Social work is centered on promoting the wellbeing of people, families, and the community. The practice is driven by theories that seek to explain, describe, and predict social happenings founded on scientific research and evidence. The theories involve a wide perspective covering philosophy, sociology, psychology, education, and economics, among other disciplines. They attempt to explain the drive and motivation people have at different stages in life. The theories provide a way to decipher different perspectives of social work and to formulate a testable proposal, called a hypothesis, about the social order. This paper seeks to identify the different theories in social work and their application at the macro- and the micro-level.
Theoretical Frameworks and Perspectives
There are a number of theories that provide broad perspectives in social work in an attempt to define different aspects of individuals and society. They entail the use of philosophical and theoretical frameworks, which are used to develop hypotheses, generalities, and the tests conducted to support them (Hodgson & Watts, 2017). Three main theoretical frameworks have come to dominate social work reasoning because they deliver useful explanations. These are social learning theory, conflict theory, and psychodynamic theory.
Social learning theory explains that people and society learn by observing others and molding their conduct. The theory was developed by Albert Bandura and is also called the social cognitive theory. Social learning specifically occurs when a person desires to impersonate the person they are observing. The person has to keenly observe the action and memorize it. The individual is motivated to put into action the practice once they encounter a situation where the behavior can be recounted (Hodgson & Watts, 2017). The social learning theory helps the social workers to understand the effect of role models on a person’s actions and attitudes in those they work with. It also helps the professionals to shape intervention techniques that use positive modeling and support to establish new positive actions in their customers.
Conflict theory characterizes society based on the pursuit of rare resources. The perspective was fashioned by Karl Marx (1818–1883), who looked at society as a constituent comprising people of dissimilar social classes who must scramble for economic, social, and political resources. The struggle necessitates the formation of social institutions, such as religious organizations and the government that help to maintain the erratic social structure (Brown, 2017). A few organizations and people, called winners, wield the power to procure and keep more resources than others by influencing the social institutions.
Another major theory in social work practice is the psychodynamic theory that was developed by Sigmund Freud. It is grounded on the thinking that people are naturally inspired to seek fulfillment. Human beings attain this desire by means of different processes that emerge out of conscious understanding attached to childhood experiences (Hodgson & Watts, 2017). The desire propels everyday actions, such as self-preservation, sexual exploration, and aggression. Social workers rely on the psychodynamic theory to understand the internal processes people use to guide their actions that may involve unconscious motivations. The theory can also help to explain the role of early childhood experiences in influencing a person’s present behavior.
Mid-Level Theories
The mid-level theories seek to integrate abstract theory into empirical research. The theory that was developed by Robert K. Merton derives its origin from an empirical phenomenon from which an abstract that can be empirically tested is conceptualized. It involves the application of theory-building techniques to empirical research that guide the creation of generic propositions pertaining to the social world. Mid-level theories are the complete opposite of grand ideas as it is set against generalization. Lata (2019) indicates that Merton opposed the abstract reasoning of scholars who sought to construct a universal theoretical system covering all aspects of life. The theories advocate that sociologists ought to pay attention to measurable aspects of social reality that can be studied as separate social phenomena as opposed to attempting to explain the social world as a whole.
The mid-level theories have been instrumental in growing sociology into a more empirically oriented discipline. Other advantages of the mid-level frontage include a system that legitimates the need to work out practical situations while immersing in primary research (Scott, 2017). The theories seek to engender generalities while staying empirically grounded. Examples of mid-level theories include social mobility, role conflict, normalization processes, the formation of social norms, and the theories of reference groups.
Practices and Models
There are many different process theories and models that affect social work practice in assisting people to meet their goals. First is the problem-solving model that was designed to help people in finding solutions to different challenges (Radloff, 2018). The model implores that social workers should direct patrons on the application of problem-solving techniques to enable them to develop their unique solutions. The second model, cognitive therapy theory, involves a person’s feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Social workers interviews identify contours of outrageous and self-destructive reflections and behaviors that induce emotions (Franklin et al., 2019). Thirdly, the narrative therapy model externalizes someone’s situation by exploring the tale of the individual’s life. A person is not defined by the circumstances, and the situation is a separate entity.
