Social Work Theory

Theories, models and perspectives - Cheat sheet for field instructors Major Theories – Used in Social Work Practice  Systems Theory  Psychodynamic  Social Learning  Conflict Developmental Theories  Theories of moral reasoning (Kohlberg, Gilligan)  Theories of cognition (Piaget)  Transpersonal theories of human development (Transpersonal – means beyond or through the persona or mask. Going beyond identity rooted in the individual body or ego to include spiritual experience or higher levels of consciousness.)  Stage theories – Erikson Primary Perspectives  Strengths  Feminist  Eco-Systems Current Social Work Practice Models  Problem Solving  Task-Centered  Solution – Focused  Narrative  Cognitive-Behavioral  Crisis In brief, social work practice models are like recipes. They are step-by-step guides for client sessions. Perspectives represent what aspects of the session are emphasized or highlighted in a session (i.e. questions asked or time spent). Theories are overall explanations of the person-in-environment configuration. Theories help explain why the problem is occurring and where the most efficient intervention should take place.

Definitions: Theory –A general statement about the real world whose essential truth can be supported by evidence obtained through the scientific method. – Must explain in a provable way why something happens. Ex: Learning theory explains behavior on the basis of what organisms have learned from the environment. Model – Is a blueprint for action. It describes what happens in practice in a general way. Ex: The behavioral model (based on learning theory) gives specific guidelines

1

for how to effect change. If a parent complains that his child is having difficulty staying in his own bed at night and the parent has been allowing the child to sleep in his/her bed( thereby reinforcing the child’s difficulty) the practitioner would help the parent to extinguish the behavior by removing the reinforcement. Perspective