Transforming Social Work Practice: Postmodern Critical Perspectives

Showing that postmodern theory offers new strategies for social workers concerned with political action and social justice, this text explores ways of developing practice frameworks, paradigms and principles which take advantage of the perspectives offered by postmodern theory without totally abandoning the values of modernity and the Enlightenment project of human emancipation. Case studies demonstrate how these perspectives can be applied to practice. In the context of ongoing cuts to government spending and the demise of the welfare state, this collection shows how social workers can move from conventional understandings of practice to paradigms and models with are more relevant to today’s world.