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Books by Stephen A Webb
Noble, C. & Ottmann, G. (eds), The Challenge of Nationalist Populism for Social Work, Routledge London., 2019
Lessons for Social Work: How do social workers negotiate the difficult terrain of an emergent nat... more Lessons for Social Work: How do social workers negotiate the difficult terrain of an emergent national populism and how do they unravel the ethical and often deeply politicised dilemmas this poses in the face of insurgent far-right movements? The tensions and dilemmas are particularly acute when case working with migrants, refugees and Roma people. Here social workers are often involved in “bordering practices” and as gatekeepers faced with stark ethical dilemmas and politically nuanced tensions. Immigration raises cultural and security concerns as well as fears of economic displacement, and it weakens the legitimacy of transnational institutions This chapter shows how much of the populist hatred and violence towards Roma and migrants - a dehumanising strategy - is conveyed through visceral representations of disgust, filth and dirt. Moreover, social work as negative protection is increasingly securitised and entangled within populist drives for ‘useful’ and ‘economically active’ citizenship which is prejudicially juxtaposed against images of dirty, lazy people with excess fertility rates.
Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work, 2018
Chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work, edited by Stephen Webb. Email stephen.... more Chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work, edited by Stephen Webb. Email stephen.webb@gcu.ac.uk
The Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work will bring together the world’s leading scholars i... more The Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work will bring together the world’s leading scholars in the field to provide a cutting-edge overview of classic and current research and future trends in critical social work. At the same time, it will provide an authoritative guide to theory and method, and the primary debates of today in social work from a critical perspective. The Handbook will be a major reference work and the first book to comprehensively map the wide-ranging territory of critical social work. It will do so by addressing its conceptual developments, its methodological advances, value based front-line practice and as an influence on the policy field. It will offer a definitive survey of current academic knowledge as it relates to professional practice. The Handbook will benefit from bringing together world class specialists to reflect on an international range of issues, perspectives, and topics. Its strength will be in the depth and range of content and use of interdisciplinary frameworks for addressing critical social work. The Handbook will survey the state of the sub-discipline of critical social work, providing a comprehensive, up to date, definitive work of reference while at the same time identifying emerging and cutting-edge areas.
This exciting new book aims to engage with students, practitioners, researchers, policy makers, s... more This exciting new book aims to engage with students, practitioners, researchers, policy makers, service-users and associated professionals to critically reflect on the importance of professional identity as a matter of concern for social work. It encourages readers to reflect on, compare and contrasts the diverse dimensions of professional identity across several international contexts. Contributing authors including leading international researchers in the field. These talented authors, along with the editor, Stephen A. Webb - one of the world’s leading writers in the field - aim to enrich your understanding of some of the central problems facing social work today and the way these are intimately bound up with matters of professional identity.
"‘Destined to become a 'must-read', this book injects titanium levels of excitement and promise t... more "‘Destined to become a 'must-read', this book injects titanium levels of excitement and promise to all those in social work seeking not just to study the world, but to change it.' - Donna Baines, Professor of Labour Studies and Social Work, McMaster University, Canada
'Do not expect to agree with everything you read here. Indeed, that is precisely why you should read it. It is time to shake up the social work conversation.' - Sue White, Professor of Social Work (Children and Families), University of Birmingham, UK
'This book is a gem' - Linda Briskman, Professor of Human Rights, Swinburne Institute for Social Research, UK
'An important and extremely timely book which will be of great value to all those concerned to place the challenges of inequalities and injustice at the heart of social work.' – Brid Featherstone, Professor of Social Care, The Open University, UK
Fundamental to social work are the values of justice and equality. But it has long been felt that these values are being eroded under a system of capitalist power. Serving to reactivate and refresh social work’s radical tradition to form a new political agenda, The New Politics of Social Work:
• Brings together leading international authors to deliver a critical exploration of the impact capitalism has had on social work
• Paves the way for students and practitioners of social work to take a more transformative, radical approach
This is an important and authoritative book for both advanced level undergraduate and postgraduate students of Social Work."
