Full Description
Blending material from social work with religious and spiritual sources, this book makes explicit that engaging with spirituality in its broadest sense is an essential aspect of socially just social work practice. Gardner connects shared understandings of spiritual/religious traditions, critically reflective social work, First Nations relational world views, green and relational approaches.
Through multiple unique case studies, Embedding Spirituality and Religion in Social Work Practice: A Socially Just Approach outlines the theoretical framework of critical spirituality, which is explored as a way of workers' understanding their own and others' sense of meaning, whether it is spiritual and/or religious, and to encourage workers to be mindful, open, humble and energised as workers.
Combining the theoretical and practical, this book outlines strategies and processes to ensure social workers embed spirituality in their practice constructively and inclusively across all areas of practice. This book will be of interest to those engaged in the wider field of social work, from direct service to policy development.
Contents
Introduction Part I: Context and theoretical framework 1. Understanding spirituality and religion 2. Spirituality, religion and social work - history and context 3. Building a theoretical framework for critical spirituality Part II: Capacities and processes for embedding spirituality and religion in social work 4. Qualities of critical spirituality in practice 5. Using critical reflection to engage with spirituality and religion in practice 6. Understanding the spiritual journey Part III: Application to practice: how to include spirituality and religion in ethical social work practice 7. Embedding spirituality and religion in practice: working with individuals and families 8. Spirituality, religion and the broader context: organisational, community and policy practice 9. Socially just spirituality - engaging ethically Conclusion Appendix: Further reading about religious and spiritual traditions
