Comprehensive Social Work Practice and Theory: Key Concepts and Principles

What is the unifying purpose of social work?

Social work is the professional activity of helping individuals, groups, and communities to enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating societal conditions favorable to this goal.

What principle suggests social workers should maintain emotional distance?

The principle that the social worker should maintain objectivity.

What does the concept of 'person-in-environment' imply in social work?

It suggests that social workers focus simultaneously on person and environments.

What principle is contradicted by asking a client why they stayed in a harmful relationship?

The principle of self-determination.

Which of the following is NOT a social work value?

Sanction.

What level of intervention involves creating change via task groups and organizational structures?

Mezzo level intervention.

What is the role of a case manager in social work?

A case manager focuses on achieving continuity of service to clients by linking them to appropriate services, including assessment, developing service plans, monitoring, and networking.

What level of intervention involves facilitating social change at the community or societal level?

Macro level intervention.

What are social work practice principles grounded in?

They are grounded in social work's philosophy and reflect social work values and ethics.

How do a social worker's values affect their practice?

A social worker's values, assumptions, and expectations become part of the reality of the professional relationship.

What level of practice is clinical social work best described as?

Micro level practice.

What principle is contradicted by a burned-out social worker's attitude towards clients?

The principle of individualization.

How is empathy defined in the context of social work?

Empathy is the ability to relate to the client's experiences and understand their feelings.

What is a characteristic of generalist social workers?

Generalist social workers consider interventions at all system levels.

Which of the following is NOT a core value of social work?

Serving society's most advantaged people.

Why is social work considered scientific?

It involves gathering, organizing, and synthesizing data for practice and using data for making practice decisions.

What social work role is most associated with making referrals?

Broker.

What phase of the planned change process involves data collection?

Phase I

What do fair economic policies promote in social work?

The value of social justice.

In case advocacy, who does the social worker act on behalf of?

An individual client.

What does self-determination presuppose?

It presupposes that clients are free from coercion.

What is the third phase of the planned change process?

Planning & contracting.

What does empowerment in social work refer to?

The process of enhancing clients' personal, interpersonal, or political power so they can take action to improve their situations.

What phase of the planned change process involves the implementation of the intervention?

Phase III.

Which of the following is not part of the generalist perspective?

Utilizing a cognitive-behavioral approach as a dominant mode of practice.

Who might a generalist social worker work with?

An individual, a community, or an organization.

What defines group work in social work?

An orientation and method of intervention where small numbers of people with similar interests convene regularly to achieve certain objectives.

What type of family has boundaries that allow outsiders to enter or leave easily?

Permeable family.

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a task group?

To help solve personal problems and improve quality of life for individual participants.

What type of group involves discussing the social ramifications of HIV/AIDS with students?

Educational group.

Which of the following is NOT a function of theory in social work?

Are mutually exclusive and overlapping.

What is an unconditioned stimulus?

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without prior learning.

What is a conditioned stimulus?

A previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, begins to elicit a conditioned response.

What is a discriminative stimulus?

A stimulus that signals the availability of reinforcement or punishment for a specific behavior.

What is conditioned reinforcement?

A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer.

What is conflict theory?

A theory that views social life as a competition and focuses on the distribution of resources, power, and inequality.

What is Erikson's psychosocial crisis for a 2-year-old?

Autonomy vs shame and doubt, where the child learns to do things independently.

How does Erikson's view differ from Freud's?

Erikson emphasizes social aspects of personality development over sexual drives.

What psychosocial crisis do adolescents face according to Erikson?

Identity vs role confusion, where they explore their personal identity.

What is the latency stage according to Freud?

A stage where sexual energy is dormant, allowing the child to focus on social skills.

What is universalizing faith according to Fowler?

A level of faith development that few people reach, characterized by a deep sense of connection to all humanity.

What is the ecological perspective in psychology?

A view that emphasizes the interaction between individuals and their environments and how this affects well-being.

Who is associated with cognitive development from birth through adolescence?

Jean Piaget, who studied how children develop thinking and learning abilities.

What is the psychosocial struggle of middle adulthood according to Erikson?

Generativity vs stagnation, where individuals strive to create or nurture things that will outlast them.

What is projection in Freud's defense mechanisms?

A defense mechanism where individuals attribute their own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others.

What is classical conditioning?

A learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus.

What is operant conditioning?

A method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior.

What is a microsystem in Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory?

The immediate environment in which a person interacts, including family and close relationships.

What is the correct order of needs in Maslow's Hierarchy?