This text constructs a new way of thinking about social work based on contemporary social theory ... more This text constructs a new way of thinking about social work based on contemporary social theory and taking into account recent changes in social work. Working in a counter-tradition that is suspicious of a number of governing ideas and practices in social work, it draws on themes in the work of theorists such as Foucault, Giddens, and Rose. It looks at risk, trust, regulation, identity, and governmentality to explore the impact of risk society and neoliberalism on social work. It draws out the way social work is constituted by the twin rationalities of security and regulation.
Evidence-based practice is now a core element of many governments’ approaches to policy-makin... more Evidence-based practice is now a core element of many governments’ approaches to policy-making and social intervention. It has become a powerful movement that promises to change the content and structure of social work and its allied professions. Its emergence has generated much debate and raised challenging questions, however, particularly at the interface of research, policy, and practice.
This book provides a critical analysis of evidence-based practice in social work. It introduces readers to the fast changing research, policy, legislative, and practice context. It discusses what constitutes knowledge in social work, the values and beliefs that lie behind EBP and problems of implementation, formalisation and resource management. Reflecting on the challenges of transferring evidence-based practice to frontline social work practice, the authors argue that social work practice is not easily measured and systematised into best practice guidelines that disseminate proven diagnostic and effective intervention knowledge.
Using Actor Network Theory for the first time in the social work literature, Evidence-based Social Work illuminates how adopting the methodology and language of evidence-based practice fundamentally alters the conditions under which social work takes place. This book is vital reading for academics, practitioners, and students with an interest in contemporary social work practice and research.
This agenda setting text explores a broad range of value perspectives and their impact on and con... more This agenda setting text explores a broad range of value perspectives and their impact on and contribution to social work thinking on ethics. Including new perspectives, such as Islam, and drawing on international contributors, this is essential reading for all social work students studying ethics and values.
""Published by Sage this Handbook is the world's first generic major reference work to provide an... more ""Published by Sage this Handbook is the world's first generic major reference work to provide an authoritative guide to the theory, method, and values of social work in one volume.
Drawn from an international field of excellence, the contributors each offer a critical analysis of their individual area of expertise. The result is this invaluable resource collection that not only reflects upon the condition of social work today but also looks to future developments.
Split into seven parts, with 48 chapters the Handbook investigates:
- Policy dimensions
- Practice
- Perspectives
- Values and ethics
- The context of social work
- Research
- Future challenges
It is essential reading for all students, practitioners, researchers, and academics engaged in social w""
International Social Work covers a broad scope and range of international social work knowledge a... more International Social Work covers a broad scope and range of international social work knowledge and research and contains seminal and landmark publications in social work with a particular emphasis on contemporary key publications to compliment earlier classic works. The readings combine empirical with conceptual articles that not only cover significant knowledge and key debates in the field but also show how international social work has developed through research.
Volume One: Welfare Theory and Approaches provides an overview of the development of welfare policy as a backdrop to the evolution of social work.
Volume Two: International Social Work Practice explores the development of contemporary social work practice approaches and examines social work's psychosocial foundations in the psychodynamic and functional schools.
Volume Three: Social Work Research chronicles the debate on what counts as evidence on which to base social work practice and, therefore, on what kind of research methods best provide valid and reliable evidence.
Volume Four: Future Challenges overviews the enduring and contemporary issues and debates surrounding social development and global social work, generalist versus specialist practice, choice, service user participation, partnerships and social networks where we have seen a move from recipients to citizens to clients to consumers.
