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Using critical social theory to develop a conceptual framework for comparative social work
Author(s) -
Houston Stan,
Campbell Jim
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
international journal of social welfare
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1468-2397
pISSN - 1369-6866
DOI - 10.1111/1468-2397.00153
Subject(s) - sociology , situated , conceptual framework , capitalism , relevance (law) , critical theory , social theory , politics , social change , social philosophy , work (physics) , social science , epistemology , positive economics , social relation , political science , economics , mechanical engineering , philosophy , artificial intelligence , computer science , law , engineering
This paper sets out a conceptual framework for comparing and contrasting social work within nation‐states and across international boundaries. The framework is “situated” theoretically within a (late)modernist understanding of events within advanced capitalism and draws primarily on Habermas' critical social theory. The authors apply this framework to explicate the development of social work in Northern Ireland, a region in which high levels of political conflict mark it out as a site of local, national and international interest. It is suggested that the ideas developed from the case study have relevance for the social professions in other countries, particularly where social conflict is in evidence.