Social Work Sense and Sensibility: A Framework for Teaching an Integrated Perspective

Abstract

The divisions between ‘micro practice’ and ‘macro practice’ are often traced to historical splits between the originating strands of the social work profession. These splits have been reified in social work education and in institutional settings that largely focus on particular aspects of practice. We argue that this split has been overly polarized and, more importantly, disregards the science and ethics of social work—what we call the sense and sensibility of the profession. Science requires that we recognize the complexity of human activity; ethics require that we alleviate individual suffering and work to attack its root causes. Social work sense and sensibility interweave expectations that practice, policy, theory and research understandings must all be informed by, and inform, ethical social work practice. This bridging framework can help educators respond to calls for connecting all levels and types of social work practice.

Keywords:

• Reflection
• History of Social Work
• Ethics and Values
• Social Justice

Notes

^[1] We acknowledge the limitations of existing language to indicate a range of practice. We also recognize that we risk reifying false dichotomies in our attempt to articulate our argument. We use the shorthand of micro/macro debates, recognizing that there is no clear delineation between the two. We will use the term clinical practice to indicate any direct practice with individuals, families and groups in therapeutic, counseling relationships, and casework (see Austin et al., 2005, pp. 11–12) and policy practice to refer to systems level advocacy.