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Rejects grand narratives and overarching theories in favor of local, contextual, and situational understandings.

Challenges power structures, dominant discourses, and fixed categories.

Emphasizes the importance of language, discourse, and meaning-making in shaping social realities.

Acknowledges the existence of multiple truths and perspectives.

Critiques essentialism, universalism, and totalizing ideologies.

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Deconstruction: Involves critically analyzing and dismantling dominant narratives, binaries, and power structures to reveal underlying assumptions and hierarchies. It emphasizes the fluidity and multiplicity of meanings.

Power/Knowledge: Refers to the interconnectedness of power and knowledge within social contexts. It highlights how knowledge is shaped by power dynamics and how power operates through the production and dissemination of knowledge.

Reflexivity: Involves reflecting on one's own biases, assumptions, and positions of privilege within social work practice. It encourages practitioners to critically examine their perspectives and the impact of their interventions.

Narrative: Focuses on the importance of storytelling and meaning-making in understanding individual experiences and identities. It recognises the significance of narrative in shaping personal and collective realities.

Agency: Refers to the capacity of individuals or groups to act autonomously and make choices that influence their lives. It emphasises the importance of recognising and supporting clients' abilities to enact change in their own lives.

Collaboration: Involves working together with clients, communities, and other professionals to address complex social issues. It emphasizes partnership, shared decision-making, and mutual respect in social work practice.

Precariousness: It acknowledges the unstable and uncertain nature of various social conditions.

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Collaborative Language Systems: Engaging clients in co-constructing new meanings and narratives.

Externalising Problems: Separating problems from clients' identities to reduce stigma and empower change.

Reflexivity: Practitioners continuously examine their own biases, power dynamics, and cultural influences.

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Lack of Concrete Framework: Some critics argue that postmodern social work lacks clear guidelines and interventions.

Potential for Fragmentation: Without overarching theories, there's a risk of fragmentation and inconsistency in practice.

Power Dynamics: Postmodern approaches may inadvertently reinforce power imbalances if practitioners are not careful.

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Intersectionality theory, rooted in both postmodernism and critical theory, recognizes the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, etc.

Emphasizes how multiple dimensions of identity intersect and interact to shape individuals' experiences of oppression and privilege.

Informs emancipatory social work practice by highlighting the need for holistic, context-sensitive interventions that address the complexities of clients' lives.

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Aligns with postmodern principles by focusing on the construction of meaning through storytelling.

Encourages clients to deconstruct dominant narratives that may reinforce their marginalization.

Facilitates the co-creation of alternative narratives that empower clients and challenge oppressive social structures.

Utilizes language as a tool for both oppression and liberation, emphasizing the importance of narrative agency in social work practice.

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Involves critically examining one's own assumptions, values, and biases as a social worker.

Recognises the potential for professionals to reproduce oppressive structures if they remain uncritical of their own positions of power.

Essential for engaging in ethical, culturally sensitive, and socially just practice.

Aligns with postmodern critiques of objectivity and encourages practitioners to embrace subjectivity and self-awareness in their work.

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Reflects the commitment the social work to effecting systemic change.

Informed by critical analyses of power, inequality, and injustice.

Involves advocacy, activism, and community organizing to challenge oppressive structures and promote social transformation.

Rooted in collaboration with clients and communities to identify and address the root causes of social problems.

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Importance of Reflection: Reflection is crucial in social work practice as it allows practitioners to pause, analyze, and learn from their experiences. It enables them to gain insights into their own actions, values, and assumptions, leading to improved practice and better outcomes for clients.

Critical Reflection: Involves deeply examining and questioning one's assumptions, biases, and the underlying power dynamics within social work practice. It encourages practitioners to challenge dominant narratives and explore alternative perspectives to enhance their understanding and effectiveness.

Reflexive Inquiry: Refers to the process of self-examination and inquiry into the nature of one's practice, values, and beliefs. It involves continuously questioning and interrogating one's actions and their implications, leading to a deeper understanding of oneself and the social context in which one operates.

Praxis: Praxis is the integration of theory and practice, where reflection informs action and action informs reflection. It emphasizes the iterative process of learning and adapting based on reflective insights, leading to more effective and responsive social work interventions.

Donald Schön's Ideas:

The Reflective Practitioner: Schön emphasizes the importance of practitioners engaging in ongoing reflection to develop their skills and adapt to complex and uncertain situations.

Reflective Conversation: This concept involves engaging in dialogue with oneself or others to reflect on and make sense of one's experiences and actions.

Knowing-in-Action: Schön highlights how practitioners often draw on tacit knowledge and intuition in their practice, which is refined through reflection and experience.

Reflection-on-Action: This involves reflecting on past experiences and actions to extract lessons learned and inform future practice.

Artistry in Practice: Schön suggests that effective practitioners exhibit creativity and artistry in their approach to problem-solving and decision-making.

Double-loop Learning: This concept involves not only reflecting on and correcting actions but also questioning and challenging underlying assumptions and frameworks guiding one's practice.

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Client-Centered Approaches: Social workers prioritize the client's autonomy and collaborate with them to identify their needs, goals, and strengths, ensuring interventions are tailored to individual circumstances.

Narrative Therapy: This approach helps individuals explore and reconstruct their life narratives, empowering them to reinterpret experiences, challenge dominant narratives, and find new perspectives to address challenges.

Strengths-Based Practice: Focuses on identifying and leveraging the inherent strengths and resources of individuals and communities, emphasizing resilience and empowerment rather than deficits or pathology.

Anti-Oppressive Practice: Social workers actively challenge systemic oppression and discrimination, advocating for social justice, equity, and inclusion while acknowledging and addressing power imbalances within societal structures.

Collaborative Problem Solving: Involves working alongside clients, communities, and other stakeholders to identify and address issues collaboratively, fostering shared decision-making, collective problem-solving, and empowering clients to be active participants in finding solutions.

Advocacy and Empowerment: Social workers advocate for the rights and needs of individuals and communities, empowering them to navigate systems and access resources, while also working to address systemic barriers and promote social change for broader societal impact.

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Moffatt, K. (2019). Introduction. In K. Moffatt (Ed.), Postmodern Social Work: Reflective Practice and Education (pp. 1-13). New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

Moffatt, K. (2019). Chapter 2. Postmodern Social Work: Reflective Practice and Education. In Postmodern Social Work: Reflective Practice and Education. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

Reamer, F. G. (2022). The Philosophical Foundations of Social Work (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Columbia University Press.