Social Work - Research

Drawing from longitudinal research, this book shows how the perspectives of people who have been in care can help us redefine the concept of family. Through a narrative analysis of the complexity of family lives, the author challenges the idea that some families are ‘ordinary’, while others are troubled, problematic and ‘other’.

This book introduces the concept of emotional politics. It shows how collective emotions, such as anger, shame, fear and disgust, are generated and reflected by official documents, politicians and the media.

A vital challenge to the internationally accepted policy and practice consensus that intervention to shape parenting in the early years, underpinned by interpretations of brain science, is the way to prevent disadvantage.

Drawing on the qualitative research findings, this book develops a new framework to provide a useful analytical tool for academics and practitioners working with children and families to make sense of young people’s experiences of parental separation and divorce and puts forward suggestions for improving support for children in the future.

This is the first in-depth study of children and young people caring for parents affected by severe and enduring mental illness. Drawing on primary research data collected from 40 families, the book presents the perspectives of children (young carers), their parents and the key professionals in contact with them.

This unique book is the first to critique the past, present and future welfare state from a participatory perspective. Peter Beresford demonstrate the value of ‘user knowledge’ by challenging orthodox social policy and the limitations of both Fabian and Neo-liberal perspectives drawing on service users ‘ own ideas and experience.

This book offers a unique research-based contribution to the debate around community cohesion and counter-terrorism policies in Britain. It is an essential read for academics, policy makers and practitioners concerned with the management of ethnic diversity.

This book challenges the current child protection culture and calls for family-minded humane practice where children are understood as relational beings, parents are recognized as people with needs and hopes and families as carrying extraordinary capacities for care and protection.

Ethics has been addressed in health care, but relatively little attention has been paid to the subject in the social care sector. This book redresses the balance by examining theory, research, policy and practice in both fields. The importance of this approach is reflected in the growing emphasis on ethical issues in research and practice.

Set within the context of Europe, this book demonstrates the contribution that community development can make to strengthening civil society. The book interweaves case studies with discussion of community development principles and theory to provide a critical and accessible approach.

'Community' is a much used yet little understood term. Through a set of detailed case studies of communities in action this book examines the sources of community activism, the ways in which communities define themselves, and are defined by outsiders, and the nature of the interface between communities and public agencies via partnerships.

This book demonstrates how an ethics of care can help researchers work through challenges and solve complex issues. Keeping social justice at the heart of research, the book shows how an ethics of care can provide a systematic approach supporting good judgements about research practices from inception to impact.