Social Work and Disadvantage: Developing an Analysis of Disadvantage To Inform Social Work Practice

Abstract

[Is there something distinct about the way in which social workers develop, analyse and apply certain knowledge to their day-to-day practice? One critical area of social work knowledge variously referred to as 'social problems', 'social welfare problems' or 'disadvantage' could be usefully subjected to more systematic analysis. Two approa ches to this task are discussed: the first built around the concept of social welfare problems; the second around disadvantage. The framework which uses the concept of disadvantage represents some refinement for this analytical task for social work practice by giving greater prominence to its central purposes, guiding values and basic action modes].