The teamwork practice model is a short-term therapy where subjects define specific, measurable missions in collaboration with social workers. They also establish the efforts to help attain the objectives. Lastly, the crisis intervention model applies in instances involving an acute crisis, such as suicidal inclinations (Scott, 2017). The model spans seven stages: assess safety and lethality, rapport building, problem identification, address feelings, generate alternatives, develop an action plan, and follow up.
Macro-Level and Micro-Level Application
Theories differ in domain based on the hierarchy of the themes they seek to decipher. At the macro-level, the ideas decipher large-scale matters and broad organizations of people. At the micro-level, social work theories look at very explicit associations between people or small clusters. At the placement, I was interested to understand the application of social work to the modern challenge of climate change (Rogers, 2019). Today, the talk of climate change dominates discussions in conferences and the media due to its association with vital moments in people’s existence.
The effects of climate change can be felt at an individual or group level, and the reaction to the problem can be influenced by our cultures. In the context of society, the effects of climate change are at the center of many political issues, social movements, and economic discussions. At the macro-level, the conflict theorist may be attracted to the power differentials existing in the regulation of production activities. According to Davidson (2017), social workers would be interested in analyzing where people’s right to data intersects with a company’s desire for profit and how the authorities reconcile those interests. Another area of interest may be the strength and powerlessness suffered by local producers versus large production empires. A structural-functional theorist to the question of climate change might be inquisitive in the position of the environmental bodies in a nation’s economy. The topic may encompass the transformation from the earlier days of non-mechanized production to contemporary mechanical production.
At the micro-level, a social worker looking at climate change through a symbolic interactionist viewpoint would be more curious about topics, such as the symbolic use of food in religious rituals, or the role it plays in the social interaction of a family dinner. Jensen (2018) states that this perspective might also study the interactions among group members who identify themselves based on their sharing a particular diet, such as vegetarians (people who do not eat meat) or locavores (people who strive to eat locally produced food). The exchange theory can also be applied in trying to understand the desire of people to aim for maximum benefits at a minimum cost. That is why they desire to use production methods leading to the destruction of the ozone layer causing climate change.
The different theories in social work including the practice of collective actions and civil movements play a significant role in explaining climate change. They enable the society to understand the roots, dynamics, and impacts that have facilitated or suppressed adaption to and alleviation of climate change. However, it is vital for social workers to deeply examine the problem of climate change to enable people to understand better the impacts of social structure and political thriftiness on greenhouse gas emissions (Rogers, 2019). This also involves the interplay of superiority and politics in the corporate world and policy development. The involvement of sociologists in finding solutions for environmental concerns also supports the use of interdisciplinary teamwork. The collaboration will go further in ensuring the world is safer for organizations and people to freely undertake their operations.
References
Brown, R. (2017). Understanding industrial organizations: Theoretical perspectives in industrial sociology. Routledge.
Davidson, D. J. (2017). Wanted: More climate change in sociology; more sociology in climate change (policy). Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews, 46(2), 145–150. Web.
Franklin, L. D., Kratz, J. R., & Gray, K. A. (2019). Next steps: Decision cases for social work practice. Routledge.
Hodgson, D., & Watts, L. (2017). Key concepts and theory in social work. Red Globe Press.
Jensen, L. (2018). Understanding rural social class in an era of global challenge. Rural Sociology, 83(2), 227–243. Web.
Krysik, J. L. (2018). Research for effective social work practice (new directions in social work) (4th ed.). Routledge.
Lata, P. (2019). Cultural sociology in practice. Shikhar Publications.
Radloff, T. L. D. (2018). Sociology in practice: Our prescription for living. Cognella Academic Publishing.
Rogers, A. (2019). Human behavior in the social environment: Perspectives on development and the life course (new directions in social work) (5th ed.). Routledge.
Scott, S. (2017). A sociology of nothing: Understanding the unmarked. Sociology, 52(1), 3–19. Web.