Physiological, security, belonging, esteem, self-actualization.

What does Piaget's theory describe?

How people develop their cognitive skills through fixed, universal stages.

What is the concrete operational stage according to Piaget?

A stage where children gain a better understanding of the world through logical thinking and concrete information.

What does homeostasis represent?

The tendency for a system to maintain a relatively stable, constant state of equilibrium or balance.

What is a mesosystem?

The interactions between two or more microsystems in an individual's life.

What is negative entropy?

A state in which a system is efficiently using energy and oriented toward growth.

What are transactions in a psychological context?

Interactions or exchanges that occur between people and their environment.

What is interdependence in systems theory?

The reciprocal and mutually reliant relationships among various subsystems within a system.

What are boundaries in systems theory?

The distinctions that define a system and separate it from its environment.

What is homophobia?

Irrational fears of homosexuality or self-loathing due to same-sex attraction.

What is classism?

Discrimination against people based on their socioeconomic status.

What is sexism?

Discrimination based on a person's gender.

What is spirituality?

The process of searching for meaning, wholeness, and purpose in life.

What is the id in Freud's theory?

The component of the mind that operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of basic drives.

What is transgender?

A term for individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

What is racism?

A system of oppression based on race.

Homophobia

An irrational fear or aversion to individuals who identify as homosexual.

Homosexuality

The sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex.

Transsexuality

A condition where an individual identifies with a gender different from their biological sex and may seek medical transition.

Gender role dysphoria

Discomfort or distress that may occur when a person's gender identity does not align with their assigned gender at birth.

Gender identity

An individual's personal sense of their own gender, which may or may not correspond with their biological sex.

Transvetism

A practice where individuals dress in clothing typically associated with the opposite gender, often for entertainment or personal expression.

Gender role

The set of societal norms dictating the behaviors and attitudes considered appropriate for individuals based on their gender.

Cultural gender norms

The expectations and rules that a culture has regarding gender roles and behaviors.

Prejudice

An unfavorable opinion or judgment formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason, often based on stereotypes.

Discrimination

The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, often based on characteristics such as race, gender, or sexual orientation.

Stereotyping

Oversimplified and generalized beliefs about a group of people that do not account for individual differences.

Oppression

The systemic and pervasive nature of social inequality that extends beyond individual prejudice.

Pluralism

The belief that society is made up of diverse groups that maintain their cultural differences while coexisting.

Cultural pluralism

A model of society where multiple cultures coexist and are encouraged to maintain their distinctiveness.

Privilege

A special right or advantage granted to a particular group, often based on social identity rather than individual merit.

Institutional discrimination

Discriminatory practices that are embedded in the policies and procedures of institutions, leading to unequal outcomes for marginalized groups.

Systematic error

An error that is consistently repeated in the same direction, often due to a flaw in the measurement system.

Validity and reliability checks

Processes used to ensure that a measurement tool accurately measures what it intends to and produces consistent results.

Discrete variable

A variable that can take on a finite number of values, often counted in whole numbers.

Ratio measures

A level of measurement that has a true zero point and allows for the comparison of absolute magnitudes of the measured attribute.

Empathy and social work practices effectiveness

The relationship strength between empathy and the effectiveness of social work practices, often measured by correlation coefficients.

Cronbach's alpha approach

A reliability test used to measure internal consistency of a set of items in a survey or test.

Nominal variable

A variable that categorizes data without any order or ranking.

Ordinal variable

A variable that categorizes data with a meaningful order but without consistent intervals between categories.

TANF

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a program that provides financial assistance and support for families in need.

Entitlements in social welfare

Programs that guarantee certain benefits to a particular group of people, often based on citizenship or need.

Affirmative action

Policies designed to improve opportunities for historically marginalized groups in areas such as employment and education.

Brown v. Topeka Board of Education

A landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

Settlement houses

Community centers established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to provide social services and education to the urban poor.

Welfare state

A government system that provides social and economic support to its citizens, ensuring basic needs are met.

Protestant Work Ethic

A concept that emphasizes hard work, discipline, and frugality as a result of a person's belief in their faith.

Privatization of social welfare

The process of transferring the provision of public services to private entities.

Policy analysis

The systematic evaluation of the design, implementation, and outcomes of public policies.

Hull House

A settlement house founded by Jane Addams in Chicago, aimed at providing social services and education to immigrants and the poor.

Social stratification

The hierarchical arrangement of individuals in society based on wealth, income, education, and social status.

Supply-side economics

An economic theory that advocates for lower taxes and less regulation to stimulate production and economic growth.