What are the purposes of social work research? What assumptions about the nature of social science research underlie this characterization of social work research? I think social work research is to explain social phenomenon/human behavior, predict social pattern/behavior pattern, and provide guidance for social work practice through empirical studies. According to Ladd’s article (1992), the purpose of social work research is more close to one aim that the writer describe: “the aim of science was to create a useful or pragmatic view of reality that, through testing and revision, might eventually approximate ‘truth’”. From my understanding, the underlie assumption of social work research is more close to constructivism and critical idealism.
…show more content…
What are some of the social and cultural factors that have impacted this evolution? According to Kirk & Reid (2001), the purposes of the social work research has changed over time. At the emerging of the social work profession, social work was not viewed as a profession, because it did not have “body knowledge”. This required social work it develop its scientific methodology. Social work was also criticized for its casework, because some studies, such as Chemung County study, found that casework was not effective. Thus, another purposes of social work research to evaluate and guide social work practice.
In the early decades of its development, social work used science mainly as a model for practice. Impressed by the science, such as medicine, engineering and biology, the leaders of COSs and well-educated people, started to introduce scientific method to social work practice. The development of the psychodynamic theory was adopted by social …show more content…
The scientific charity movement established the framework, established case record, developed more objective view points, and collect data for the future. Richmond’s book, social diagnosis, is an important milestone for using the scientific methods for social work. The large-scale survey movement, though was not a success, was also a hallmark that the social work practitioners were looking for scientific method to apply in social work. Social work research started to build its own infrastructure when it disaffiliated from American Social Science Association. And its infrastructure research has been growing due to the growth of the research funding from large organization, government and research institution, and the growth of the doctoral training.
Consider Rubin & Babbie (2016): how do organizational and political concerns influence social work research? For the organizational concerns, first, researchers may not be able to conduct research the way they want in an organization due to the concerns of the agency administrator or practitioners, or the violations of certain agency procedures. In order to cope with this situation, researchers may have to design their research accordingly in order to alleviate the potential bias. However, Rubin & Babbie (2015) also points out that the organizational concerns could be the
What are some of the social and cultural factors that have impacted this evolution? According to Kirk & Reid (2001), the purposes of the social work research has changed over time. At the emerging of the social work profession, social work was not viewed as a profession, because it did not have “body knowledge”. This required social work it develop its scientific methodology. Social work was also criticized for its casework, because some studies, such as Chemung County study, found that casework was not effective. Thus, another purposes of social work research to evaluate and guide social work practice.
In the early decades of its development, social work used science mainly as a model for practice. Impressed by the science, such as medicine, engineering and biology, the leaders of COSs and well-educated people, started to introduce scientific method to social work practice. The development of the psychodynamic theory was adopted by social …show more content…
The scientific charity movement established the framework, established case record, developed more objective view points, and collect data for the future. Richmond’s book, social diagnosis, is an important milestone for using the scientific methods for social work. The large-scale survey movement, though was not a success, was also a hallmark that the social work practitioners were looking for scientific method to apply in social work. Social work research started to build its own infrastructure when it disaffiliated from American Social Science Association. And its infrastructure research has been growing due to the growth of the research funding from large organization, government and research institution, and the growth of the doctoral training.
Consider Rubin & Babbie (2016): how do organizational and political concerns influence social work research? For the organizational concerns, first, researchers may not be able to conduct research the way they want in an organization due to the concerns of the agency administrator or practitioners, or the violations of certain agency procedures. In order to cope with this situation, researchers may have to design their research accordingly in order to alleviate the potential bias. However, Rubin & Babbie (2015) also points out that the organizational concerns could be the