This paper reviews claims that there are paradigms of social work. Alternative meanings of the concept ‘paradigm’ focus on shifts in the structure of knowledge and knowledge development in a discipline, or, particularly in the social sciences, on a looser understanding of paradigm as cluster of beliefs that order discourse within a discipline. Zobrazit text
At present, a time characterised by the transition from modern to postmodern society, social work finds itself in a situation full of changes and uncertainties. The postmodern era is distinguished from the modern one by e.g. radical plurality of world views and associated loss of confidence in the Grand Narratives, including the concept of a social welfare state, emphasis put on presence and individualised projects, deconstruction and reconstruction of meanings, divergence from the bipolar perception of the world and preference given to expertise, etc. Zobrazit text
This article offers the story of a person labelled with developmental disabilities and of his caregivers. Scott is a 43-year old man who lives in a group home with four other housemates and permanent staff support and supervision. The study describes how Scott examines his agency, including matters of choice, control, independence and interdependence, surrounded by social structures.Zobrazit text
The aim of this paper is to answer the following question: “What social representations of people with a medical disadvantage do mediators-counsellors usually have?” The data obtained will lead to an understanding of how professionals in social work and social policy perceive people with a medical disadvantage and their employment chances. The presumption is that consultants choose their procedures based on their images of clients with a medical disadvantage.Zobrazit text
This contribution represents the results of research carried out in some socially excluded localities in the Karlovy Vary Region within the project of the Český západ (or Czech West) civic association. The goal was to survey the current needs of the inhabitants of these localities with regard to other options for social work oriented towards the social inclusion of persons living in these places.Zobrazit text
