Social theory

The assumptions of empowerment theory are reasonable because of it aims to reduce powerlessness that have been created by labelling the vulnerable and oppressed. The principle of empowerment theories is practically applied to social work practice as a central goal and a process of social work practice. It serves as a framework for a social worker to understand phases of assessment, practice strategies, and methods in working with the people. The theory is applicable across settings of people in…

Social classes are communities of people grouped by their common social status. Social class was once a popular characteristic of segmenting people but characterising someone by their social class has lost some value as it is a lot more complex to determine someone’s social class today. Some theorists however saw the benefit of using social to effectively segment people. Henry (2005) believes people’s decision to purchase products and their taste is greatly influenced by their social status. He…

Social interaction and Structural-function Theory works hand in hand in molding a society to become what it is, starting out between two people and affecting the complex society as a whole. According to Pam Nugent “Social Interaction is a process of reciprocal stimulation or response between 2 people. It develops competition, interaction, influences social roles and status and people for social relationships.” The 2 concepts that will be described are Status and Roles. It is very important for…

American government benefits from the exploitation and miseducation of it’s citizens as it relates to health. What the government does to hide the truth about food, sugar, and its relation to obesity is in direct violation of the Social Contract Theory. The Social Contract Theory argues that people should put their self-interest behind them and make decisions that benefit everyone rather than just make them better off. Corporations go to extreme lengths to make themselves better off rather than…

or similar theories of government, or social contracts. These social contract theories allow us to better understand the course humanity takes and the reasoning behind this when forming a social contract to create a Sovereign body to rule over it. The two main social contract theorists are Locke and Hobbes. These two philosophers have written contrasting accounts of the social contract theory that land upon equally contrasting conclusions. In historical terms, the social contract theories stem…

As a social worker, working with teenagers who are dealing with coming out as a gay or lesbian and utilizing the empowerment theory, which primarily focuses on the oppressed teenager on a one-on-one form of micro level or focal system, does not exclude or count out the larger levels on a macro scale, which can be individuals within a large group of teenagers coming out as a gay or lesbian, their family members within their subsystem and or suprasystems environment. “The empowerment theory…

Social Identity Theory, known otherwise as SIT, is a principle proposed by Tajfel and Turner in the 1970s. The study aimed to explain intergroup behaviour and the situational factors within a model of behaviour. At its core, the theory consists of four interrelated concepts: social categorization, the tendency to categorize individuals into in-groups (we/us) and out-groups (they/them); category accentuation (social comparison), the exaggeration of intergroup differences and intragroup…

Psychosocial theory has had a profound impact on Social Work, introducing the consideration of the individual and their environment within the same context (Hollis, 1958). Previous research considered the “internal” and “external” effects upon individuals separately, although Turner argued “people are to be understood as products of the interaction among their biogenetic endowment, the effect of significant relationships, the impact of life experiences and their participation in societal,…

The Breakfast Club (Part Two: Theories) Social Identity Theory: “Tajfel (1979) proposed that the groups (e.g. social class, family, football team etc.) which people belonged to were an important source of pride and self-esteem. Groups give us a sense of social identity: a sense of belonging to the social world.” (McLeod 2008) In this movie there are five adolescents trying to find themselves and fit in within the groups they currently belong or have migrated into; the exception of one, Allison…

to me and times where I lied to others in every social group that I’ve been a part of. Additionally, the Social Contract Theory can be the force that keeps changes from happening in a society. People like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. would have never been able to impact their communities as much as they did if their fellow neighbors stuck with what was moral under the contract. With flaws like these, it’s clear that the Social Contract Theory is not perfect and has its fair share of…