Social work theory, knowledge and practice

Abstract

Theoretical thinking in the second part coalesces around important value concepts that influence social work ideals, such as caring, autonomy and human rights. Theory is constructed in stories because the connections between different facets of social work cannot be defined only in one way; rather the stories show how they are linked and perceived in many ways. Some theoretical constructions may be of sequences. Theories and the writings about them challenge, intertwine with and elude each other. Interconnected theories form groups that share many ideas and approach social work similarly. Social work abounds in theoretical variety. This is because the array of possibilities offered by theoretically diverse stories assists its practitioners and scholars in knowledge management. Social work educators and researchers, therefore, draw from a broad range of human sciences to inform and stimulate their practice.