This book explores concrete examples of different strategies and activities aimed at creating and embedding critically reflective learning and working environments within organisations whose prime function is social care. Critical reflection has long been recommended as a general professional skill and is a core component of the practice capabilities in social work in countries across the Western world. However, despite unequivocal support for it in social work education, sustaining critical reflection within organisations as both an individual and collective practices, supported by organisational cultures, is problematic. With contributions from social work practitioners and educators who have sought to embed critical reflection into broader activities and cultures within their organizations, the book addresses common features of critical reflection, and challenges and benefits in specific case studies. This book will inspire and develop new thinking and vision about being critically reflective in organisations, and facilitate efforts to improve the learning and working experience in addition to that of service quality and delivery. It will be required reading for all undergraduate and postgraduate social work modules focusing on management, leadership organizational change, and professional education.

This book explores concrete examples of different strategies and activities aimed at creating and embedding critically reflective learning and working environments within organisations whose prime function is social care. Critical reflection has long been recommended as a general professional skill and is a core component of the practice capabilities in social work in countries across the Western world. However, despite unequivocal support for it in social work education, sustaining critical reflection within organisations as both an individual and collective practices, supported by organisational cultures, is problematic. With contributions from social work practitioners and educators who have sought to embed critical reflection into broader activities and cultures within their organizations, the book addresses common features of critical reflection, and challenges and benefits in specific case studies. This book will inspire and develop new thinking and vision about being critically reflective in organisations, and facilitate efforts to improve the learning and working experience in addition to that of service quality and delivery. It will be required reading for all undergraduate and postgraduate social work modules focusing on management, leadership organizational change, and professional education.

Social justice is a concept which is widely touted and lauded as desirable, yet its meaning may differ depending on whether its focus is on the underlying values of social justice, the more specific objectives these entail, or the actual practices or policies which aim to achieve social justice. In the current global political context, we need to re-examine what we mean by social justice, and demonstrate that "making a difference" and contributing to human flourishing is more achievable than this context would suggest. The book aims to increase our sense of being able to enact social justice, by showcasing different ways of contributing to social justice, and "making a difference" in different settings and different ways. Part 1 introduces a fluid and contextual approach to social justice. Part 2 examines social justice and faith perspectives, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam and community organisations. Part 3 illustrates perspectives on children, the family, sport and local government. Part IV provides perspectives of social justice in education. Considering concepts of citizenship and social justice from a variety of contemporary perspectives, Everyday Social Justice and Citizenship should be considered essential reading for academics and students from a range of social scientific disciplines with an interest in social justice, as well as those working in education, community work, youth work and chaplaincy.

Professional practice is in crisis. The formal theoretical knowledge on which practitioners base their practice is often outstripped by rapid changes in the contexts of this practice. The unpredictability of workplace and broader contexts often renders existing traditional practices irrelevant or ineffective. How can practitioners develop new ways of working which are flexible and responsive? The reflective approach, whereby practitioners draw out their theories of action directly from their own practice, is becoming increasingly popular as a new approach which enables breakthroughs in practice impasses. Yet reflectivity is often difficult to teach and learn because it challenges traditional, often unquestioned, paradigms of knowledge development. Therefore, rather than simply arguing for a reflective approach, this book makes a unique contribution by actually modelling the use of the reflective approach in practice. Students, educators and practitioners are able to read illustrations of how individual social workers used a reflective process to break through specific dilemmas in their practice. Thus, they are enabled to understand a reflective approach by gaining in insight into their experience of it. Contributors to this volume come from Australia, the United Kingdom and North America. Their personal backgrounds are diverse. They report on seminal experiences in a wide range of settings, from community work in the Gorbals, to hospice care in Sydney, from child protection to work with addictions. The book will appeal to: .Trainers and managers in social work, social care and health .Social work students and trainees .Social work academics .Professional and vocational educators generally who are interested in gaining practical insights into the development of reflective understanding. Lindsey Napier is Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Sydney. Jan Fook is Professor of Social Work, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia

Critical reflection enables practitioners especially those within health and social care to theorise from their own practice, improving and developing their work and practising both creatively and professionally.

