Diversity Perspectives for Social Work Practice

This book examines the prevailing theoretical frameworks for viewing diversity in social work practice and helps students develop competencies for work with and on behalf of diverse populations. The theoretical frameworks presented in the text cover three major dimensions of the diversity theme in social work practice: ethnocultural diversity, oppression and social justice, and vulnerable, at-risk populations. While other texts tend to explore these dimensions through a single theoretical framework, Anderson provides an overview of these separate approaches. Chapters are organized so that instructors can teach and students can learn these frameworks comparatively and critically. Each chapter follows a similar outline, which includes 1) a summary of the major contributors to the framework presentation of the core concepts; 2) five to ten principles for practice in application of the framework; 3) an example of its application to a particular practice situation; 4) assessment of its strengths and limitations; 5) annotated sources for further study; and 6) discussion questions to promote critical thinking about the framework.