Social Work Theory, Methods and Practice
This domain tests the professional vocabulary of social work: the six methods, the major theoretical lenses, the stages of the helping process, and the ability to choose a lens that fits a case.
The six methods
Social casework, social group work, community organisation, social welfare administration, social work research, and social action. Every other model in the syllabus hangs off one of these.
Theory clusters you must be able to name
- Casework lineage: Mary Richmond's social diagnosis; Hollis's psychosocial approach; Perlman's problem-solving model; Reid and Epstein's task-centred model; Caplan's crisis intervention; de Shazer's solution-focused work.
- Systems: Pincus and Minahan's four systems, namely client, target, action and change-agent systems.
- Ecological: Bronfenbrenner's micro, meso, exo, macro and chrono levels.
- Strengths and empowerment: Saleebey's strengths perspective, Solomon's empowerment model, anti-oppressive practice.
- Groups: Konopka and Coyle; Tuckman's forming, storming, norming and performing stages.
- Community: Rothman's locality development, social planning and social action models; Murray Ross on community organisation.
- Indian roots: TISS founded in 1936; the reform traditions of Phule, Karve, Shahu, Gandhi and Ambedkar.
Biestek's seven principles
Individualisation, purposeful expression of feelings, controlled emotional involvement, acceptance, non-judgemental attitude, client self-determination, and confidentiality.
Worked example
A 42-year-old widow is denied a pension because her certificate was rejected. A deficit reading says she is helpless. A strengths reading lists her existing assets: a supportive mahila mandal, literacy, and a bank account. The worker maps the client system (the widow), target system (the tahsil office), action system (the mahila mandal and the worker) and change-agent system (the agency), then files a representation. Reasoning shown: choose the lens, map the systems, assign the task.
Traps that cost marks
Confusing the target system with the client system; reading acceptance as approval; mixing Rothman's models; inventing Biestek principles.