Understanding research methods in social work practice

¶ … social work there are a variety of concepts that will have an impact on how select tools and tactics are applied to your practice. Part of the reason for this, is because social workers must play an important part in serving as go between for government institutions and the judicial system. As a result, they will often use these different elements in conjunction with one another to achieve a variety of objectives. To fully understand how this occurs requires carefully examining this week's reading and the way it can be applied to your practice. Once this takes place, is when these ideas will provide specific insights about how select tools can be used by social workers to address a variety of issues.

A Critique of this Week's Readings

The first article that we are going to be reviewing for this week's reading is called Stories as Data by Alan Bleakley. What makes it so unique is Bleakely (2005), is talking about how narrative research is a rapidly developing field in medical education. However, it is still fairly new and many of the various techniques are considered to be experimental. Narrative-based research is when you are seeking to corroborate a specific case with the general trends that were discovered using quantitative and qualitative approaches. The effects of using this technique are that patients and other staff members will be able to relate to you. This improves the kinds of solutions that are being provided and the approach that is used to encourage someone to change their behavior. The reason why this research was selected is because it can provide more objectivity in: helping people to understand the situation and the impact that it is having on their lives. Once this occurs, is when the social worker can help their clients to be able to change their behavior and their mental attitude. The way that this will be utilized in a practice setting is through the initial discussions about what is happening and the role that each person plays during a host of events. As, the social worker, can use these techniques to show empathy and encourage the clients to talk about what issues are affecting them the most. This is when they can be able to effectively reach out to the patient by introducing ideas in a non-confrontational manner. ("Qualitative Data Analysis," 2011) (Bleakley, 2005)

Moreover, the literature that was written by Ellis (1999), discusses how auto ethnography can have an impact upon how someone reacts to various situations. This is when you are looking at factors that are influencing a person's behavior by monitoring social and cultural elements. The basic idea with using this approach is to show how these areas can affect the way that a person sees the world around them. This is accomplished through looking inward and seeing how these factors are impacting the mindset of the patient. This is when the social worker can begin to relate and understand what is affecting the client. Once this occurs, they can begin relating to the person and changing their underlying mental state. This reading is important, because it is providing social workers with another tool that they can use to reach out to patients. As, this approach is allowing them to relate and understand what is taking place with client. The way that this can be utilized as a part of the practice itself, is to give social workers a tool to disarm and relate to patients. This is the point that they can begin having an impact upon how they are reacting to a host of events. ("Qualitative Data Analysis," 2011) (Ellis, 1999)

These different concepts are important, because they are showing how we will use qualitative and quantitative data to establish the basic trends. This allows us to objectively analyze the data that was presented and the impact that it having on the outcome of a host of situations.

Once this occurs, we can focus on two different concepts that were discussed earlier to include: narrative research and auto ethnography. These two factors are providing us with an effective way of relating to clients. In the case of narrative research, the underlying trends and analysis is used to reach out the patient. This is accomplished through taking a specific case and discussing with patient empowering ideas. After discussing their thoughts and feelings about what is happening, is when the social workers will have a better understanding of those issues that are impacting communities. This is the point that they can more effectively influence clients and the way they are reacting to certain situations.

Auto ethnography is helpful by using specific cultural and social factors to understand what is affecting the client. Once this occurs, is when a social worker can effectively reach out to a variety of individuals. This is because they were able to use these factors, to change their perceptions and to be seen as someone that they can trust. It is at this point that the social worker can be effective in changing perceptions about: how someone is looking at a particular situation.