Social Work Narrative Analysis

In social work the narrative of the social worker is a critical piece that will be utilized throughout the many interactions they have with client as well as the various agencies they work with. In the realm of social work the narrative will serve as a norm, telling the lives of others in a manner that portrays the realities of the clients. Scott Janssen, the author of this week’s reading makes this clear as he points out, “Most social workers find themselves serving as narrators of the stories of those who are struggling and afraid, people whose defenses are activated as they try to make sense of realities that may feel overwhelming.” Though this only touches on a small piece of the numerous roles that the narration plays in social work, it does exemplify that the narration will serve as a critical piece in accurately portraying the realities of those in need. Portraying the client’s realities in …show more content…
This tool may be utilized in a court setting, a drug and alcohol treatment center, in child welfare case, or other various private and social setting. However, in utilizing this tool in such settings, the goal remains to accurately outline the client’s situation while maintaining high regard for their individual experiences. This information can also be utilized later for other assessments and various other aspects to best support the client. Being that this tool is highly useful and plays such a large role in the field of social work, it is critical to maintain responsibility, and compassion when facilitating a narration, as Janssen explains, “Without compassion, this power is easily abused.” In having such a high level of power and privilege through being the narrator of the lives of others and their realities, this makes the level of compassion, and responsibility of the narrator much