This book provides an accessible overview of the influential Fook/Gardner Critical Reflection framework for students, researchers and professionals. It then presents a wide range of illustrative case studies from a variety of different health and social care settings, demonstrating how it can be used in effective and innovative practice around the world. By highlighting how professionals are actually using the Fook/Gardner model of critical reflection, it shares practical and resourceful ideas and provides specific theoretical and practical guidelines for use. It also further conceptualises and develops the theory of critical reflection by articulating underlying theory used in practice. The book also draws out particular issues for how critical reflection might be better practised within organisations, and develops a framework for a better understanding of this. The book is divided into four parts, discussing critical reflection in:

• Professional Practice
• Supervision and Management
• Research
• Education

Including an up-to-date overview of the framework written by Jan Fook, this helpful text makes a significant contribution in terms of the practical theorizing of critical reflection. It will be of use to health and social care professionals keen to practice creatively and effectively, especially those undertaking short courses or further development in supervision, critical reflection, advanced practice, and leadership and management.

Social justice is a concept which is widely touted and lauded as desirable, yet its meaning may differ depending on whether its focus is on the underlying values of social justice, the more specific objectives these entail, or the actual practices or policies which aim to achieve social justice. In the current global political context, we need to re-examine what we mean by social justice, and demonstrate that "making a difference" and contributing to human flourishing is more achievable than this context would suggest. The book aims to increase our sense of being able to enact social justice, by showcasing different ways of contributing to social justice, and "making a difference" in different settings and different ways. Part 1 introduces a fluid and contextual approach to social justice. Part 2 examines social justice and faith perspectives, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam and community organisations. Part 3 illustrates perspectives on children, the family, sport and local government. Part IV provides perspectives of social justice in education. Considering concepts of citizenship and social justice from a variety of contemporary perspectives, Everyday Social Justice and Citizenship should be considered essential reading for academics and students from a range of social scientific disciplines with an interest in social justice, as well as those working in education, community work, youth work and chaplaincy.

Appraising key issues in the contested fields of postmodernism and feminism, this text focuses on applications in relation to practice, research and education in social work. The contributors come from a range of countries (UK, Australia, South Africa and Canada) and many have professional experience as social workers. Although postmodernist theory has been related to and explored in sociology and social policy, this text applies the theories to social work, and relates them to late-20th-century debates.

Although postmodernist theory has been related to and explored in sociology and social policy, this book is amongst the first to apply the theories to social work, and relate them to current debates. Contributors come from the UK, Australia, South Africa and Canada and many have professional experience as social workers. They appraise the key issues in the contested fields of postmodernism and feminism and focus on their applications to practice research and education in social work.

How can professionals learn more easily from their own experience?. How can critical reflection be performed in a structured way?. How can professionals maintain a critically reflective stance when contexts may be restrictive?. . Critical reflection in professional practice is popular across many different professions as a way of ensuring ongoing scrutiny and improved practice skills. This accessible handbook focuses on a description and analysis of the theoretical input as well as the approach involved in critical reflection. It also demonstrates some skills, strategies and tools which might be used to practise it.

. . The cross-disciplinary approach taken by the authors will appeal to a wide range of students and professionals and combines neatly with useful discussion of the complex educational and professional issues which arise from the practice of critical reflection.

. . An innovative website containing a variety of useful resources accompanies the book www.openup.co.uk/fookAndgardner. Resources include: . . Extracts from workshops, interviews and lectures . Additional articles and readings . Sample material for workshop preparation . . Throughout the book, the authors provide pertinent examples from their own practice, referring to relevant literature, providing annotated bibliographies, and noting where additional resource materials are available to provide further illustration.

. . "Practising Critical Reflection" is key reading for a variety of students across social work, health sciences and nursing, as well as health care and social welfare professionals. .

Transforming Social Work Practice shows that postmodern theory offers new strategies for social workers concerned with political action and social justice. It explores ways of developing practice frameworks, paradigms and principles which take advantage of the perspectives offered by postmodern theory without totally abandoning the values of modernity and the Enlightenment project of human emancipation. Case studies demonstrate how these perspectives can be applied to practice.

