
• This produces a target group of risk ratings
• Follow up after two years..but with limited
  correlation outcomes. Why does science not
  work?

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So, what had happened?

• The researchers interviewed the false positives
  (those who should have damaged or neglected
  their infants, but did not)
• What had happened? For this group, in spite of
  the loss of income, the fatigue, the stress, the
  tedium, the pain, the shock, the limitations on
  independence, freedom, choice ..they associated
  being a parent with a major change for the
  better. The gains massively outweighed the
  losses. Parenting was perceived to have given
  their life meaning and a purpose. Yet many of
  these were people who should on paper have
  failed.

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How is Social Work an Art?

• Emphasis on intuition, experience, being there,
  the crucible of communication
• Casework is the vehicle for interaction the
  interpersonal encounter is rooted in the
  workers use of Self, or Personhood
• This links to an idea of performance, on the part
  of the service user and the practitioner both
  are playing roles (the crux of symbolic
  interactionism)
• Knowledge helps not to prescribe a formulaic,
  mechanistic intervention but to create meaning.

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What Do We Mean By Common Sense?

• All professions are conspiracies against the
  laity GB Shaw
• Traditionally, professions acquire their status
  by creating a discreet body of knowledge that is
  beyond the layperson, and removes
• them from playing a part
• Perhaps, England (1986) is
• referring to the vitality of
• keeping the common touch
• Avoiding the pitfalls of
• professionalisation does not mean being
  amateur.

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Creativity and Holism

• The tool of the worker is her own self and
  creativity
• Intuition is a core attribute, about oneself and
  the other(s)
• Workers are not painting a picture.they are in
  it
• Thus, we are not observing testable hypotheses,
  under laboratory conditions, but
• we are engaged in a living,
• creative dynamic
• We have to address things
• holistically, not sequentially
• We have to engage the creative
• powers of our clients. But how?

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Meaning and Understanding

• Core concept Empathy (so links with person
  centred and humanistic counselling)
• Understanding Others (England, 1986),
  verstehen (Weber(1892)
• This is about shared understandings and a shared
  journey (see the works of Brandon, such as Zen in
  the Art of Helping (1976)
• I sit on a mans back, choking him and making
  him carry me, and yet assure myself and others
  that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his
  lot by all possible means except by getting off
  his back Leo Tolstoy, cited in Brandon, 1976,
  Zen in the Art of Helping

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Practice Ideologies

• Hardikers model (1981)
• Judicial ideology the administration of justice
  and social policing
• Community development ideology work and change
  community / social systems
• Welfare ideology a personal, interactional
  service, based upon professional relationships

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Reflective Practice and Practice Wisdom

• This concept recognises the learning that emerges
  from doing and the difference between reflection
  in action (in situ) and reflection on action
  (post hoc), supported and aided by consultation,
  supervision and mentoring
• BUT. How does this fit with the coercive,
  policing, authoritative mandate for Social Work?