Theories, models and perspectives - Cheat sheet for field instructors Major Theories – Used in Social Work Practice Systems Theory Psychodynamic Social Learning Conflict Developmental Theories Theories of moral reasoning (Kohlberg, Gilligan) Theories of cognition (Piaget) Transpersonal theories of human development (Transpersonal – means beyond or through the persona or mask. Researchers who engage critical theories explore social phenomena in order to impact social injustice at its roots. One is … the critical theory will not be discussed in this article1. 4, pp. A theory may explain human behavior, for example, by describing how humans interact or how humans react to certain stimuli. Finally, this article will describe the development of a concentration-year MSW elective, Transformative Social Work Practice, which sought to assist social work students in becoming more critically reflexive in their … This leads us to the second obser-vation. Max Horkheimer defined critical theory in the book Traditional and Critical Theory. Social work theories are general explanations that are supported by evidence obtained through the scientific method. The education system has been heralded as a tool of liberation and simultaneously critiqued as a tool of social control to maintain the oppressive status quo. It is here that we see a clear link between Freire`s work and the concept so central to social work: empowerment. Rather, separate conversations either explore the commitment to social justice through a reflective approach to practice decision-making or take a positivist approach to scientific inquiry. Solomon (1976) was the first in social work to explicate em- Journal of Social Work Education: Vol. Theories Used in Social Work Practice & Practice Models. (2015). 624-637. 51, No. My purpose here is to examine a theoretical effort to formulate, mainly on the ba-sis of the critical theory, a conception of social justice that is capable, or so it is argued, of This is in line with the goals of the social work profession, which has historically emphasized social justice in its Code of Ethics and has more recently highlighted this focus through the Grand Challenges. It was the role of the educator to foster a process of dialogue and liberation that would enable citizens to reach critical consciousness. These efforts include three main current streams of work on critical practice theory. British Journal of Social Work. This is in line with the goals of the social work profession, which has historically emphasized social justice in its Code of Ethics and has more recently highlighted this focus through the Grand Challenges. In this work, Horkheimer asserted that a critical theory must do two important things: It must account for society within a historical context, and it should seek to offer a robust and holistic critique by incorporating insights from all social sciences. Theories Used in Social Work Practice & Practice Models. Researchers who engage critical theories explore social phenomena in order to impact social injustice at its roots. Applying Critical Consciousness and Evidence-Based Practice Decision-Making: A Framework for Clinical Social Work Practice.