The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Social Work

This work provides a concise guide to 400 topics relevant to the practice of social work in the 21st century. It brings together authors in the field and draws on their detailed knowledge of politics, psychology, social policy and sociology. All service user groups are covered - children and families, offenders, older people, people with physical or learning disabilities, and those suffering from mental ill-health. The text reflects the different and sometimes conflicting perspectives impinging on social work - research and evidence-based thinking, postmodernist ideas, social construction, psychiatry, the law and penology, and management and personal value systems. The interests of service users, other professional groups, the media and the public are portrayed, and the central role of social work in contemporary society is demonstrated by the depth and range of subjects covered. A strong emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary and interprofessional perspectives.

Table of Contents:
List of Advisers and Acknowledgements.Preface.Lexicon.A-Z Entries.The Topics Listed in this Encyclopaedia.List of Contributors.Index of Names.Index of Subjects.

About the Author :
Martin Davies has been a university teacher in Manchester and Norwich for thirty years. He was founding director of the social work programme at the University of East Anglia, taking it in two decades from the drawing board to premier position in England. He is author of The Essential Social Worker (1994) and editor of the Blackwell Companion to Social Work (Blackwell, 1997). He teaches social psychology and psychosocial research methods. He is currently Professor of Social Work at the University of East Anglia, Norwich.

Review :
" Reading this handsome new encyclopaedia it is hard not to feel renewed conviction in the social work mission. From cover to cover the commitment and depth of understanding, the skills and interventions come tumbling out in an exciting, revivifying cascade-effective tonic for jaded cynicism. Throughout the volume the vision and achievement of the editor are evident in the emphasis on constructive thinking and diversity of opinion." John Pierson, Staffordshire University "Davies's well designed encyclopedia surveys the field of social work and is related discipline." Choice "The Encyclopaedia does fulfill its aim: 'to provide accurate, up-to-date and lively explications of key topics in social work and in fields that are closely related to social work theory or practice.' The Encyclopaedia successfully encompasses both the value base of social work and its evidence base ... I think it is a very useful and innovative volume ... It is a rich source of information about the broad church which is social work." Journal of Social Work