Payne Categorization of Social Work Social Work Essay

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Payne Categorization of Social Work

Social work has constantly been a difficult unit to define especially due to the fact that its identity keeps on changing; it tremendously encompasses various set of activities for example community development, group work and counseling undertaken in different contexts including local communities, schools, hospitals and so forth.

According to International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), Social work is a profession that primarily focuses on change and solving problems: its (IFSW) mission being, 'to enable all people to develop their full potential, enrich their lives, and prevent dysfunction.' Social work is an interconnected system of theory, values and practice. Various commentators have classified social work theories.

Payne's categorization on social work:

Malcolm Payne states that social work constitutes three different perspectives:

Socialist-collectivist: This is achieved by seeking to make possible for the underprivileged and oppressed clients to gain power and fight for the possessions that have been accumulated via transformational approaches by the elite hence justice is served.

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2. Individualist-reformist: In this case, the focus is mainly on maintaining the welfare of individuals in periods of difficulty hence preserving the social structure and order of society.

3. Reflective-therapeutic: In this case social workers strife for the well being of clients by assisting and supporting self-fulfillment and development. This builds mutual attachment between clients and social workers.

Payne further states how important it is to activate the complex interactions of the theory above and practice by application, accountability and legitimacy. In order to use theory in practice, one has to understand the reflexive, reflective and critical thinking. (Malcolm Payne, 2005)

Social work has many theories; practitioners are therefore left with the choice of selecting a theory that works best in their particular specialization. In order to determine the effectiveness of a particular theory an evaluation has to be made. However, research has tried….....

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https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/payne-categorization-social-work-social-78452