Developing Discipline-Specific Knowledge for Social Work

Abstract

This article discusses nine obstacles to identifying a disciplinary-specific body of knowledge underlying social work. It suggests that a more worthwhile goal for social work educators, practitioners, and researchers is the development of problem-specific knowledge useful across the human service disciplines.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bruce A. Thyer

Portions of this paper were presented at the Joint Conference of the International Federation of Social Workers and the International Association of Schools of Social Work, July 29-August 2, 2000, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and at the International Conference on Evaluation for Practice, held at the University of Huddersfield, U.K., July 12-14, 2000.