Social Work Theories

Social work is all about dealing with the various problems that besiege a society. A society as a system is quite complex to analyze and the social problems that are created are even more complex. To deal with a problem, through social work, firstly, source of the problem needs to be clearly identified and an effective solution needs to be devised to deal with it. A social work theory is devised to do just that. It provides a methodology for social work practitioners to analyze the problems and find solutions. In this article, I provide an overview of modern social work theory that has diverged into various schools of thought.

This is not a comprehensive list of social work theories but only a representative compilation of the various forms of social work theory which have their origin in different schools of thought. The problems of a society can be analyzed at various levels and through various means. Here I present the main schools of modern social work theory.

Theories of Social Work
Every social worker wants to do good and make the world around him a better place to live. How exactly does one go about solving a particular social problem depends on its nature as each one is unique in itself. Sound social work theory provides the path to analyze the root cause of the problem and identifies the way to choose the best course of action. Of course there are more than one better solutions to any problem and many levels at which a problem can be dealt with. It draws on sociology, psychological theory, economics and even political science to analyze the various aspects of a social problem. It provides ways in which people can be helped on a personal and social level, to overcome their hardships. Here are some of the major schools of thought in social work theory:

Social Cognitive Theory
Social cognitive theory attempts to understand social problems through the lens of individual psychology. An individual and his behavior affects and is affected by society. Antisocial behavior, which is the cause of many social problems occurs due to psychological problems and imbalances on an individual level. Social cognitive theory aims at solving social problems through counseling of people at an individual level. It relies on the individual efficacy to power the change that one wants to see in a society.

Conflict Theory
Conflict theory analyzes the structure of power distribution in a society and seeks to improve social condition of the marginalized sections through unity. Every society is split into the 'haves' and 'have-nots', where one privileged section seeks to concentrate power and resources into their hands while marginalizing others. Conflict theory states that for achieving social equality, the marginalized sections should unite and struggle. It is influenced by socialist theory of Karl Marx and Engels. It talks about social reform through shift in hierarchy of power.

Social Constructivist Theory
Social constructivist theory aims at studying how the beliefs, value structure and choices of individuals model the behavior of a society and how social dynamics affect individual behavior. Through this study, social workers can devise strategies of bringing about positive changes in a society. Every socially accepted norm today, started out as a movement by one person and later it was adopted by society. This complex interrelationship of individual and society is studied by social workers and the analysis is used to make a difference.

Feminist Social Work Theory
Feminist social work theories are aimed at studying the special problems of women in a society, who are often marginalized. Theory and practice are aimed at a singular objective of empowering women to take control of their life and restoring the gender imbalance.

So these were some of the main approaches of thought that are the guiding beacons for social workers, who solve real world problems. Of course, every problem in real world is unique in itself and its only through practical application that one can know whether a particular social work theory is sound or not. Social workers have to experiment a lot, before they can find a solution to an endemic social problem. Overall, social work theory encompasses and relies on applied psychology and sociology for coming up with practical solutions.