SOCW 6060 Social Work Theories
SOCW 6060 Social Work Theories
Week 1: What Are Social Work Theories?
Discussion 1: Are Theories Necessary?
Your classmates are also your colleagues and a social support system. Similarly, the other social workers you may work with in your agency will become colleagues and a social support system.
As colleagues, you may discuss sometimes controversial issues in the field of social work. Remember, you can agree to disagree with respect—which is key as you discuss and debate. As evidenced by Drs. Simon and Thyer, even the role of theories in social work can lead to disagreements.
In this Discussion, you take this opportunity to get to know one another and learn about topics upon which you may agree or disagree.
To upload your media to this Discussion thread, use the Kaltura Media option from the mashup tool drop-down menu. Refer to the Kaltura Media Uploader area in the course navigation menu for more information about how to upload media to the course.
POST-Just write it out and make sure it is 2-3 minutes and I will record
For this graded Discussion, record a 2- to 3-minute video introducing yourself to your colleagues. Your video should include responses to the following:
- Your name
- Your geographic location and what you did for fieldwork
- A brief reaction to Dr. Barbara Simon’s article about theories being necessary in social work as you think about her position in relation to your fieldwork experience
- A brief reaction to Dr. Bruce Thyer’s article about theories not being necessary in social work as you think about his position in relation to your fieldwork experience
- Do you tend to agree with Dr. Simon or Dr. Thyer? Why?
Discussion 2: Sources of Knowledge
Social workers make decisions in practice settings based on different sources of knowledge, including their intuition, personal experiences, tradition, authority, and theories and research evidence. These sources of knowledge can be used together to contribute to decisions. Which source(s) of knowledge do you rely on?
What are the strengths and limitations of each source of knowledge, and how will they affect your social work practice? For example, think about the sources of knowledge you used when you made decisions in your field experience. In this Discussion, you consider the sources of knowledge that inform your practice decisions.
To prepare: Complete the “Situations 1 and 2: Making Decisions About Interventions” handout. (Note: You do not need to upload the handout to the Discussion forum. The handout is intended to assist you in writing your Discussion post.)
Post
- Explain how and why your choices differed in Situations 1 and 2.
- Evaluate when using intuition or personal experiences is advantageous in making clinical decisions. Provide an illustration of this from your fieldwork experience.
- Analyze when using theories and research evidence is advantageous in making clinical decisions. Provide an illustration of this from your fieldwork experience Therapeutic communication is central to baccalaureate nursing practice.