Epistemology and social work: Integrating theory, research and practice through philosophical pragmatism

Hothersall, Steve J.

doi:10.1921/swssr.v18i3.954

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 195 publications

(137 reference statements)

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“…The pragmatist approach reflects a value-driven and needs-based orientation (Johnson et al., 2007). It aligns with the core values of social work in that it views the consequences of the actions as having more weight than the preceding actions (Hothersall, 2016). Accordingly, pragmatism is viewed as having a strong association with the objectives of social work research (Kaushik and Walsh, 2019).…”

Section: Application Of a Pragmatist Approachmentioning

confidence: 91%

Reflections on navigating the PhD journey as a social work practitioner

Lotty

2020

Qualitative Social Work

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Practitioners who undertake PhDs find themselves in a unique research position. They have a dual role of being a researcher, a doctoral candidate and also a practitioner. This paper describes my reflections on the journey of doing a PhD as an experienced social work practitioner. First, I describe my study which designed, developed and evaluated a psychoeducational intervention for foster carers in Ireland. Then, I discuss my reflections on my position in the research and how I theoretically framed my study in a pragmatist approach. I discuss the challenges I experienced as a practitioner and doctoral candidate. I conclude that my position as a practitioner and doctoral candidate was likely to have enhanced my research and the contribution it has made to social work practice.

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Section: Application Of a Pragmatist Approachmentioning

confidence: 91%

Reflections on navigating the PhD journey as a social work practitioner

Lotty

2020

Qualitative Social Work

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“…Any other portrayal would not be, for the radical racial pragmatist, the "kind of truth we are interested in getting." Recently, Kathryn R. Berringer (2019) reviewed social work's long history of engaging with pragmatic thought and praxis (e.g., Addams, 1911;Borden, 2010Borden, , 2013Carr, 2015;Forte, 2004aForte, , 2004bHothersall, 2015;Greenstone, 1979;Lushin & Anastas, 2011). The unifying feature of the pragmatic social work literature reviewed by Berringer, as well as her treatment of this literature, is a reticence to prioritize, or to even include at all, a thoroughgoing analysis of the consequences of pragmatism for the racially marginalized and oppressed.…”

Section: Toward Radical Racial Pragmatismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconsidering Intersectionality: Falsity, Negativity, and Radical Racial Pragmatism in Social Work Praxis

Gregory

2022

csw

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The present historical juncture, characterized by overuse of the word “intersectionality” and underappreciation for its historical evolution and intention, warrants not only clarification of intersectionality as a concept, but thoroughgoing reconsideration of its contemporary utility and limitations. This is precisely the task undertaken in this article. Upon close scrutiny, extant theories of intersectionality fall upon a continuum ranging from falsity to negativity, the former indicating misrepresentation of identity through reliance on categories, the latter suggesting deconstruction to the point of making translation into practice difficult or impossible. Neither theoretical extreme of this continuum, nor any point in between, advances the intended mission of racial justice without also creating new problems or inflicting collateral social damage. This necessitates a theoretical and practical push beyond intersectionality toward a new project of radical racial pragmatism in social work praxis. Radical racial pragmatism offers a platform from which to begin a campaign for racial justice that avoids the obstacles of falsity and negativity by adhering to a program centering upon provisional racial relationality, epistemological and moral pluralism, and participatory, interracial democracy. The liberatory and transformative aspiration that guides but ultimately eludes intersectional theorization is thus restored by radical racial pragmatism in social work praxis.

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“…This is a very different role from that of a counsellor, for example, in which engagement between the professional and 'client' is more often on a voluntary basis, and where initial agreement about the nature of 'the problem' is easier to establish (Forrester 2017). The question, understood more broadly, relates to social work epistemologyhow can workers know about (the impact they are having on) the social world around them, by what methods and with what limitations (Hothersall 2016;Aymer and Okitikpi 2000)?…”

Section: The Nature Of Knowledge In Social Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Do Child Protection Social Workers Talk about When They Talk about Helping Children and Families? An Observational Study of Supervision

Wilkins¹,

Pitt²,

Addis³

2022

Practice

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Social work is often described as a helping profession. Yet in the context of child protection services, the kind of 'help' on offer is not always welcome. Relatively few parents or children request the assistance of child protection services, and child protection investigations are often highly stressful. Workers and family members may have different ideas about the nature of the family's problems, and the type of support they need. So, how do child protection social workers think they are helping children and their families? In this paper, we report an analysis of audiorecordings of supervision case discussions, through which we explore what social workers talk about when they talk about helping families. In some cases, workers did not know how they were helping, or even if they were. Other times, workers said they were helping by developing positive relationships, addressing parental behaviour change, coordinating with other services, and fulfilling their statutory duties. We reflect on these findings in relation to the nature of 'help' in child protection services, practice epistemologies and Hasenfeld's typologies of power.

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Epistemology and social work: Integrating theory, research and practice through philosophical pragmatism

Cited by 10 publications

References 195 publications

Reflections on navigating the PhD journey as a social work practitioner

Reflections on navigating the PhD journey as a social work practitioner

Reconsidering Intersectionality: Falsity, Negativity, and Radical Racial Pragmatism in Social Work Praxis

What Do Child Protection Social Workers Talk about When They Talk about Helping Children and Families? An Observational Study of Supervision

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