Beth Humphries - Social Work Research for Social Justice

Social Work and Power Roger Smith

Social Work Research for Social Justice Beth Humphries

Anti-Racist Practice in Social Work Kish Bhatti-Sinclair

Social Care Practice in Context Malcolm Payne

Critical Issues in Social Work with Older People Mo Ray, Judith Phillips and Miriam Bernard

Social Work and Spirituality Margaret Holloway and Bernard Moss

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RG21 6XS

England

Beth Humphries

Beth Humphries 2008

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ISBN-13: 9781403949356
ISBN-10: 1403949352

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Printed in China

My thanks go to the general editors of the series, Robert Adams, Lena Dominelli and Malcolm Payne, for inviting me to write this book and for giving me the opportunity to bring together germinating ideas about social work research and social justice.

Sage Publications and Palgrave Macmillan gave permission to reproduce extracts from books, for which I owe thanks. These are acknowledged in the text where they appear.

I also appreciate the advice, understanding and patience of Catherine Gray, Mari Shullaw and Sheree Keep at Palgrave Macmillan, particularly when there were unannounced changes to the manuscript.

Over the years numerous students have challenged my thinking about social work, about research and about social justice, and any contribution the book will make is in no small way due to their enthusiasm and effort.

Last, but definitely first, I appreciate the unfailing support of Marion and our dogs, Sally, little Lligwy who visited us briefly and left us far too soon, and that lovable rascal, Bramble.

This is a book about research methods for social work and social care practice. The emphasis on the need for students to understand research approaches and for practitioners to be research-minded is an important development for the profession and one to be welcomed. The book is intended as a practical contribution both in enhancing awareness of studies that inform practice and in offering tools to those who conduct their own studies. There are a number of good books on research methods that are used widely on training courses (see, for example, Bell, 1993; Denscombe, 2003; Mark, 1996; Royse, 2003; Sheppard, 2004) and that offer detailed practical instructions for conducting research projects. I have resisted the temptation to write another text that is solely a how-to-do-it manual, because no human activity is uninfluenced by particular ways of viewing the world, and research no less than any other activity is always in the interests of some social group or other. It is as well to acknowledge that at the outset, and to declare what this means for the rest of the book.