Information technology is changing the role, responsibilities and practices of social care profes... more Information technology is changing the role, responsibilities and practices of social care professionals, as well as policy and management within the field. Bringing together leading academics to discuss the application of new information technology (IT) in health and social care, this text examines a variety of technologies, including the Internet, multimedia and online communities. The contributors take a balanced approach, highlighting the anxiety and unease as well as the advantages brought about by these developments in technology and the resulting change in responsibilities. They also explore the wider implications of the changes in relations between experts, professionals and lay people that technology has brought about. Discussing issues such as child abuse and the Internet, computer mediated self-help and collaborative learning, Information and Communication Technologies in the Welfare Services is a ground-breaking book in the field of social care, bringing well-researched and up-to-date discussion of all aspects of Information Technology to those working and studying in health and social care.
Papers by Stephen A Webb
Routledge eBooks, Oct 4, 2022
Page 258. 14 CITIES, SUBJECTIVITY AND CYBERSPACE Graham B. McBeath and Stephen A. Webb Communitie... more Page 258. 14 CITIES, SUBJECTIVITY AND CYBERSPACE Graham B. McBeath and Stephen A. Webb Communities are to be distinguished, not by their falsity/genuineness, but by the style in which they are imagined. (Benedict ...
The Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work, 2019
Social Work Research, 2016
Lessons for Social Work: How do social workers negotiate the difficult terrain of an emergent nat... more Lessons for Social Work: How do social workers negotiate the difficult terrain of an emergent national populism and how do they unravel the ethical and often deeply politicised dilemmas this poses in the face of insurgent far-right movements? The tensions and dilemmas are particularly acute when case working with migrants, refugees and Roma people. Here social workers are often involved in “bordering practices” and as gatekeepers faced with stark ethical dilemmas and politically nuanced tensions. Immigration raises cultural and security concerns as well as fears of economic displacement, and it weakens the legitimacy of transnational institutions This chapter shows how much of the populist hatred and violence towards Roma and migrants - a dehumanising strategy - is conveyed through visceral representations of disgust, filth and dirt. Moreover, social work as negative protection is increasingly securitised and entangled within populist drives for ‘useful’ and ‘economically active’ citizenship which is prejudicially juxtaposed against images of dirty, lazy people with excess fertility rates.
Professional Identity and Social Work, 2017
The main objective of this research is to find out the translation technique mostly used in trans... more The main objective of this research is to find out the translation technique mostly used in translating the same words and phrases of Android, iOS and Windows mobile phones' manual books. Its data were obtained through collecting the printed manual books and unprinted manual books from internet. The data were analyzed by using theory of translation technique by Molina & Albir (2002). The final results of the research indicate the following. First, there are 100 similar words and phrases were found among translation of 3 OS mobile phones' manual books. Second, there are 9 translation techniques used; adaptation, amplification, borrowing, calque, establish equivalent, discursive creation, generalization, and particularization. In addition, the translation technique mostly used in translation of Android, iOS And Windows mobile phones' manual books is Calque.
In the past 20 years or so there were major transformations of political and socioeconomic system... more In the past 20 years or so there were major transformations of political and socioeconomic systems in different parts of the world never thought possible. Foremost has been the fall of once omnipotent regimes that controlled all aspects of life of those they governed. These regimes included the totalitarian governments of the Soviet bloc and the military dictatorships of many Latin American and some Asian and African countries. Over the years, these hegemonic establishments began to crumble. The impetus for change came largely from citizens clamoring for an end to authoritarian rule. The experiences of such citizen-led demonstrations (as in Poland, East Germany and the Philippines) strengthened the claim for a stronger role for civil society in bringing about peaceful and substantial change. Civil society is defined here to mean the sphere of society outside government and business: it includes a multitude of groups, organizations and associations that participate in public life (
Noble, C. & Ottmann, G. (eds), The Challenge of Nationalist Populism for Social Work, Routledge London., 2019
Lessons for Social Work: How do social workers negotiate the difficult terrain of an emergent nat... more Lessons for Social Work: How do social workers negotiate the difficult terrain of an emergent national populism and how do they unravel the ethical and often deeply politicised dilemmas this poses in the face of insurgent far-right movements? The tensions and dilemmas are particularly acute when case working with migrants, refugees and Roma people. Here social workers are often involved in “bordering practices” and as gatekeepers faced with stark ethical dilemmas and politically nuanced tensions. Immigration raises cultural and security concerns as well as fears of economic displacement, and it weakens the legitimacy of transnational institutions This chapter shows how much of the populist hatred and violence towards Roma and migrants - a dehumanising strategy - is conveyed through visceral representations of disgust, filth and dirt. Moreover, social work as negative protection is increasingly securitised and entangled within populist drives for ‘useful’ and ‘economically active’ citizenship which is prejudicially juxtaposed against images of dirty, lazy people with excess fertility rates.
Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work, 2018
Chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work, edited by Stephen Webb. Email stephen.... more Chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work, edited by Stephen Webb. Email stephen.webb@gcu.ac.uk
The Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work will bring together the world’s leading scholars i... more The Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work will bring together the world’s leading scholars in the field to provide a cutting-edge overview of classic and current research and future trends in critical social work. At the same time, it will provide an authoritative guide to theory and method, and the primary debates of today in social work from a critical perspective. The Handbook will be a major reference work and the first book to comprehensively map the wide-ranging territory of critical social work. It will do so by addressing its conceptual developments, its methodological advances, value based front-line practice and as an influence on the policy field. It will offer a definitive survey of current academic knowledge as it relates to professional practice. The Handbook will benefit from bringing together world class specialists to reflect on an international range of issues, perspectives, and topics. Its strength will be in the depth and range of content and use of interdisciplinary frameworks for addressing critical social work. The Handbook will survey the state of the sub-discipline of critical social work, providing a comprehensive, up to date, definitive work of reference while at the same time identifying emerging and cutting-edge areas.
This exciting new book aims to engage with students, practitioners, researchers, policy makers, s... more This exciting new book aims to engage with students, practitioners, researchers, policy makers, service-users and associated professionals to critically reflect on the importance of professional identity as a matter of concern for social work. It encourages readers to reflect on, compare and contrasts the diverse dimensions of professional identity across several international contexts. Contributing authors including leading international researchers in the field. These talented authors, along with the editor, Stephen A. Webb - one of the world’s leading writers in the field - aim to enrich your understanding of some of the central problems facing social work today and the way these are intimately bound up with matters of professional identity.
"‘Destined to become a 'must-read', this book injects titanium levels of excitement and promise t... more "‘Destined to become a 'must-read', this book injects titanium levels of excitement and promise to all those in social work seeking not just to study the world, but to change it.' - Donna Baines, Professor of Labour Studies and Social Work, McMaster University, Canada
'Do not expect to agree with everything you read here. Indeed, that is precisely why you should read it. It is time to shake up the social work conversation.' - Sue White, Professor of Social Work (Children and Families), University of Birmingham, UK
'This book is a gem' - Linda Briskman, Professor of Human Rights, Swinburne Institute for Social Research, UK
'An important and extremely timely book which will be of great value to all those concerned to place the challenges of inequalities and injustice at the heart of social work.' – Brid Featherstone, Professor of Social Care, The Open University, UK
Fundamental to social work are the values of justice and equality. But it has long been felt that these values are being eroded under a system of capitalist power. Serving to reactivate and refresh social work’s radical tradition to form a new political agenda, The New Politics of Social Work:
• Brings together leading international authors to deliver a critical exploration of the impact capitalism has had on social work
• Paves the way for students and practitioners of social work to take a more transformative, radical approach
This is an important and authoritative book for both advanced level undergraduate and postgraduate students of Social Work."
