In this essay, the authors consider the challenge made by two keynote speakers at recent
social work research conferences, one in the United States and the other in Europe. Both …

This chapter grew out of a personal crisis. After ten years as a practitioner, I was struck with a
sense of uncertainty about social work. After drifting into academia essentially as a …

There are two purposes to this article. The first is to update the science of social work
framework. The second is to use recent discussions on the nature of realist science and on …

I take the opportunity provided by John Brekke's (2012) article to respond to the general
assumptions and approaches that may be brought when considering the question of a …

Evidence-based practice must be seen in the historical context of attempts by social work
theorists to formulate a scientific foundation for social work practice in the context of the …

Practitioner researchers often experience difficulties in understanding and using the
plethora of approaches to the ways in which practice can be theorized, and mistakenly feel …

Social work is a multi-dimensional and contradictory field of practice, which often leads to
theoretical confusion. Another tendency within social work today is the development of an …

Theories within the social and psychological sciences continue to shape social work
practice. However, recent debates within these sciences on the shortcomings of 'social …

The first part of this book has presented ideas about the nature of social work and the social
and political world in which social workers operate. As Part I has shown, we need to …

As John Brekke has observed, social work does not use the word “science” to define itself,
suggesting a need to articulate a science of social work. This article discusses the science of …