Theory Development in Applied Arenas

SW838, Section 001

Currently the place of theory in social work is controversial. Some argue that because social work is a pragmatic profession charged with carrying out practical tasks, theory has little direct relevance. What really counts is experience, personal qualities, and the ability to make common sense judgments when confronted with the requirements of dealing with "the real world." Conversely others argue that theory is not only inevitable but also pervasive. Hence the dominant propensity in social work to view theory as abstract and esoteric is a profound obstacle to social work's professional and scientific progress. Because this course is a seminar in theory development in applied arenas of study, most particularly social work, it addresses this debate directly. Indeed, the fact of proposing such a course reflects the belief that something is definitely wrong with how social work deals with theory and that it is important to try to right this wrong. Following from this, the course begins by exploring questions about the nature of theory -- what it is and what it is not -- and the rationale for studying theory development in the social work component of a program in social work and social science. Arguments concerning the irrelevance/inevitability of theory will be examined, along with conflicting claims about whether a theoretical/anti-theoretical tendencies in social work scholarship are profoundly ideological, or whether they define a specific but unexplicated philosophy of science. Subsequently, the focus will shift to examine the development of guidelines for the construction of theory that is likely to be applied to, or utilized in, "real-life"