General systems theory and applications

¶ … Practice

Relevant Points

I have chosen to consider Mattaini's and Lowery's (2007) framework, which they call Perspectives for Practice, as a proxy for a model or theory of practice. For purposes of this document, I refer to Mattaini's and Lowery's framework as the multiple perspectives approach. Its salient features are the following:

The client (person or organization) should be viewed by the social worker from four perspectives: ecosystems, power sharing, evidence-based, and social justice.

The ecosystems perspective emerged from two streams of ideas: ecology and general systems theory. The former is concerned with how organisms fit with their environments, and the latter represents a shift from a simple cause and effect way of thinking to one that recognizes multiple and reciprocal causation.

Key concepts in current ecosystems thinking include the following.

Transactional relationships -- not objects -- are the basic elements of reality.

That relationship networks are self-organizing and fluctuating is of critical importance.

Diversity has a crucial place in these self-organizing systems.

Sometimes environmental interventions are needed as much as or more than client interventions.

The power sharing perspective comes from Native American thought, and regards all actors (including the social worker, client and others) as either contributing to or damaging the reality that connects them.

Key concepts in the power sharing perspective are:

Shared power is not the same as empowerment as used in its transitive sense, where someone 'gives' power to another.

Everyone carries many kinds of power and can learn new kinds.

We do not have power; we 'do' power; it emerges in action.

Strengths and skills are reflections of personal power.

The sharing aspect refers to how everyone (social worker, client and relevant others) contributes to a desired outcome

Evidence-based practice -- using those intervention strategies and procedures for which there is strong empirical support -- is well-established in medicine and psychology and is becoming more appreciated for its contribution to social work.

Evidence-based practice involves five steps:

Develop the right questions.

Use effective and efficient ways (e.g., online databases and professional literature) to find the answers.

Critically evaluate the information obtained.

Determine how well the strategies and procedures found in the information fit the case being considered.

Evaluate the application of the strategies and procedures, and modify accordingly.

The social justice perspective arises from a recognition that many if not most social work clients experience oppression and deprivation of their basic human rights.

Key components of social justice practice are:

Advocating for the rights of clients

Acknowledging the injustice, when it is present, and being patient and persistent in working with the client to overcome obstacles

Being alert for and resisting any temptation to 'blame the victim'

Being aware of and taking measures to counter any biases or tendencies toward prejudice

To insure that each of the four perspectives is used, the social worker might want to keep Mattaini's and Lowrey's graphic in a prominent place. The graphic is a pie labeled "The Case" and has four slices, one for each of the four perspectives. In addition, for a given case, the social worker might set up a four column sheet, with each column representing one of the four perspectives. Then he or she could list in the appropriate column the activities performed in service of the corresponding perspective. Empty or near-empty columns would remind the social worker of a possibly neglected perspective.

Congruence with Social Work Values and Ethics

The multiple perspectives concepts of ecosystems, power sharing, evidence-based practice, and social justice align very closely with the National Association of Social Worker's (NASW) Code of Ethics (NASW, 2008). NASW's ethical principles flow from its six stated values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. All four perspectives can be regarded as ways of operationalizing the service value. Social justice is explicitly recognized in both the multiple perspectives approach and in the NASW values. Shared power seems to encompass several values: importance of human relationships, dignity and worth of the client, integrity and competence.

The one perspective that is not as obviously tied to the NASW values is that concerned with evidence-based practice. However, evidence-based practice could be considered an over-arching perspective if the social worker insists that there be empirical evidence, obtained before the intervention or practice occurs, that it will effectively serve the client. That is, it shows promise of meeting the client's needs in a manner that attends to his network of relationships and recognizes his dignity and worth. In this light, it would seem that evidence-based practice is especially relevant to the NASW values of service and competence.

Strengths and Challenges

Major strengths of the multiple perspectives approach are that it:

Anticipates potential blind spots on the part of the social worker

Aligns with the NASW Code of Ethics

Provides a guide for initial assessment

Can offer alternatives when a satisfactory outcome cannot be reached by one strategy or technique

Benefits the social worker as well as the client (most obviously in the shared power perspective)

Some of the major challenges to the approach are:

Keeping all perspectives in constant view. It would be easy to drift into a mode of practice that emphasizes some perspectives and ignores others.