Critical Analysis of Just Practice by Finn and Jacobson

Introduction and Overview of Just Practice

Social work history demonstrates that the pursuit of social justice is both a practical task and an aspirational ideal for workers and their predecessors in organizations. This paper provides a critical analysis of Janet Finn and Maxine Jacobson's work titled Just Practice, with particular focus on the first and third chapters, where their contributions and critical omissions are identified. Finn and Jacobson worked diligently to illustrate the historical development of social work, which was largely premised on charity for the poor (Finn & Jacobson, 2003). In both chapters, they elaborate at length on how social work came into being.

Ideally, social work history revolves around the industrial revolution and the way the rise of capitalism created a gap between the rich and the poor. In the first chapter, the role of Charity Organization Societies and the Settlement House Movement as the pioneers of social work is elucidated clearly. Although the authors provide much information relating to the historical development of social work, they omitted the roles played by smaller and independent groups — such as African-American benevolent societies of New Orleans — in the social and charity work of the United States.

Whilst appreciating the role of social work in the community, the authors take time to define what social work is and how it became an invaluable practice. Beyond considering social work as a profession, all players in social work activity must do their best to restore societal conditions so that all individuals can live well. They cite various sources showing that enhancing the well-being of all members of the community is essential.

Historical Development of Social Work and Key Omissions

While developing our understanding of how social work came to be, two groups are shown to have pioneered scientific philanthropy: Charity Organization Societies and the Settlement House Movement (Leiby, 1978). The authors' efforts must be appreciated, although they erred by presenting these two as the sole pioneer groups in social work. The two organizations were established in the 1900s (Reisch & Andrews, 2014). Any reader encountering the book for the first time would therefore develop a skewed understanding of the history of this important field.

While reading through the two chapters, one might expect to encounter mention of the Almshouses built in Philadelphia in the 1700s. Together with New York's Poorhouse of 1736, these facilities played a critical role in fostering comfortable settlements for vulnerable people in society. As early as the 1900s, Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs and the Catholic Worker Houses had been established (Leiby, 1978). These invaluable historical facts appear to have been overlooked by the authors.

It is also worth noting that Finn and Jacobson, while discussing the origins of organized charity, did not substantially engage with the broader transatlantic context of social reform movements. The Settlement House Movement, for example, had significant roots in British philanthropic tradition — a dimension that, if explored, would have enriched the historical narrative considerably.

Pioneers of Social Work Professionalism

In the two chapters, the authors show how social work was transformed into a profession. Jane Addams (1889) is identified as a leading professional social worker. Although this is valuable content, the authors omitted other individuals who might be considered true pioneers of social work professionalism (Finn & Jacobson, 2003). A thorough review of the chapters reveals the absence of Arnold Toynbee, who pioneered university settlement in 1884; Octavia Hill, known for spearheading housing reform and home visits in 1864; and Elizabeth Fry, recognized as the "angel of the prisons" in 1878. Including such figures would have enriched the book's content, particularly regarding the development of professionalism in social work (Leiby, 1978).

Social Justice: Dimensions and Conceptual Framework

The conceptualization of social justice includes three dimensions: individual relations, laws and social amenities, and international human relations (Lundy & Lundy, 2011). The chapter indicates that different dimensions require different approaches to achieving social justice. For instance, the human relations perspective requires that everyone recognize and treat all human beings as subjects entitled to equal rights, rather than as objects to be controlled and exploited. In terms of social principles and organizations, methods include social policies that recognize and meet personal needs (Finn & Jacobson, 2003).

The authors' knowledge on this topic is impressive. As evidenced by the way they address social work and its professionalism, they demonstrate considerable expertise. They argue that for social justice to be effective, it must be considered within particular situations and cultural contexts. Efforts to discover a universally accepted definition risk producing impractical and overly abstract renderings of the concept. The significance of social justice suggested in the book represents a multi-dimensional approach, as recommended by the writers, situated within the context of social work practice (Barusch, 2009).

Recent explorations in the definition of social rights have determined that a precise description of social justice is yet to be established. The authors also identify four dimensions for a successful social practice: expert principles, procedures, results, and communities. They encourage readers to view social justice in a contextual rather than abstract manner.

References

Barusch, A. S. (2009). Foundations of social policy: Social justice in human perspective. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Finn, J. L., & Jacobson, M. (2003). Just practice: A social justice approach to social work. Peosta, Iowa: Eddie Bowers Pub. Co.

Leiby, J. (1978). A history of social welfare and social work in the United States. New York: Columbia University Press.

Lundy, C., & Lundy, C. (2011). Social work, social justice, & human rights: A structural approach to practice. North York, Ontario: University of Toronto Press.

Reisch, M., & Andrews, J. (2014). The road not taken: A history of radical social work in the United States. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.