Women and Social Work: Narrative Approaches - Softcover

The book reconstructs solution-focused and narrative approaches to social work in a way that enables women social workers and service users to work together cooperatively, to define their own problems and discover their preferred solutions. It highlights how women's resistances exist outside of simplistic notions of opposing politics, and celebrates women's achievements in adverse conditions through the use of case examples. The philosophy and principles of solution-focused and narrative approaches are examined in terms of effective anti-oppressive practice in the fields of child protection, child care planning, community care, and women working with men.

Women and Social Work offers an innovative and empowering approach to working with women in a social work setting. As most social workers and service users are women, the interconnections between care giving and care receiving are explored, emphasising how women 'do it differently'. The philosophy and principles of the approach are examined in terms of effective anti-oppressive practice in the fields of child protection, child care planning, community care and women working with men.

The text combines solution focussed and narrative approaches to demonstrate how women social workers and service users can work together. This new approach gives recognition to the complexity of women's lives and relationships, and it highlights the validity of women's solutions. A rich variety of case examples is drawn on throughout the text to suggest ways in which women workers and service users can re-author their lives and construct their own solutions to everyday problems.

This important book puts the theory and practice of solution focussed and narrative approaches into context for social workers by positioning it within current realities of UK practice.