Theories of Social Work in Practice

Theories of kindly Work in exertSocial pull in as a practice was not delineate as a profession until the early 20th century regular(a) in other countries there be contrasting ideas as to what a sociable cle ber is for example in some start outing countries what in the United Kingdom as a youth stooler is seen as a social reacher. In England a probation officer does not need to be a qualified social worker whereas in Scotland it is incumbent for the individual to be qualified. In Scotland social workers argon registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and feed to abide by their professional code of conduct, which is crucial as a national guideline due to social work universe such a diverse area. It is consequential for social work to abide by these guidelines but besides to use theories that are of relevancy to inform their practice.Social work possibility done and throughout the years has proceed to be an chief(prenominal) part of social work p ractice. The purpose of this engagement is to critically discuss and analyse the relevance to 2 of these theories into practice commencement the ODonnell family. The two theories this assignment allow depend at is the fixing theory, Eriksons eighter from Decatur points of man and similarly to look at anti oppressive practice. It is key to look at these different types of theories as they are all grave dynamics that are necessary for social workers to understand the society, individuals and politically and socially influenced world in which they have to work in.An example of a middle range theory is the theory of fixing, the freshman theory of adhesiveness was indite by John Bowlby Bowlby believed that the attachment amidst mother and infant was strategic to the youngsters future beginment. Bowlby also believed in four characteristics of attachment proximity management, beneficial haven, secure base and separation distress. If a pincer erects separation from th eir first-string start outr (their mother) then this whitethorn manifest into social problems later in behavior- metre even if the tike has unpredictable contact with their mother then it will have unassured attachment. Bowlby later looked at attachment throughout different ages and percentage points of development, to understand how a person that losses or is separated from an individual they had highly-developed an attachment with would be affected. It has been identified that attachment behaviour is organic as it apprise be triggered if a chela is s frettingd or frightened. If a pip-squeak feels loved and valued by their primary phencyclidine it is highly probable that the babe will develop a full(a) aim of self-esteem and perhaps may be more self-assured and independent in later life due to a skin perceptiveness of belonging and acceptance. However should a child feel they are rejected or neglected by their primary caregiver it is like they may feel unwanted and unlovable. The positive example of attachment would allow the child to develop a trusting bond which would not be the effect with the negative attachment example. This relates to Eriksons eight symbolises of man this is an infants show of psychosocial development which has two caterpillar treads a child can take depending on the care they buzz off trust versus qualm is established.This theory of attachment was developed merely by Mary Ainsworth in the 1970s in her field of study Strange Situations base on observing children aged twelve to eighteen months, she described terce types of attachment that she discovered during her studies these were secure, ambivalent and avoidant attachment. Secure attachment is seen as the more or less preferred and beneficial to a childs positive development the care wedded by the primary caregiver would be attentive and deliver the goods a solid base for the child to progress worked uply, socially and intellectually. Ambivalent attach ment tends to occur when the primary carer is perfidious and unstable this would be classed as emotional neglect which may leave the child unsure of their daub at bottom the family which may result in the child displaying distressing or sick behaviour. Children who are victims of this type of behaviour may be very caution seeking in order to gain the focus of those around them that they do not get at home. A child provided that is a victim of avoidant attachment would perhaps be less likely to project their true olfactions or talk about them as they are aghast(predicate) of those they are close to leaving them. The childs lack of emotional response would possibly be because the primary caregiver in these cases will perhaps limn more care and attention when the child is content nonetheless if the child shows visible signs of distress or need they will pull outside(a) from them. In some cases children exposed to avoidant care givers may take drugs or alcohol to cope with their fear of rejection from others.This attachment theory was hitherto unless developed by Main and Solomon in the 1980s they outlined a further type of attachment called disorganised attachment or insecure attachment, a childs primary caregiver in this stage is confusing to the child. Children who are subject to these varying behaviours tend to fear the loss of that attention even though they are given the attention they require.A child who has been unavailing to have a secure attachment, for example through abuse, fostering or adoption, is more likely to have problems in future with their relationships with others or suffer emotionally.Attachment theory has been used in social work to work with children and families and has more recently become part of mental health practice. It is important to acknowledge in social work how a persons past in terms of the family unit they were brought up in and the level of care they certain can affect them in the present also how the individ uals past experiences can affect their own children. However it is also important for social workers to look other theories as well to help inform their practice and not focus on a singular theory. This theory is also a past orientated theory as it looks at how the past set up the present.In relation to the ODonnell family Kate would appear to have been a victim of avoidant attachment due to being left by her mother and taken into care at an early age. Because of her past she may be fearful of her children rejecting her as her self esteem would have been affected due to being in and out of care homes. This difficulty in attaining meaningful attachments may also have contributed to her being a l unrivalled parent and Kate is repeating tarradiddle with her own children as they are developing a meaningful attachment with her friend Frances. It is also significantly