Understanding Viewpoint Diversity and Critical Thinking in Social Work

Counterpoints
1. Auflage 2027
ISBN: 978-1-041-37027-7
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 132 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Reihe: Skills for Social Work Practice

Understanding Viewpoint Diversity and Critical Thinking in Social Work offers social work students a systematic methodology for engaging with the polarized debates that define contemporary practice.

While students are regularly exposed to particular theoretical frameworks, they are rarely trained to engage productively with perspectives that challenge those frameworks. This textbook provides practical tools for navigating contentious issues, from race and gender to mental health and economic justice, without defaulting to ideological rigidity or paralyzing relativism. Each chapter examines a contentious issue central to social work practice (race, gender, mental health, economic inequality, sexuality, ideology, relationships, education, competition and inclusion, and technology) by presenting the strongest versions of competing perspectives before seeking creative synthesis. Discussion guides, practical exercises, and case studies help students to identify partial truths in opposing viewpoints, recognize the limits of their own frameworks, and develop positions that honor complexity rather than collapsing into easy binaries.

Designed as a primary textbook for courses in critical thinking, ethics, diversity and social justice, and professional development in BSW and MSW social work programs, this volume can also be used as supplementary reading in field education seminars, policy courses or capstone courses requiring students to engage with complex social issues.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Alam, Nafees

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziale Arbeit/Sozialpädagogik Community Care, Bildung, Freizeit, Freiwilligenarbeit
• Medizin | Veterinärmedizin Medizin | Public Health | Pharmazie | Zahnmedizin Medizin, Gesundheitswesen Präventivmedizin, Gesundheitsförderung, Medizinisches Screening
• Medizin | Veterinärmedizin Medizin | Public Health | Pharmazie | Zahnmedizin Medizin, Gesundheitswesen Public Health, Gesundheitsmanagement, Gesundheitsökonomie, Gesundheitspolitik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction: The Case for Counterpoints  1.Race - Beyond the Binary of Racism and Colorblindness  2.Gender - Masculinity, Femininity, and the Space Between  3.Mental Health - When Therapy Becomes Theology  4.Wealth - Economic Justice Beyond Capitalism vs. Socialism  5.Sexuality - Navigating Between Repression and Commodification  6.Ideology - The Danger of Ideological Uniformity  7.Love - Romance, Family, and Community in Flux  8.Education - Teaching How to Think, Not What to Think  9.Sport - Competition, Inclusion, and Human Excellence  10.Technology - Digital Futures and Human Nature Conclusion: Living with Productive Disagreement Appendix A: A Practical Guide to the Point-Counterpoint Method Appendix B: Discussion Guide for Groups Appendix C: Exercises for Developing Intellectual Flexibility Appendix D: Resources for Further Exploration Appendix E: Common Logical Fallacies and Rhetorical Tricks Appendix F: Templates and Worksheets Appendix G: Glossary of Terms

Über Autor(innen)

Nafees Alam is Associate Professor of Social Work at Fort Hays State University, USA.