Theoretical Perspectives in Social Work - Essay Example

08 INTRODUCTION Social work is done according to many models and in many countries. Earlier social work was done according to certain principles and government policies. Nowadays more care is taken to work according to the various models that the social scientists have developed through constant research. The theoretical perspectives of the social work are gaining more importance in recent years. Even though every approach is not theory-supported, the government is attempting to take the help of research scholars while creating or improving a social work policy. Political and administration outlook has changed in recent years and the inclusion and necessity of social scientists is now being accepted in every European country including United Kingdom as part of the policy perspective. "Despite the British government's allergic reaction to theorising in social work training, there is a welcome emergence of theoretical literacy, in social work including European social theory, feminism, the sociology of knowledge and concepts such as risk, time, practice and expertise" Shaw (2003, p.111). Another theory based approach that could be suitable for the present case is the System Theory. System theory is also called Eco System theory and it does not look at an individual as a single entity, but connected to institutions, environment, family and society. It tries to assess the people as part of an entire system. "Systems theory offers a way of conceptualising the relationship between people and environments and encourages a balanced approach to both domains of practice. Emphasis is on the 'goodness of fit' between the client and their environment" http://alex.edfac.usyd.edu.au/socialwork_attachments/ibl1/Lectureoverheads12th%20April.doc According to this theory, the social workers focus on the family, community and the social, economic, and political factors that might affect the situation of the client. According to Hoffman and Sallee, 1994 (cited in Ibid) 1. All systems seek goal attainment and balance. 2. All systems have boundaries. 3. All systems are made up of subsystems. 4. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. 5. All systems create feedback. There are many driving principles of this theory. It assumes that people function as part of many systems in life and they get affected by almost all the systems of which they are part of. As the systems are forever evolving and changing, any change that has occurred in one system will have consequences in other systems. Individuals face problems because of their incompatibility with the systems to which they belong. It is the work of the social worker to enhance the compatibility, minimise the incompatibility between people and the systems. System intervention could be done according to the following steps: 1. "the notion of partnership 2. the worker facilitates change but is not an expert about the system 3. sustained change 4. non-judgemental 5. holism and recognition of social connection" (http://alex.edfac.usyd.edu.au/socialwork_attachments/ibl1/Lectureoverheads12th%20April.doc It is difficult for social scientists to create social theories in the city life of today, because every individual is a member of many conflicting systems. The ancient days' rural life did not expose humans to so many systems, unlike today. Now the system-coping skills are required in multifaceted dimensions and some people find it extremely difficult to possess them. "In the extreme complexity of modern urban society there is need for a very large pool of variety in terms of behavioural patterns. Some of these patterns may be defined as illegitimate or deviant and yet have value for the survival of particular groups and potential value for society as a whole in the event of a major change in the environment" Forder (1976, p. 26). Systems theory takes the social changes that are affecting individuals and social work into consideration. In fact, this consideration becomes the main basis of the work plan. The model does not take the usual theories or the intellectual development as the basis. It seems the individual as part of a much wider system and works in the belief that when the system and the individual fit into one another, the issues are resolved. "The analysis of social work writings confirms contextual explanations, that systems theory had an impact as part of wider social changes affecting social work, rather than for intrinsic reasons of theoretical or intellectual development" Payne (2002, abstract). CASE STUDY UNDER SYSTEMS THEORY It is very clear that Jenny and Dave both have not fitted into their environments. They are new to the place and the habitat has not created a niche for them or vice versa. "The ecological concepts of habitat and niche are important terms for understanding the importance of the importance of environment on people. A person's habitat is the location where a person is found and will involve all of the levels of the environment described above, but particularized to their locale. A person's niche, on the other hand, involves the person's state and status within the habitat," Nash (p.40). Both are misfits into the present habitat and the social worker has to understand this and try to reduce the gap between the habitat and niche in their cases. Both Jenny's and Dave's parents are far away and this makes it difficult for them to find the suitable support. If the parents had been nearer, Sean and Sarah would have found support from their grandparents and that would have led to pleasant home life for the children. Currently they are being brought up under difficult circumstances. It is not a good environment for both the children, especially for Sean, who is big enough to understand the wrong environment around him and get affected by it, which is very wrong and misleading. It is no wonder that the Health Visitor, who was concerned about Sarah, has referred the family to the Social Work. Children are more susceptible to the environment than we believe them to be. They notice more than we suspect and get affected emotionally and psychologically by the happenings around them even if they are mere toddlers. Systems theory focuses on the mental and emotional development of the child with reference to the environment in which it is growing and the relationships surrounding the child and how healthy they are. "This theory looks at a child's development within the context of the system of relationships that form his or her environment. Bronfenbrenner's theory defines complex "layers" of environment, each having an effect on a child's