Week 1: Worldviews Flashcards
What is a theory?
A set of accepted beliefs or organized principles that explain and guide analysis
-Informs the development of a therapeutic approach
According to the CASW, what are the values of Social Work (6)
- Respect for the inherent dignity and worth of persons
- Pursuit of social justice
- Service to humanity
- Integrity in professional practice
- Confidentiality in professional practice
- Competence in professional practice
What were the 5 main worldviews discussed in the course?
- Indigenous
- Positivist/modernist
- Post-modern/constructivist
- Mid-modernist and post-modernist/constructivist
- Structural/critical theory
What are some characteristics of an Indigenous worldview? (9)
-Fluid (past, present, and future; directions and doorways of life)
-Experiential
-Reciprocal/relational
-Humility
-Wholistic (spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical)
-Land-based
-Based in oral traditions
-“Problems” understood as imbalance within people, families, communities, etc.
-Connection to traditions, values, and beliefs
What are some characteristics of a positivist/modernist worldview? (4)
-Top down; expert/learner
-Objectivity and belief in one truth
-Observation and generalisation
-Problem located within an individual’s thought process
What are some examples positivist theories and therapy modalities? (3)
-Psychodynamic therapy/psychoanalytic theory
-Attachment theory
-Relational theory
What are some characteristics of a post-modern/constructivist worldview? (5)
-Naturalistic inquiry (in context)
-Social construction (and change) of reality
-Nuance, depth of understanding, and reflection
-Problem located within a person’s narrative of their life
-Worker and client play a more equal role
What is an example of a post-modernist/constructivist therapy modality? (1)
Narrative therapy
What are some characteristics of a mid-modernist/post-modernist worldview? (1)
-Mixed features of modernist and post-modernist thought (ex. combining cognitive/behavioural theories with humanistic theories)
What are some examples of mid-modernist/post-modernist therapy modalities? (2)
-Motivational Interviewing
-Transtheoretical Model of Change
Who was the founder of Motivational Interviewing?
Miller & Rollnick
Who developed the Transtheoretical Model of Change?
Prochaska & DiClemente
What are some characteristics of a structural/critical worldview? (5)
-Transformative knowledge creation
-Acknowledging multiple realities + incorporating social location and power relations
-Critique of socially dominant narratives/structures
-Value-driven, action-oriented, and reflexive
-Use of conflict theory
Who developed structural social work, and what was their intention?
-Moreau
-Not intended to replace case work, but to evolve it beyond micro-level change to include structural issues
What is the main criticism of a structural approach to social work, and how can it be addressed?
-Critiqued for being too vague/unclear to incorporate into practice
-Can be addressed by considering it as an approach that compliments other micro-level approaches, rather than a standalone paradigm
What is the difference between evidence-based and evidence-informed practice?
Evidence-based practice involves scientific inquiry and research to “prove” what works; in social sciences, issues are often more complex and cannot be fully understood in this way.
Evidence-informed practice is the use of available research in conjunction with professional values/ethics, worker judgement, and client situations
Are social workers considered Regulated Health Professionals?
No: social workers are considered to be within the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS); the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care oversees professionals like nurses and psychiatrists, causing some confusion on our role in mental health
What tasks/roles set social work apart from other professions?
None; there is no intervention that only a social worker can provide. Instead of what we do setting us apart, it is how we do it
What is the significance of the Dodo bird verdict/Project MATCH?
-The largest randomised controlled trial ever conducted
-Demonstrated that no one treatment modality (CBT, 12-Step, MI) was consistently superior to others in the treatment of alcohol abuse
What is Bogo & Vayda’s Integration Loop used for?
-Addressing disconnects between a social worker’s own principles and what they observe in the field
-A process for learning that encourages an intentional response rather than mindless reaction
What are the 4 steps of Bogo & Vayda’s Integration Loop?
- Retrieval (of facts about the situation)
- Reflection (of self + other factors)
- Linkage (of theory + other knowledge)
- Professional response
These steps continue in a coil-like set of loops that repeat and build on one another
What were Calderwood & Rajesparam’s main critiques of the concept of Codependency? (5)
-Lack of agreement on a definition + overinclusiveness (anyone can fit criteria)
-Sexism: most literature makes reference to women being codependent; inhibits independence/autonomy; does not differentiate from showing care/support; assigns responsibility and labels partner as an enabler
-Little research, and that which has been done is dated, with many limitations
-Assumes a western, nuclear family dynamic
-Treatment of “codependent” partner in isolation, by paraprofessionals with shared personal experience
What are the top 6 fields of social work practice:
- Adult mental health/addiction
- Hospitals
- Child/youth mental health
- Schools
- Primary care
- Private practice
What are the 4 complex mental health concerns most often addressed by social workers?
- Trauma
- Grief
- Serious mental illness
- Concurrent disorders