This text constructs a new way of thinking about social work based on contemporary social theory ... more This text constructs a new way of thinking about social work based on contemporary social theory and taking into account recent changes in social work. Working in a counter-tradition that is suspicious of a number of governing ideas and practices in social work, it draws on themes in the work of theorists such as Foucault, Giddens, and Rose. It looks at risk, trust, regulation, identity, and governmentality to explore the impact of risk society and neoliberalism on social work. It draws out the way social work is constituted by the twin rationalities of security and regulation.
Evidence-based practice is now a core element of many governments’ approaches to policy-makin... more Evidence-based practice is now a core element of many governments’ approaches to policy-making and social intervention. It has become a powerful movement that promises to change the content and structure of social work and its allied professions. Its emergence has generated much debate and raised challenging questions, however, particularly at the interface of research, policy, and practice.
This book provides a critical analysis of evidence-based practice in social work. It introduces readers to the fast changing research, policy, legislative, and practice context. It discusses what constitutes knowledge in social work, the values and beliefs that lie behind EBP and problems of implementation, formalisation and resource management. Reflecting on the challenges of transferring evidence-based practice to frontline social work practice, the authors argue that social work practice is not easily measured and systematised into best practice guidelines that disseminate proven diagnostic and effective intervention knowledge.
Using Actor Network Theory for the first time in the social work literature, Evidence-based Social Work illuminates how adopting the methodology and language of evidence-based practice fundamentally alters the conditions under which social work takes place. This book is vital reading for academics, practitioners, and students with an interest in contemporary social work practice and research.
This agenda setting text explores a broad range of value perspectives and their impact on and con... more This agenda setting text explores a broad range of value perspectives and their impact on and contribution to social work thinking on ethics. Including new perspectives, such as Islam, and drawing on international contributors, this is essential reading for all social work students studying ethics and values.
""Published by Sage this Handbook is the world's first generic major reference work to provide an... more ""Published by Sage this Handbook is the world's first generic major reference work to provide an authoritative guide to the theory, method, and values of social work in one volume.
Drawn from an international field of excellence, the contributors each offer a critical analysis of their individual area of expertise. The result is this invaluable resource collection that not only reflects upon the condition of social work today but also looks to future developments.
Split into seven parts, with 48 chapters the Handbook investigates:
- Policy dimensions
- Practice
- Perspectives
- Values and ethics
- The context of social work
- Research
- Future challenges
It is essential reading for all students, practitioners, researchers, and academics engaged in social w""
International Social Work covers a broad scope and range of international social work knowledge a... more International Social Work covers a broad scope and range of international social work knowledge and research and contains seminal and landmark publications in social work with a particular emphasis on contemporary key publications to compliment earlier classic works. The readings combine empirical with conceptual articles that not only cover significant knowledge and key debates in the field but also show how international social work has developed through research.
Volume One: Welfare Theory and Approaches provides an overview of the development of welfare policy as a backdrop to the evolution of social work.
Volume Two: International Social Work Practice explores the development of contemporary social work practice approaches and examines social work's psychosocial foundations in the psychodynamic and functional schools.
Volume Three: Social Work Research chronicles the debate on what counts as evidence on which to base social work practice and, therefore, on what kind of research methods best provide valid and reliable evidence.
Volume Four: Future Challenges overviews the enduring and contemporary issues and debates surrounding social development and global social work, generalist versus specialist practice, choice, service user participation, partnerships and social networks where we have seen a move from recipients to citizens to clients to consumers.
Information technology is changing the role, responsibilities and practices of social care profes... more Information technology is changing the role, responsibilities and practices of social care professionals, as well as policy and management within the field. Bringing together leading academics to discuss the application of new information technology (IT) in health and social care, this text examines a variety of technologies, including the Internet, multimedia and online communities. The contributors take a balanced approach, highlighting the anxiety and unease as well as the advantages brought about by these developments in technology and the resulting change in responsibilities. They also explore the wider implications of the changes in relations between experts, professionals and lay people that technology has brought about. Discussing issues such as child abuse and the Internet, computer mediated self-help and collaborative learning, Information and Communication Technologies in the Welfare Services is a ground-breaking book in the field of social care, bringing well-researched and up-to-date discussion of all aspects of Information Technology to those working and studying in health and social care.