development" http://pt3.nl.edu/paquetteryanwebquest.pdf The intention of financial advice has to be put into practice by gentle prodding that both of them need desperately. Here again, Jenny and Dave have to fit into the system of employment and start earning a regular salary. The social workers anyway will make arrangements of child care and this means Jenny and Dave both are free and should be advised to work. This will reduce the financial burden and also decreases the tension around the house. Then there comes the major problem about their intimacy. It is not rare for the mother to be put off sex after the trials and tribunals of pregnancy and birth. Jenny needs psychological counselling to overcome this barrier. At the same time Dave seems to be adept in complaining. Either he is complaining about lack of funds without making an additional effort to curb his spending or get a better job, or he is complaining about their lack of intimacy, without doing much in this direction. So, Dave too needs help and guidance by a psychologist, who should be able to convince, especially Jenny that her sex drive is not dead, but only has taken a back seat due to the responsibilities and difficulties of raising another child without additional income and support. While the social worker who is working on the task centred model, would help them to get employment, get over financial problems, return the loans (loan consultant can help them by creating a practical plan of repayment) by planning small goals with them, the social worker who works with the System model, can reduce their incompatibility with various systems. Task centred model has to check on their completion of tasks like getting employed, being paid for a work, going to work regularly, keeping the house in order, not ordering online, not going to bookies and not yelling at each other in front of the children. After each completed task, Jenny and Dave should be informed and praised for the completion of the particular task. The confidence in both of them has to be built up gradually. The sex therapist will be able to advice Jenny in the field of intimacy, which is not unreal after the birth of a child under difficult circumstances. The grandparents of the children could be involved by the system theory worker. The nursery where Sean shows his aggressive behaviour could be advised accordingly and it is necessary to make Sean to fit better there, before he learns that he could get away with aggression. Sarah has to be left in the care of grandparents occasionally and both the parents should be shown how near they are in wrecking not only their lives but also the lives of the children. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Forder, Anthony, 'Social work and systems theory', British Journal of Social Work,Volume 6, number 1, pp. 23-42. 2. Hanvey, Christopher and Philpot, Terry (1994), Practising Social Work, Routledge, London. 3. Kanter, Joel S., 'Revaluation of task-centred social work practice', Clinical Social Work Journal, Vol. 11, Number 3, September 1983. 4. Payne, Malcolm, 'The Politics of Systems Theory within Social Work,' Journal of Social Work, 2002, 2(3): 269-292. 5. Shaw, Ian F., 'Cutting Edge Issues in Social Work Research,' British Journal of Social Work (2003), 33, 107-116. 6. Trivethick, Pamela (2000), Social Work Skills, Open University Press, Buckingham. ONLINE SOURCES 1. http://alex.edfac.usyd.edu.au/socialwork_attachments/ibl1/Lectureoverheads12th%20April.doc 2. http://www.geocities.com/taskcentered 3. http://pt3.nl.edu/paquetteryanwebquest.pdf 4. http://alex.edfac.usyd.edu.au/socialwork_attachments/ibl1/Lectureoverheads12th%20April.doc 5. THE TASK CENTRD MODEL William J. Reid and Laura Epstein developed the Task-Centred Model of Social Work. This model is supposed to be an off-shoot of the original Short Term Psychodynamic model that was extremely popular in the sixties, advocating brief interventions and help the clients in achieving specific goals. Task centred model is known for its eclectic and empirical approach with good results while continuing the earlier methods of brief interventions focusing on specific problems. This method helped constantly, mainly because the intervention facilitated close contact and regular understanding. Also due to the close contact and frequent interventions social workers could solve the problems as they arise and this has been helpful in a continuous problem-solving chain. Thus, problems did not develop into serious troubles and were nipped out in the bud. Empirical research had been one of the focuses and as this model had been closely connected with the behavioural model, it received help from the learning theory, psychological approach and continuous problem solving. It adopted further aspects like short term service of 6 to 12 weeks from the behavioural model and the changes depended on the behavioural changes assessed while performing certain specific tasks. This does not mean that task centred model is the same as behavioural model. They are very different from one another. According to task cantered model, the therapist locates the behavioural fluctuations and not the emotional problems. He relegates the emotions into the background and his main task is to focus on the behaviour of the person and find answers for the problems. Usually it is done through specific tasks; but not during the counselling sessions. There is always the danger of an 'assumed behaviour' trying to impress, or an intimidated behaviour due to not feeling relaxed. Hence, the behaviour that a person shows when he is on his own, or when he reacts to different task-related circumstances points to the behavioural changes or problems as per the circumstances and the task conducted. The work of the task centred therapist is not of an outsider commanding the person towards getting treated, or of the problem solver who is reverential and full of wisdom. His place is with the client without making the client depend on him. But he would work as a friend and to a certain extent, a guide of the client collaborating with him and looking for solutions. He would not suggest the solutions; instead, he will find them along with the client and it is a combined work. The problem-solving approach also became popular in the late 1960s. It, too, has a short-term focus on problems rather than emotions. Practitioners also believe that change comes through changing behaviours through specific tasks. The task-cantered model, however, has a greater reliance on empirical research for suggesting modalities for a particular client. It is in this sense more scientifically rigorous than the sometimes