Full Description
Social work is constantly epistemically evolving and embracing diverse bodies of knowledge to inform its ontology and practice frameworks.
Over the years, the impact of feminist, post-colonial, and queer theory, for example, has broadened the social work lens and invited a welcome departure from dominant Westernised, patriarchal, and positivist paradigms. However, the separation of the spiritual realm from casework, clinical, community, and group work traditions of social work remained steadfast. The last decade or so has seen forages into the issues of social work and spirituality. This examination into spirituality and social work has shown that for many service users, spiritual practices (be they religious or non-religious) are important in their lives and their way out of difficulties. Concurrently, relationships between socio-political movements and global religions have grown increasingly complex. To create a truly holistic approach to the needs of service users it is important that social work policy and practice give voice to these complexities and understand the place of spirituality within service delivery. This book critically reflects upon and discusses the intersecting role of spirituality in the lives of people who access social work services.
By gathering contributions from people with lived experience, practitioners, and academics, this book will explore a comprehensive range of issues, opening the area of spirituality to current critical, socio-political, and cultural thought. It will be of interest to all social work scholars, students, and practitioners.
Contents
Part One - Exploring Spirituality. 1.Introduction. 2.Today's landscape: Global Spirituality, The Socio-Political, Social Work and Contested Spaces. 3.Hearing the chorus of unending, sunlit, inexpressible songs. 4.Integrated Self, Integrated Practice - my journey toward self-acceptance and how it enriched my social work practice. 5.A Spirited Reflection from my personal and professional journey across social work. Part Two - Experiencing Spirituality. 6.Considerations on Liberation theology and anti-oppressive frameworks as companions in social work. 7."How does my dream-like self truly love and engage this dream-like world?". 8.Forbidden, not forgotten: An exploration of two social worker's relationship with their Celtic spirituality. 9.Islam and Social Work: A Peaceful Path of Service to Others. 10.Storytelling through Ritual: Using a Jewish lens to understand the power of social work practice. 11.A Greek Orthodox Perspective on Love (Agape) and Spirituality When Working with Men Who Use Violence. 12.Protestant Christianity and Social Work: Resonance and Dissonance. 13.Tapu o te tangata: A Māori perspective on spiritually responsive social work. 14.The Truth of Who One Is. Part Three - Engaging Spirituality. 15.Disability, Spirituality and Social Work. 16."They call the Spirituality of my Ancestors madness" - Embracing spiritually sensitive practice in child protection while working with children of African heritage and their families in Australia. 17.Doubly Misunderstood - LGBTQIA+ experiences of social work and spirituality. 18.Connecting external and internal worlds: Environmental, spiritual, and social. 19.Faithfully Yours - A view of Frontline Social Work within the context of religion, faith, spirituality, and Domestic and Family Violence. 20.Advocacy, contracting, and spirited commitments: On saying "no" to a government contract. 21.Spirited Healing: Restoring Wholeness to Survivors of forced displacement. 22.Religious loss in the time of public health responses to COVID-19. 23.A.L.I.F.E. that is spiritual: A conversation with and about young people's spiritual life. 24.Community Development and the social capital in faith groups. 25.Courage, Care, and Concluding Thoughts.