Routledge eBooks, Oct 4, 2022
Page 258. 14 CITIES, SUBJECTIVITY AND CYBERSPACE Graham B. McBeath and Stephen A. Webb Communitie... more Page 258. 14 CITIES, SUBJECTIVITY AND CYBERSPACE Graham B. McBeath and Stephen A. Webb Communities are to be distinguished, not by their falsity/genuineness, but by the style in which they are imagined. (Benedict ...
The Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work, 2019
Social Work Research, 2016
Lessons for Social Work: How do social workers negotiate the difficult terrain of an emergent nat... more Lessons for Social Work: How do social workers negotiate the difficult terrain of an emergent national populism and how do they unravel the ethical and often deeply politicised dilemmas this poses in the face of insurgent far-right movements? The tensions and dilemmas are particularly acute when case working with migrants, refugees and Roma people. Here social workers are often involved in “bordering practices” and as gatekeepers faced with stark ethical dilemmas and politically nuanced tensions. Immigration raises cultural and security concerns as well as fears of economic displacement, and it weakens the legitimacy of transnational institutions This chapter shows how much of the populist hatred and violence towards Roma and migrants - a dehumanising strategy - is conveyed through visceral representations of disgust, filth and dirt. Moreover, social work as negative protection is increasingly securitised and entangled within populist drives for ‘useful’ and ‘economically active’ citizenship which is prejudicially juxtaposed against images of dirty, lazy people with excess fertility rates.
Professional Identity and Social Work, 2017
The main objective of this research is to find out the translation technique mostly used in trans... more The main objective of this research is to find out the translation technique mostly used in translating the same words and phrases of Android, iOS and Windows mobile phones' manual books. Its data were obtained through collecting the printed manual books and unprinted manual books from internet. The data were analyzed by using theory of translation technique by Molina & Albir (2002). The final results of the research indicate the following. First, there are 100 similar words and phrases were found among translation of 3 OS mobile phones' manual books. Second, there are 9 translation techniques used; adaptation, amplification, borrowing, calque, establish equivalent, discursive creation, generalization, and particularization. In addition, the translation technique mostly used in translation of Android, iOS And Windows mobile phones' manual books is Calque.
In the past 20 years or so there were major transformations of political and socioeconomic system... more In the past 20 years or so there were major transformations of political and socioeconomic systems in different parts of the world never thought possible. Foremost has been the fall of once omnipotent regimes that controlled all aspects of life of those they governed. These regimes included the totalitarian governments of the Soviet bloc and the military dictatorships of many Latin American and some Asian and African countries. Over the years, these hegemonic establishments began to crumble. The impetus for change came largely from citizens clamoring for an end to authoritarian rule. The experiences of such citizen-led demonstrations (as in Poland, East Germany and the Philippines) strengthened the claim for a stronger role for civil society in bringing about peaceful and substantial change. Civil society is defined here to mean the sphere of society outside government and business: it includes a multitude of groups, organizations and associations that participate in public life (
British Journal of Social Work, 2011
Examinations of highly cited articles are common in professions such as medicine as a way to enha... more Examinations of highly cited articles are common in professions such as medicine as a way to enhance professional self-reflection. Yet, little research has examined influential articles in social work. In light of the emergence of a distinct disciplinary knowledge base over the past few decades, this study identifies the 100 most cited articles in disciplinary social work journals (N = 79) published during 2000-2009. Analysis revealed twelve citation classics spanning a relatively diverse array of subjects. Among the various topics that appeared among the 100 most cited articles, the results suggest that evidence-based practice/social work research plays a particularly important role in professional discourse. Also notable is the fact that some twothirds of the most highly cited articles were published in just four journals.
