Deck 1: The Social Construction of Social Work Theory

Question 1

Social construction occurs when _____.

A) persons think about ideas in such a way as to make them real in their own minds
B) people who are part of the same organizations come to share common views of the world
C) workers, clients, and agencies contribute to expectations by their own thinking and doing
D) all of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Social construction is a(n) ____.

A) circular process whereby each element influences each other
B) logical sequence of events leading to a specific conclusion
C) ideal situation related to organizational dynamics among workers, clients, and agencies
D) none of the above

Answer 2

A

Question 3

_____________ organize bodies of knowledge in a systematic way based on well-researched explanations so that you can focus on and select useful knowledge required to practice in different situations.

A) Perspectives
B) Frameworks
C) Models
D) Explanatory theories

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Theory is useful for practitioners because it:

A) helps us understand and contest ideas
B) offers explanation and understanding
C) helps us to be accountable, self-disciplined professionals
D) all of the above

Question 5

The International Definition of Social Work proposes that social work has three underlying political philosophies:

A) empowerment and liberation, social cohesion, and social change
B) social democratic, liberal/neo-liberal, socialist
C) strengths-based, solution-oriented, change-oriented
D) none of the above

Question 6

Social work:

A) results from a process of law and regulation
B) is socially constructed as social work is an idea rather than an object
C) has an agreed upon social work practice theory
D) none of the above

Question 7

All social activities generate practice theory, which in social work may be perspectives, frameworks, models and explanatory theories:

Question 8

Induction allows a practitioner to:

A) to take a series of similar experiences and devise a theory that explains them
B) to use general theories to help guide practice in particular situations
C) to clarify patterns in frameworks
D) none of the above

Question 9

The arena(s) of social work construction are:

A) political-social-ideological
B) agency-professional
C) client-worker-agency
D) all of the above

Question 10

"The aim of each group is to gain wider acceptance within social work of the theory that they support." This is a description of:

A) the goal of groups with social work education
B) the evolution of social work
C) the politics of theory
D) none of the above

Question 11

Social work theory:

A) establishes a paradigm of the world
B) helps us to do or to understand social work
C) provides a way of evaluating exactly what a "client" is
D) none of the above

Question 12

All social activities generate practice theory:

Question 13

Perspectives:

A) allows practitioners to make decisions according to general guiding principles
B) acknowledge that precise rules do not allow practitioners to respect diversity
C) have the advantage of integrity as your perspective and action fit your personal value system
D) all of the above

Question 14

Shared value principles of social work theory include:

A) alliance
B) aims
C) critical practice
D) all of the above

Question 15

The four main uses of theory do not include:

A) explanation and understanding to order complexity
B) practice framework to organize ideas and research
C) defining ethical guidelines for practice
D) help to understand and contest ideas

Question 16

Formal written social science theories and empirical data on topics such as personality and marriage are called:

A) frameworks
B) theories of the client world
C) models
D) none of the above

Question 17

Generalizing from particular examples, that is 'bottom-up' theorizing in which you start from a series of similar experiences and make up a theory that explains them is called:

A) deduction
B) scientific method
C) positivist research
D) induction

Question 18

A practice theory allows people to:

A) examine what knowledges are used in the actions and relationships
B) what understandings and discourses are relevant to the people involved
C) examine the sense they make of the process
D) all of the above

Question 19

The three arenas suggested as of important for the social worker in social construction thinking are:

A) political-social-philosophical, agency-professional, and agency-worker-client
B) modernist, postmodern, and existential
C) reflexive-therapeutic, socialist-collectivist, and individualist-reformist
D) public, agency, and the profession of social work

Question 20

Those views that see social work as seeking the best possible well-being for individuals, groups, and communities by promoting and facilitating growth and self-fulfillment are:

A) social cohesion views
B) empowerment and liberation views
C) social change and development views
D) all of the above