Contents:
Introduction 1. Postmodern Critical Theory and Emancipatory Social Work Practice Bob Pease and Jan Fook; Part One 2. Social Work and Its Search for Meaning: Theories, Narratives and Practices Peter Camilleri; 3. The Contemporary Organization of Social Work Gary Hough; Part Two 4. Social Work Ethics: Embracing Diversity? Linda Briskman and Carolyn Noble; 5. Challenging Victimisation in Practice with Young Women Karen Crinall; 6. Offending Mothers: Theorising in a Feminist Minefield Lee Fitzroy; 7. Deconstructing Masculinity: Constructing Emancipatory Practice with Men Bob Pease; Part Three 8. Representing Acitivist Practice Karen Healy; 9. Community Development and a Postmodernism of Resistance Mary Lane; 10. Empowerment: The Modern Social Work Concept 'Par Excellence' Stephen Parker, Jan Fook and Bob Pease; Part Four 11. Postmodernism and the Teaching and Practice of Interpersonal Skills Helen Jessup and Steve Rogerson; 12. Competing Paradigms in Mental Health Education and Practice Lister Bainbridge; 13. Critical Reflectivity in Education and Practice Jan Fook; Part Five 14. Postmodernism, Critical Theory and Social Work Jim Ife; 15. Emancipatory Social Work for a Postmodern Age Jan Fook and Bob Pease.

Learning Critical Reflection documents the actual learning experiences of social work students and practitioners. It explores how a more in-depth understanding of the process of learning, combined with an analysis of how to critically reflect, will help improve the learning process. The contributors are all professionals who have learnt, in a formalised way, how to critically reflect on their practice. They speak in depth, and with feeling, about their experiences, how downsides and upsides worked together to transform the way they understood themselves, their professional identity, and their practice. Existing literature about critical reflection is reviewed, identifying the details of learning, and pulling no punches in recognising the difficulty and complexity of becoming transformed through this learning process. The editors of this book also contribute their own reflections on learning how to teach critical reflection and include the findings of a research study conducted on students' learning. Edited by two experienced educators, this book showcases the process of learning, from the perspective of the learners, in order that educators and students, managers, supervisors, and frontline practitioners alike, may make the most of opportunities to critically reflect in both educational and workplace settings. It should be considered essential reading for social work students, practitioners, and educators.

his book provides a framework for professional expertise and practice for our times. Professionals must deal with complex and unpredictable situations and balance competing interests. What specific knowledge and skills should they develop to be able to work flexibly and confidently? How is the often stereotypical knowledge of the novice student transformed into responsive ways of working in uncertainty? This book grounds these issues in a study of contemporary professional practitioners as they developed their expertise over a period of five years beginning with their preliminary training. It describes their initiation into practice and their progression towards professional effectiveness. Using an analysis of patterns in the development of experienced practitioners, the authors create a theory of professional expertise for practice in conditions of uncertainty. The book also proposes educational strategies to help develop this expertise.

Learning Critical Reflection documents the actual learning experiences of social work students and practitioners. It explores how a more in-depth understanding of the process of learning, combined with an analysis of how to critically reflect, will help improve the learning process. The contributors are all professionals who have learnt, in a formalised way, how to critically reflect on their practice. They speak in depth, and with feeling, about their experiences, how downsides and upsides worked together to transform the way they understood themselves, their professional identity, and their practice. Existing literature about critical reflection is reviewed, identifying the details of learning, and pulling no punches in recognising the difficulty and complexity of becoming transformed through this learning process. The editors of this book also contribute their own reflections on learning how to teach critical reflection and include the findings of a research study conducted on students' learning. Edited by two experienced educators, this book showcases the process of learning, from the perspective of the learners, in order that educators and students, managers, supervisors, and frontline practitioners alike, may make the most of opportunities to critically reflect in both educational and workplace settings. It should be considered essential reading for social work students, practitioners, and educators.

Critical reflection enables practitioners - especially those within health and social care -to theorise from their own practice, improving and developing their work and practising both creatively and professionally.

This book provides an accessible overview of the influential Fook/Gardner Critical Reflection framework for students, researchers and professionals. It then presents a wide range of illustrative case studies from a variety of different health and social care settings, demonstrating how it can be used in effective and innovative practice around the world. By highlighting how professionals are actually using the Fook/Gardner model of critical reflection, it shares practical and resourceful ideas and provides specific theoretical and practical guidelines for use. It also further conceptualises and develops the theory of critical reflection by articulating underlying theory used in practice. The book also draws out particular issues for how critical reflection might be better practised within organisations, and develops a framework for a better understanding of this. The book is divided into four parts, discussing critical reflection in:

• Professional Practice
• Supervision and Management
• Research
• Education

Including an up-to-date overview of the framework written by Jan Fook, this helpful text makes a significant contribution in terms of the practical theorizing of critical reflection. It will be of use to health and social care professionals keen to practice creatively and effectively, especially those undertaking short courses or further development in supervision, critical reflection, advanced practice, and leadership and management.