Journal of Social Work, 2013
Summary This article reports on a large survey of Australian social workers regarding their attit... more Summary This article reports on a large survey of Australian social workers regarding their attitudes to evidence-based practice and thoughts on the factors affecting its implementation in human service organisations. Findings Findings from a national survey of Australian social workers found a degree of support for evidence-based practice with the majority of respondents reporting changes in practice due to the influence of research. A sample size of 364 social workers formed the basis of the final analysis. Both the support for evidence-based practice and the reported changes in practice due to new evidence was highest among social workers in management positions and those with between 10 and 30 years is needed post-qualifying practice experience. The survey also found, however, an unsophisticated understanding of evidence and evidence-based practice and ‘inadequate’ skills in the critical appraisal of research. Applications Despite the level of support for evidence-based practice...
Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 2008
Evidence-based practice (EBP) involves the integration of the expertise of individual practitione... more Evidence-based practice (EBP) involves the integration of the expertise of individual practitioners with the best available evidence within the context of values and.expectations of clients. Little is known about the implementation of evidence~based practice in the human services. This article is based on a comprehensive search of the li~ erature related to the organizational factors needed to introduce EBP into a human service agency, tools for assessing organizational readiness for EBP, and lessons learned from the current implementation efforts. Three approaches to implementing EBP are investigated: the micro (increasing worker skills), macro (strengthening systems and structures), and the combination (focusing on both aspects). Conclusions and recommendations are drawn from the literature review and framed in the form of a tool for assessing organizational readiness for EBP implementation.
International Journal of Social Welfare, 2008
It extends and deepens the discussion of social work which we cast as an 'art in the service of a... more It extends and deepens the discussion of social work which we cast as an 'art in the service of a politics of liberation' (Gray and Webb, 2008: 182) as opposed to, say, a low-level administrative function in the service of calculating reason. In so doing, it takes us further into the political domain. Thus in this paper, we argue for a 'return to the political in social work' and contend that any reconfiguration of the politics of social work as a transformative practice is best conceived as post-Marxist, rather than postmodern. We thus attempt to lay the ground and to identify the parameters for some of the more general concerns that form part of this sort of critical endeavour in social work. More broadly than with our original considerations with art in the work of the social, we pay attention to the type of politics for social work as an element of the transformative agenda. We are very much encouraged by the prospect of the International Journal of Social Welfare staging an opening to seriously engage with some of the critical challenges that face social work during these times of political uncertainty. We are grateful for the invitation to explore the issues we raised in 'Social Work as
Information, Communication & Society, 2000
It has been a widespread belief that computers can create viable utopias, design the future and p... more It has been a widespread belief that computers can create viable utopias, design the future and plan and co-ordinate things such that the world can be born anew. The exponential increase in computing power has allowed for interaction in imaginary places – utopian spaces – and the endless re-configuration of those places. There are then good reasons to make links
ABSTRAKT Amid the uncertainty of the current political context and an unprecedented institutional... more ABSTRAKT Amid the uncertainty of the current political context and an unprecedented institutional crisis in European welfare, this article offers a theoretical analysis of the problems arising from the historical reshaping of social work as a biopolitical organ of the state. It undertakes this analysis from a biopolitical perspective and asks how this framework can help us in defining the specific features of social work intervention in family life? To properly answer, the article proposes a methodological understanding which explicates a series of relations between “biopolitics – the social – social work”. To this end, supported by analyses from Foucault and Donzelot, the article shows how social work as a form of state governmentality intervenes in the lives of families to normalise behaviour and conduct. From a critical vantage point, these findings compel us to re-examine the problem of consent and consensus when working with service users and families in the midst of an increas...
