Timeline of Development of Social Work Theory



1850’s     Practical help and good advice influenced by the Charity movements.

1920’s     Psychoanalytic Theory enters Social Work.

1930’s     The beginning of psycho-social casework.

1950’s/ 1960’s
                Dissatisfaction with psychodynamic casework leads to the rise of Behaviourist
                and Humanist theory.

1970’s     Cognitive approaches; Task Centred System; Eco-systems approaches and
                Radical approaches.

1980’s     Empowerment Theories; Critical Theory; Feminist Theories; Anti-oppressive
                approaches.

1990’s     Constructivist Theory; Narrative Therapy; Transpersonal Theory.

1996         Turner (1996:701) Social Work Treatment 4th Edition states after covering 27
                 systems of practice "that the emergence of new theories has not diminished …
                 and that there has not been any movement towards the emergence of a mega
                 theory."
                In terms of what is new Turner (1996) asserts that we have gained new insights
                into the situation part of the person in the situation. The help relationship has
                been enriched and broadened this has added to things like transference, power
                & values etc. The focus on pathology has reduced with the rise of a focus on
                client’s strengths and available resources. The most important theme for Turner
                (1996: 701) is that:

"Theories are open and dynamic systems that grow and change as they both interact with other systems and are applied by practitioners."
1997-8     Saleebey (1997) and Rapp (1998) release publications concerning the "Strengths Perspective" and "The Strengths Model", Strengths-based practice begins
to rise.
 
2000        Parton and O'Byrne (2000), develop concept of Constructive Social Work,
                creating a post modern and social constructionist theory for social work
                practice.


Social Work Supervision Theory


1850’s     Administrative focus – Practical advice, support and on the job
                 training aimed at getting the job done.

1910’s     Education programmes develop. Education shifts from agency to
                 University

1930’s     Influence of psychological practice theory- (i.e., Psychodynamic).

1950’s     Introduction of sociological theory (e.g. Kadushin adopting the
                 interactional framework of Goffman and Munson drawing from Role
                 theory).

1956-1970's      Debate about interminable supervision and Autonomous
                            practice.

1965         First Training Course for Social Work Supervisors Held in New
                  Zealand at Tiromoana. Professor Minn of Victoria University taught
                  the course.

1972         NZASW publish monograph Supervision in Social Work : A New
                  Zealand Perspective.

1976         Social Work Supervision is constructed by Kadushin in Supervision
                  in Social Work as administrative, educational and supportive.
                 (Supervision understood as involving Agency, Supervisor,
                  Supervisee and clients).

1985           NZSWTC – Supervision Resource Package.

Late 1980’s The rise of New Management and increased accountability.
                    Increased emphasis placed on Administrative/ Management aspects
                    of Supervision.

1990’s     Rich (1993) describes a supervisory jungle in terms of theory and
                 practice models. There is no single definition or theory exists which
                 comprehensively describes its meaning, method or purpose.
                 Kadushin includes a section on ecology of Social Work Supervision
                 in his 3rd  Edition.
                 Brown & Bourne’s (1996) produce a Developmental systems model.
                 Tsui (1997) Proposes Culture as the major context for supervision.

1998         ANZASW publish a policy on Supervision.

1999         Bradley, J, Jacobs,E and Bradley R and Webber-Dreadon E, publish
                  Articles in Te Komako 3, on Tangata Whenua approaches to
                  supervision.
                  11 Nov 1999, Kieran O'Donoghue publishes the first web-site
                  focusing  on social work supervision.

1999        Cohen (1999) proposes a Strengths-based approach to supervision.
 

2000         National (International) Supervision Conference was held at
                  Auckland College of Education.

2002        O'Donoghue (In Press) develops framework for re-storying and
                 theorising supervision by deconstructing and reconstructing one's
                 own supervision story. Essentially, he proposes that we theorise
                 supervision from the stance of an active participant researcher.
 


Bibliography, References and Recommended Reading:

Argyris, C, and Schon D. (1974) Theory in Practice: Increasing Professional Effectiveness, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

Brashears, F. (1995) Supervision as Social Work Practice: A Reconceptulization, In Social Work, Volume 40, (5), pp.692-699.

Brown, A., and Bourne, I. (1996) The Social Work Supervisor, Buckingham, Open University Press.

Cohen, B. (1999) Intervention and supervision in strengths-based social work, Families in Society, Volume 80, (5), pp.460-466.

Drew, J. (1987) Social Work Supervision as a Political Function: A Critique of Cognitive Interests and the Impact of the Capitalist Welfare State. MSW Thesis. Palmerston North, Massey University.

Fook, J. (1996) The Reflective Researcher, St Leonards, NSW, Allen and Unwin.

Freire,P.(1974) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, London, Penguin Books.

Kadushin, A. (1992) Supervision in Social Work 3rd Edition, New York, University of Columbia Press.

Munson, C. (1993) Clinical Social Work Supervision, New York, Haworth Press.

New Zealand Association of Social Workers, (1998) Policy Statement on Supervision, Dunedin, NZASW.

O'Donoghue. K. (In Press) Restorying Social Work Supervision, Palmerston North, Dunmore Press.

Parton, N, and O'Bryne, P. (2000) Constructive Social Work: Towards a New Practice, Basingstoke, MacMillian Press Ltd.

Payne, M. (1994) "Personal Supervision in Social Work" in O'Connor A, and Black S, (eds), Performance Review and Quality in Social Care, London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Payne, M. (1997) Modern Social Work Theory Second Edition, Basingstoke, Macmillan Press Ltd.

Rapp, C. (1998) The Strengths Model, New York, Oxford University Press.

Rein, M., and White, S, (1981) "Knowledge for Practice", Social Service Review 55(1), pp.1-41.

Rich, P. (1993) " The Form, Function, and Content of Clinical Supervision:
An Integrated Model, The Clinical Supervisor, Vol 11(1), New York, Haworth Press pp.137- 176.

Saleebey, D. (Ed) (1997) The Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice, New York, Longman.

Shulman, L. (1993) Interactional Supervision, Washington DC, NASW Press.

Tsui, M. (1997) ‘The Roots of Social Work Supervision: An Historical Review’,
In The Clinical Supervisor, Vol 15(2), New York, Haworth Press, pp.191-198.

Tsui, M. and Ho, W. (1997) ‘In Search of a Comprehensive Model of Social Work Supervision’ In The Clinical Supervisor, Vol 16 (2), New York, Haworth Press, pp.181-205.

Turner, F. (1996) Social Work Treatment 4th Edition, New York, Free Press.


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Last update 4 April 2002.

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