Social work professionals must have a deep understanding of research methods to effectively serve their clients and communities. In this comprehensive guide, Christine Marlow emphasizes this link between research and practice. She focuses on the relevance of research methods within agency work, where most social work graduates will be employed, rather than strictly an academic setting. With a focus on generalist social work practice, she offers a clear and concise overview of the research process, including identifying research questions, selecting appropriate research designs, and analyzing data.Using real-world examples and case studies, Marlow helps readers understand how research can be used to inform social work practice and drive positive change in communities. With a strong emphasis on ethics and cultural competence, this text prepares social work students and professionals to conduct research that is both effective and socially responsible.
Social work professionals must have a deep understanding of research methods to effectively serve their clients and communities. In this comprehensive guide, Christine Marlow emphasizes this link between research and practice. She focuses on the relevance of research methods within agency work, where most social work graduates will be employed, rather than strictly an academic setting. With a focus on generalist social work practice, she offers a clear and concise overview of the research process, including identifying research questions, selecting appropriate research designs, and analyzing data. Using real-world examples and case studies, Marlow helps readers understand how research can be used to inform social work practice and drive positive change in communities. With a strong emphasis on ethics and cultural competence, this text prepares social work students and professionals to conduct research that is both effective and socially responsible.
New edition of a guide which helps undergraduate students to understand the interconnectedness of research methods and everyday practice in generalist settings. Incorporates international examples and strikes a balance between positivistic and interpretist approaches. Emphasizes the role of diversity in the research process and discusses topics including choosing and developing the question; designing needs assessments; evaluation of programs and practice; collecting, organizing, and analyzing data; ethical concerns; and internet and computer resources. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
The fourth edition of The Practice of Generalist Social Work continues to teach students to apply micro, macro, and mezzo social work skills. This new edition strengthens the connection between the three levels of practice and is fully updated to the 2015 EPAS. This edition also contains more illustrations of theory and more context for deciding which type of intervention is a good fit. Most chapters now open with a case study and continually refer back to the case to provide additional connections between theory and real-life practice. Each chapter also incorporates a link to a Grand Challenge of Social Work from the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, which shows the connection between social work and the most significant societal challenges of today. The Quick Guides within the text offer students guidance for their field experience and practice after graduation. The text also comes with a rich companion website that includes support materials and six unique cases that encourage students to learn by doing. Go to www.routledgesw.com to explore the cases and additional resources.
Generalist Social Work Practice provides students with the foundational skills and knowledge needed to serve clients across micro, mezzo and macro areas of practice. Author Janice Gasker brings a focus on self-reflection as the first stage in the planned change process and writes with the perspective that we consider work at all levels of practice simultaneously rather than in isolation. In accordance with the 2015 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) set forth by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE), the planned change process is presented as dynamic and interactive, providing students with a clear understanding of how each stage of the planned change process can be utilized at any point when serving a client system. The text spotlights the distinctive characteristics of the worker—their values, attitudes, and experiences—that may influence client interaction. The text also includes case studies, collaborative learning exercises, and critical thinking questions to help students apply concepts to practice.
The social worker's guide to integrating theory and practice Applying Theory to Generalist Social Work Practice teaches aspiring social workers how to apply theory in real world practice. Fully aligned with the Council on Social Work Education's 2015 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, the book links theory to practice with clear, concise instruction including a discussion of evidence-based practice. Twelve commonly-used theories are thoroughly explained, with discussion of the strengths and limitations of each, and applied to real work with individuals, groups, families, communities, and organizations. The book includes case studies and first-person contributions from practicing social workers to illustrate the real-world scenarios in which different concepts apply. Critical thinking questions help students strengthen their understanding of the ideas presented. Tools including a test bank, PowerPoint slides, and an instructor's manual are available to facilitate classroom use, providing a single-volume guide to the entire helping process, from engagement to termination. Practice is a core foundational course for future social workers, but many practice texts focus on skills while neglecting the theoretical basis for social work. Applying Theory to Generalist Social Work Practice fills that gap by covering both skills and theory in a single text. Examines the applications of prevailing social theories Covers the most common theories used in micro, mezzo, and macro practice Helps readers understand well-established approaches like strengths perspective, humanistic and client-centered, task-centered, and solution-focused brief therapy Shows how to apply major theories including ecological/system, cognitive/behavioral, conflict, empowerment, narrative, crisis, critical, and feminist An effective social worker recognizes the link between theory and practice, and how the two inform each other to culminate in the most effective intervention and most positive outcome for the client. Applying Theory to Generalist Social Work Practice provides students with a roadmap to the full integration of philosophy and application in social work.
Research Methods in Social Work helps students develop evidence-based practice by involving them in the process of research methodology. An innovative storytelling approach follows two students engaged in internships who go through the steps and tasks required to design a program and evaluate it in their practicum. Readers can see how realistic decisions arise in planning research and the activities necessary to support and conduct a research effort. Students learn the importance of comparison group designs, operationalizing variables, the use of valid and reliable measurements, and how these can affect the obtained results. Specific topics include research ethics, developing questionnaires and instruments, techniques for selecting client and community samples, and evaluating one's practice with single system designs. This edition features a new focus on understanding the statistical procedures, symbols, and findings commonly found in research publications. Instructor and student friendly, it contains self-review questions as well as potential assignments. Research Methods in Social Work prepares students to successfully consume social work research and lays the foundation for those who may want to create research during their academic and professional careers. For a look at the specific features and benefits of Research Methods in Social Work, visit cognella.com/research-methods-in-social-work-features-and-benefits.
From the outset, the ultimate goal of Research Methods for Social Workers has been to serve as a research text that students would be able to understand and read in full. This third edition features important additions and changes to the original text (while maintaining its accessible style). The order of chapters is re-arranged to improve the flow of introducing and developing concepts of the research process, and the authors have included some much-needed information to meet the changing and evolving standards of social work education. At its core, this book is designed to bring complex ideas down to a level that can be grasped by someone with little to no knowledge of research methods - it is an invaluable resource for social work students and anyone who wishes to have a comprehensive introduction to research methods.
This book describes an advanced generalist approach to direct social work practice with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Intervention paradigms that include psychodynamic, cognitive/behavioral/communications, experiential/humanistic, existential and transpersonal are presented as the four sources of social work.