The British Journal of Social Work
International Social Work, 2014
Critical and Radical Social Work, 2014
ABSTRACT Taking a political stance in social work necessarily involves a close historical examina... more ABSTRACT Taking a political stance in social work necessarily involves a close historical examination of the influence of social and economic structure as well as the constituting context of relations of domination. It also involves articulating an ontology of the political subject. We maintain that the proper conceptual space for understanding the possibility of taking a political stance is that of political ontology. In defining this space we draw on issues raised in The New Politics of Social Work (Gray and Webb, 2013) bringing together aspects of social structure and agency for radical social work. We ask against which principles a radical social work stance might be judged and question the extent to which it can be positioned as a counter-strategy to both neoliberal capitalism and mainstream social work. The article plots the implications and meaning of the 'new politics of social work' – conceived of as a 'New Social Work Left'.
British Journal of Social Work, 1989
... to them by particular actions and beliefs through time, but are interpreted as mere agents ac... more ... to them by particular actions and beliefs through time, but are interpreted as mere agents acting through a naturalistic morality, as if there were no other ethical framework. GENEALOGY, HISTORY AND MORAL CODES ... For this we draw on the recent writings of Michel Foucault. ...
Australian Social Work, 2010
ABSTRACT Book Review of: ‘Social Work Theories and Methods’ Mel Gray and Stephen Webb (Eds.) Lond... more ABSTRACT Book Review of: ‘Social Work Theories and Methods’ Mel Gray and Stephen Webb (Eds.) London: Sage 2009.
The Social Work Department are seeking to appoint a new lecturer to join a highly successful and ... more The Social Work Department are seeking to appoint a new lecturer to join a highly successful and ambitious group of social work academics. We are committed to the delivery of an excellent student experience and the continued development of an ambitious research agenda. The role holder will contribute to the delivery of learning, teaching and assessment across the qualifying programmes in social work. There is an expectation that the applicant will have a background in social work education and a demonstrable research profile and / or evidenced potential to make a contribution to social work research.
Routledge Handbook of Critical Pedagogies for Social Work., 2019
This chapter asks whether social work has a biopolitical function in the negative protection of l... more This chapter asks whether social work has a biopolitical function in the negative protection of life? It poses the question of the extent to which social work intervention takes place in paradoxical movement of separating or dividing life from itself in order to protect it. The chapter addresses these biopolitical functions of social work by exploring its ambivalent constitution through the twin rationalities of security and regulation. Using case examples of strengths-based interventions with drug dependent adults, in which service-users are valorised to become "beings-other-than-they-are" the chapter illustrates this biopolitical function of social work as negative protection. The topology of social work is shown to be framed within what the leading Italian political philosopher Roberto Esposito calls an apparatus of immunity which paradoxically cordons off alternative forms of living, resulting in fixed processes of normalisation for service users and carers.
Imagine a social work focus that does not take human beings as its central starting point. Imagin... more Imagine a social work focus that does not take human beings as its central starting point. Imagine a social work which attenuates socio-material practices over emotion, cognition and motivation. Imagine a social work in which individual change is evaluated as an effect of networks or what is called in sociology "the performativity of entanglements". You are beginning to imagine an object-oriented social work.
https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CCG590/lecturer-in-social-work The Social Work Department are seeking... more https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CCG590/lecturer-in-social-work
The Social Work Department are seeking to appoint a new lecturer to join a highly successful and ambitious group of social work academics. We are committed to the delivery of an excellent student experience and the continued development of an ambitious research agenda. The role holder will contribute to the delivery of learning, teaching and assessment across the qualifying programmes in social work. There is an expectation that the applicant will have a background in social work education and a demonstrable research profile and / or evidenced potential to make a contribution to social work research.
"""Three year postgraduate bursary available at Glasgow Caledonian University, Social Work for Do... more """Three year postgraduate bursary available at Glasgow Caledonian University, Social Work for Doctorate Study to work on project 'The Making of Professional Identity in Social Work'
Supervised by Professor Stephen Webb and Dr Martin Kettle
email for details: stephen.webb@gcu.ac.uk"
submitted to Critical Social Policy