Reading Foucault for Social Work (Paper)

Much of Michel Foucault's interdisciplinary work is particularly relevant to the problems confronting social workers. This is the first book to offer a reading of Foucault's work oriented toward these ends. More than a just simplistic "application" of theory, this book provides a pragmatically grounded point of entry from which to study the most important thinker of the twentieth century.

This is the first book-length introduction to the work of Michel Foucault in social work. The social work profession is being challenged today to adapt to changing societal and cultural conditions and to carve out a new societal niche. Foucault's work offers a particularly relevant entry point for revisiting social work's mission, activities, and objectives. A critical reexamination of its practices, institutional arrangements, and knowledge helps us to envision alternative social work practices and strategies for social change. Each chapter emphasizes different notions from Foucault's writings. Contributions include conceptual, philosophical, and methodological considerations, and discussions from various fields and levels of practice. The book covers policy in child welfare and child protection; gay-lesbian youth services; grief work and the family; client-worker interaction in a welfare office; and the social movement of the elderly. It includes a rountable discussion with Foucault on social work and a glossary.