common-sense problem-solving approach, and from every angle, the frequent and brief interventions remain the key issue. "A practitioner might encourage a client who wishes to reduce the symptoms of her obsessive-compulsive disorder, for example, to keep a daily log of hand-washing with the end goal of reducing the behavior by 50% after the intervention" http://www.geocities.com/taskcentered/ . . Finally learning theory contributed some theoretical underpinnings to task-centred practice: It is used to explain some of the value of task completion. Although task-centred practice does not rely as heavily on learning theory as it does on the behavioural approaches, it shares the focus on change through task completion (learning new behaviours). There is an aspect of time connected to it and it is necessary for the client to be encouraged in every task, both past and present. "The time limit on treatment, according to Reid and Epstein, accentuates these processes as the client is encouraged to focus on utilizing the practitioner's expertise in resolving the difficulty within the specified period" Kanter (2004, p.229). All task-centred work shares certain key assumptions. Most people have adequate resources to solve their problems. Most people have the innate desire to solve their problems. Problems occur in a context of individual, family and environmental systems that may at times block or facilitate their resolution. Human beings are seen as having inherent capacities to solve their problems or to at least ameliorate them to a tolerable level. The main idea behind this approach is not an enormous achievement. It is based on the assumption that small achievements build a bank of self-confidence which will slowly try to venture towards bigger achievements. "The success of the task-centred approach is based on the simple idea that small successes build confidence and self-esteem, and that people are more likely to achieve these successes if they are working towards something they have chosen to do," Hanvey (1994, p.22). It can be seen readily that this approach differs markedly from psychodynamic and other approaches that assume that problems stem from hidden causes that require the intervention of the expert therapist to discover and eventually resolve. Nor does the task-centred approach necessarily assume that a client will present the therapist with resistance; rather task-centred practitioners take for granted that in the vast majority of their work together clients are willing participants, eager to improve their life. Task centred social work has three phases: 1. Initial phase of interviews and setting up tasks. 2. Middle phase of sessions, acknowledging finished tasks, setting up new tasks, family interviews and planning out external tasks. 3. Termination phase, with the final session etc. it is mainly designed to inform the clients what they have learnt and accomplished. Social workers have to realise that people with problems have many psychological issues behind such problems. Due to adverse circumstances, and also owing to a lack of initiative, people with problems would have lost the desire or confidence to step forward. Instead, they stay in the same rut, which, by now would have become a vicious circle of issues and difficulties, and will be riddled by self-pity. They mostly do not know what they need, want, or how to go about it. Their emotions are so confused that they need step-by-step help and cannot take attempt the entire enormity of it at one go. "It is not always easy for people seeking help to state their needs or put words to their thoughts and feelings, particularly when these are tangled amid feelings of confusion, fear, humiliation, anger and despair. Then it can be hard for people to remember their strengths and abilities; the courage and determination that have enabled them to get this far. Within this tangled mass of jumbled experiences misunderstandings can easily occur, sometimes with tragic consequences, as the inquiries into the deaths of children known to social services attest" Trivethick (2000, p.2). CASE STUDY This problem-solving approach that caught on at least fifty years ago had been more useful and this will help Dave and Jenny in their stormy and violent marriage. Perhaps it is a bit too early in life for them to be married and have two children and their coping skills and parenting knowhow perhaps are insufficient because of their age, lack of experience, lack of support and understanding between each other. The financial problems that are being faced by Dave and Jenny could be benefitted by the task-centred approach. These are small, but ongoing problems and need repeated interventions. Any problem that the family is facing could be mainly because of the financial inadequacy and their rather lavish ways of spending, despite their low income and irregular jobs. Short interventions, help from loan consultants and financial assistance should be able to overcome this deficiency. Rent arrears and hire purchase debts can spoil peace of mind and any relationship. It would be impossible to raise the small children in good and happy atmosphere when debts are mounting and the couple as well as the children need help from the social workers. Threatening letters from the loan company from whom Dave and Jenny have borrowed will create tension, fear and unhappiness in the family. This has to be controlled by regular interventions and this family is ideal for task-centred social work. Sean's behaviour, which the nursery staff thinks is aggressive, is definitely due to the unfortunate quarrels between the parents. They have to be advised immediately not to quarrel in the presence of their children. Dave's spending money at the bookies and Jenny's doing the same with mail order catalogues has to be controlled with proper interventions and counselling. No doubt, both are trying to find ways and means of entertaining and exciting themselves without any thought for present and future, or for the children. It is necessary that these draining habits should be controlled by themselves and at least one of them should be regularly employed and not on occasional work. It is imperative that the social worker should find ways of avoiding these habits with their concurrence. According to the task centred model, the work should be decided and executed with the client, taking him as a partner of the task that has to be completed. The communication between the two seem to be non-existent and while setting the tasks it is necessary to keep in mind to set the tasks that will improve communication skills due to being forced to do the work together. Read More