Now 20 years since its first publication, Jan Fook returns to update her seminal text. Celebrating the ageless ideals of the profession, this book throws a life belt to all social work students and professionals looking to engage with the critical tradition of social work to improve their understanding and practice. Part One: Critical Potential and Current Challenges sets the historical and current contexts for critical social work, introducing you to what critical social work is and what it means for practice. Part Two: Rethinking Ideas unpicks the major concepts associated with critical social work, including knowledge, power, discourse, identity, and difference, and how these need to be rethought in new contexts. Part Three: Redeveloping Practices illustrates how these new ideas can inform new practices, proving you with all the tools you need to deliver flexible, responsible and responsive social work practice.

Critical reflection helps professionals to learn directly from their practice experience, so that they can improve their own work in an ongoing and flexible way - something essential in today's complex and changing organisations. It allows change to be managed in a way which enables individuals to preserve a sense of what is fundamentally important to them as professionals. It is particularly important as it can also help make sense of some fundamental issues, and so also has implications for how we live our lives. However, more systematic research on critical reflection is needed to help us understand what works best for professionals in different settings. This timely work explores how critical reflection is researched, evaluated and used as a research method itself, with the aim of improving how it is taught and practised in a rigorous and transferable way. Developing a more comprehensive and multi-disciplinary view of the current state of critical reflection and the research directions which need to be taken, the book is divided into four parts. It: - Provides an overview of different perspectives on critical reflection and stimulates dialogue between them - Establishes some common platforms from which to develop further research directions - Identifies the major issues in evaluating critical reflection teaching, and main methods for doing so - Contributes to social science methodological innovations by exploring how methods based on critical reflection can be used for researching professional practice - Contains contributions from academics who are internationally known and highly experienced in different aspects of critical reflection. Researching Critical Reflection is an important reference for all students, practitioners, and researchers - including in the areas of education, management, health and social work - who engage with critical reflection to develop their practice.

Supervision is a valuable protected space for personal and professional development that has the potential to contribute greatly to positive transformative change. This book explores what is meant by transformative supervision and how it can be undertaken. It examines the key factors that contribute to the transformative function, such as the role of observation and questioning, the importance of working with emotions, and exploring intuition. The book takes an in-depth look at the supervisory relationship and offers real examples from practice to illustrate the ideas in action. Offering a range of practical strategies, techniques, and approaches to enhance current supervision practice, this book brings a new voice to the topic of supervision by emphasising how it can contribute to continuous learning and self-development. Suitable for all those in the helping professions including social workers, counsellors, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and probation officers, this practical book is an invaluable guide to enhancing supervision and promoting both individual and social change.

Are diamonds really a girl's best friend? We don't think so, and neither will you after a look at this beautifully illustrated book. With contributions about what their dogs mean to them, over eighty women and girls from diverse backgrounds, ages and countries, share their feelings and experiences of living with dogs today. Not just autobiography, but stories, poetry and photographs. Family dogs, lost dogs, terriers to labradors, each one holding a special place in a woman's heart all over the world. This touching collection is a must for every dog lover.

"... the book makes an excellent contributionto the library of those keen to delve further intothe realm of critical reflection, understand variousinterpretations of interdisciplinary practices, anduse these to aid their own and others' professionalpractice, exploration and development." Learning in Health and Social Care How can professionals reflect critically on the aspects of their work they take for granted? How can professionals practise with creativity, intelligence and compassion? What current methods and frameworks are available to assist professionals to reflect critically on their practice? The use of critical reflection in professional practice is becoming increasingly popular across the health professions as a way of ensuring ongoing scrutiny and improved concrete practice - skills transferable across a variety of settings in the health, social care and social work fields. This book showcases current work within the field of critical reflection throughout the world and across disciplines in health and social care as well as analyzing the literature in the field. Critical Reflection in Health and Social Care reflects the transformative potential of critical reflection and provides practitioners, students, educators and researchers with the key concepts and methods necessary to improve practice through effective critical reflection.Contributors: Gurid Aga Askeland, Andy Bilson, Fran Crawford, Jan Fook, Lynn Froggett , Sue Frost, Fiona Gardner, Jennifer Lehmann, Marceline Naudi, Bairbre Redmond, Gerhard Reimann, Colin Stuart, Pauline Sung-Chan, Carolyn Taylor, Susan White, Elizabeth Whitmore, Angelina Yuen-Tsang.