appropriate to examine how this is affecting Kates children and how this may manifest later if intervention is not made by social workers to bring a closer bond to the primary carer.A further mid range theory that was touched upon in a precedent passage was established by a psychosocial psychologist by the name of Erik Erikson. Eriksons theory was loosely establish around Freuds past works however it was developed into what is called Eriksons Eight grades of Man. According to Erikson at certain ages throughout a persons life they will go vanquish one of two developmental paths, however it is necessary for those using this theory that it is not simply one path or the other. Erikson acknowledged the fact that although a person should go down the The eight stages are Trust versus Mistrust, Autonomy versus Shame, Doubt, Initiative versus Guilt, Industry versus Inferiority, individuation versus Identity Confusion, Intimacy versus Isolation, Generativity versus Self-Absorption, and finally the last stage Integrity versus Despair. The first stage takes place in infancy this is when a child is well-nigh vulnerable as they rely entirely on their care givers if the child comes to know that they can rely on their primary caregiver as the care giver is continuously there for them then they will develop to trust more than a child whom is ignored or has unreliable caregivers and develops mistrust. Each oof these stages has an impact on the next stage of development and and then it is detrimental to producing a balanced human being that the child passes through with more positive experiences of emotional development than negative. In the second stage autonomy versus shame this takes place when a child is around the ages of one to four the third stage initiative versus guilt takes place between the ages of four and six, if a child has in stage four the child between the ages of six to twelve industry versus inferiorityIn stage five individuation versus role confusion this takes place in adolescence primarily between the ages of twelve and twenty at this age an up and glide slope adult is most likely to be at the peak of partner pressure and will be discovering who they are both as a person and sexually. This can be a very hard time for individuals but with a good base they will be likely to find who they are with easae however it is possible that they will become unkept for example the loss of a father figure for a male child may result in that person being unable to undersand why the Eriksons eight stages of man have been criticized due to the fact that it was based ona study of men, it can be seen as a rigid document and does not take into account individual factors. For example an individual whom has a toilsome learning disability and perhaps has been psychologically examined to be at a mental age of five will not suffer from the complexities of stage five although that may be their corresponding age with Eriksons chart. Although this criticism should be kept in mind, Eriksons stages of man can be a utilizable tool as a guideline for use in social work.A lthough Eriksons model may seem very black and white it is important to remember that during to each one stage of development in order to have a healthy perspective in life, it is important in each stage that the strongest is the positive from the scale, there must be some level of negative development for example a little bit of mistrust is healthy as to trust naively would eventually result in a individual putting themselves in danger. Trust versus Mistrust takes place during infancy the route in which the infants personality takes depends on the parent to provide those needs that the infant cannot satisfy itself. If the mother does not take care of her child through neglect the infant will not develop basic trust and will take a negative note on the psychosocial scale. Autonomy versus Shame, Doubt takes place during early childhood, starting in a childs second year of life, once again children are reliant on their parents to support them during this stage. This is when a toddle r tries to become an individual. If the childs vulnerability does not get the necessary support from the care givers then they will develop a sense of shame and doubt. Initiative versus Guilt takes place also during childhood normally developing during the ages of four and five this is where a child tries to establish their own boundaries as they try to establish their identityIn stage four, Industry versus Inferiority, taking place up until puberty, this is when a child tries to be recognized for their exercises, for example at school for doing a project, however if they do not get this desired recognition and feeling of achievement then it can result on them developing a feeling of inferiority, inadequacy. Parents still play an important role in this stage however as it takes place primarily at school, teachers are important. Stage five, identity versus identity confusion takes place during adolescence this is when the individual try to find a sense of themselves, this Stage six, friendship versus isolation is the first stage to take place during adulthood, intimacy with other human beings can only come up when identity is established. The intimacy can be with a friend or a lover it involves merging personalities with others. It is important for an individual to have this intimacy otherwise it can result in them being alone and withdrawn. Stage seven, Generativity versus stagnation, this is the second stage an individual goes through in adulthood, people who are generative are productive, tolerant and able to care for others and themselves equally. It is not ever so expressed through parenthood sometimes it can be through being a teacher. Those who are unable to develop in this stage result in a feeling of being stuck as they are unable to care for other people properly. The eighth stage is haleness versus despair, this takes place during old age, an individual in this stage establishes integrity being satisfied with their life and believing it was impo rtant and had a purpose. The person who reflects on life positively, according to Erikson, have an acceptance of death. However, a person who reflects on their life, feeling full of regret of their past it is also shown through a report to lookers that those who were more feeble through their bodys degeneration felt as though they had little control (Geppert Halisch, 2001) and therefore despair would occur as they were not as willing to accept death. (Cloninger, 2008).Eriksons theory of psychosocial development was based on clinical evidence there has been further research into this work specifically in the adolescent stage of identity versus identity confusion. This research was accomplished by James Marcia whom