Critical reflection helps professionals to learn directly from their practice experience, so that they can improve their own work in an ongoing and flexible way - something essential in today's complex and changing organisations. It allows change to be managed in a way which enables individuals to preserve a sense of what is fundamentally important to them as professionals. It is particularly important as it can also help make sense of some fundamental issues, and so also has implications for how we live our lives. However, more systematic research on critical reflection is needed to help us understand what works best for professionals in different settings. This timely work explores how critical reflection is researched, evaluated and used as a research method itself, with the aim of improving how it is taught and practised in a rigorous and transferable way. Developing a more comprehensive and multi-disciplinary view of the current state of critical reflection and the research directions which need to be taken, the book is divided into four parts. It: - Provides an overview of different perspectives on critical reflection and stimulates dialogue between them - Establishes some common platforms from which to develop further research directions - Identifies the major issues in evaluating critical reflection teaching, and main methods for doing so - Contributes to social science methodological innovations by exploring how methods based on critical reflection can be used for researching professional practice - Contains contributions from academics who are internationally known and highly experienced in different aspects of critical reflection. Researching Critical Reflection is an important reference for all students, practitioners, and researchers - including in the areas of education, management, health and social work - who engage with critical reflection to develop their practice.

Now 20 years since its first publication, Jan Fook returns to update her seminal text. Celebrating the ageless ideals of the profession, this book throws a life belt to all social work students and professionals looking to engage with the critical tradition of social work to improve their understanding and practice. Part One: Critical Potential and Current Challenges sets the historical and current contexts for critical social work, introducing you to what critical social work is and what it means for practice. Part Two: Rethinking Ideas unpicks the major concepts associated with critical social work, including knowledge, power, discourse, identity, and difference, and how these need to be rethought in new contexts. Part Three: Redeveloping Practices illustrates how these new ideas can inform new practices, proving you with all the tools you need to deliver flexible, responsible and responsive social work practice.

What do animals mean in the life of humans? This is an increasingly asked question, especially when so many households own at least one pet. Studies abound which demonstrate that pets can save lives or at least sanity, and that people can grieve more for their lost pet than the loss of human companionship. It is interesting then to hear about some of these experiences, and to try to understand in more depth how our furry friends weave themselves inextricably into our homes, our lives, and our existence. This special volume, on the meaning of cats in women's lives, is the second in a series of collections on what companion animals mean to women around the globe. The book includes pieces from women from several different countries, and of different ages and cultural backgrounds. The types of pieces included reflect this diversity. We have funny, sad and clever pieces. We have pieces that address the political and socially serious side of having cats as pets. We have pieces that reflect the sometime silliness of domestic life with cats. We have poems, short stories, reflections and essays. What has emerged is a clear picture of the different relationships women might have with a feline companion, simply because of the distinctive characteristics of cats as animals, and cats as individuals. They enrich in different ways simply because they are not humans, they are not dogs, birds, horses or monkeys. Cats mean distinctive things to different women. What is the nature of this relationship and meaning? Some tried to describe it by differentiating the characteristics of cats from those of dogs. The saying' "Dogs have masters, cats have staff" was quoted several times. Another idea was that of the cat as 'familiar', alluding to an almost mystical relationship with a creature who is only part of the human world. The naming of cats, and the special task of creating the name which would capture the magnificent, regal and independent character of that woman's own cat, was also a notable thread in many stories. Contributors include UK authors, poets, academics, activists, artists and politicians alike, such as: Barbara Becker, Claire Pickard, Nancy Winters, Sal Hampson, Suniti Namjoshi from Bradford, Oxford, Devon, and London; other contributors include Marge Piercy (USA), Fide Erkin (Turkey) Finola Geraghty (Germany), Beryl Fletcher (New Zealand), Liselotte Lassig (Switzerland), Beth Burrows (Canada), Kerry Greenwood, Lin van Hek, Sandy Jeffs, Patricia Sykes, Coral Hull, and Susan Hawthorne (Australia).

Horses inhabit our dreams, carrying us to safety or on wild adventures. Some of our dream horses fly, others have magical powers. Whatever our dreams of horses might be, they inhabit a universe of freedom and power. They also involve a lot of work, care and sacrifice. Horses and riders achieve great heights, some in jumping, some in dressage, some on endurance rides.;This anthology explores the meaning of horses -- and some donkeys -- in the lives of women from many places. They walk, trot, canter, gallop and fly. And some refuse to budge. Horses inspire boldness and trust and provide us with the means to be transported into other realms, to fulfil our girldreams, our horsedreams.