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Book Review

Theory and Perspectives in Social Work by Samta P. Pandya (New Delhi : Rawat

Pblications!

"pistemolo#ical and $deolo#ical shi%ts in Social Work Practice

This book concentrates on knowled#e base and ideolo#ical shi%ts in social work perspective

%rom charity to wel%are& empowerment& development& radical movements and post'

modernism. $n $ndia this book brin#s theories and their social work perspective to#ether on

one plat%orm that %orm a part o% social work. The athor brin#s to#ether all the concepts and

theories which %orm knowled#e base and belie% system o% Social Work practice %rom #ste

)omte*s positivism to postmodernism.

$n the openin# chapter the athor Samta P. Pandya discss abot social theorisin# that +social

theorisin# is abot developin# abstract laws o% social processes that are perpetally in

transition,. The discssion in the openin# chapter discssed abot theory and natre o%

e-istence& knowled#e base& se o% theory in practice and how these concepts evolve over the

time. Theorisation in social work commences %rom positivism and realism then moves

towards ar-ism& /eminism component o% critical thinkin#. This chapter proposes a

comprehensive view o% social theorisation& positions and movements that inter%ace with

social work knowled#e base and belie% system.

$n the ne-t chapter athor discssed abot theoretical concepts o% Social Work %rom reli#ios

 belie% system to positivism and towards scienti%ic lo#ical approach to reality o% social world.

$t is discssed here that how the theory& knowled#e base and belie% system o% Social Work

evolve over the period and the core belie% system o% the theorists within each social

theorisation #enre o% positivism& realism& phenomenolo#y and social constrction o% reality

and the total nderstandin# that evolve there %rom.

$n the third chapter athor moves on to look and e-plainin# belie% system and knowled#e

 bases o% Social Work in the conte-t o% 0e#elian philosophy& ar-ism and critical theory. $n

this chapter the discssion is arond the natre o% e-istence o% the theory& knowled#e base

and set o% methods and principles o% ar-ism tho#ht and the happenin# disa#reement that

arose in terms o% critical theory. 1ey belie% systems have been discssed prpose%lly to

inclde the ran#e o% nderstandin# %orwarded by ar-& alon# with "n#els and Plekhanov as

methodolo#ical collaborators. The basic combination o% events and ideas that prodces

reslts o% critical theory thro#h its main proponents 0orkheimer& dorno& arcse and

0abermas have been presented.

$n chapter %or athor discssed abot the varios knowled#e bases and theories within

strctralism& post'strctralism& postmodernism and post'colonialism as knowled#e and

 belie% system bases o% Social Work Practice. Within strctralism& the positions o% Sassre

and )lade 2evi'Strass alon# with certain aspects o% Drkheim and post'Drkheim thinkin#

 predominate. The post #enres have re%erences to three%old modes o% thinkin# 3 post'

strctralism& postmodernism and post'colonialism. This chapter %rther discss abot history

o% %eminism& discorse on the critical e-amination o% patriarchy and emer#in# #enre o%

tho#ht. The discssions are in terms o% comprehension o% %eminist natre o% e-istence&

knowled#e base and se o% belie% in social work practice.

)hapter %ive discsses abot emer#ence o% tho#ht %rom reli#ion and %aith and their

knowled#e and belie% system bases in Social Work Practice. This chapter is ths an attemptat simltaneosly comprehendin# the small di%%erences o% reli#ion& %aith& and their connection

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to social work perspective. ll the reli#ions discssed in this chapter very comprehensively in

the social work perspective. That how the reli#ion provides knowled#e base and belie%

system to altrism and philanthropy as well as a moral and vale orientedness. Which can

systematically linked to knowled#e base and belie% system in social work %rom a reli#ios

 point o% view.

)hapter si- e-amines the interrelated knowled#e bases o% social re%orm& 4andhian tho#ht

and nationalism. Social re%orm& primarily nderstood as a nineteenth'centry phenomenon in

the $ndian conte-t& has two broad %ormations: transitional and accltrative. 0ere he

discssed abot the Brahmo Sama5& rya Sama5& Neo'6edanta and 4andhian tho#ht and

how these social re%orm movements a%%ects social work perspectives in $ndian conte-t. The

discssion has e-amined social re%orms and their e%%ect in aharashtra& Ben#al& Pn5ab and

the Soth with variations therein. $n terms o% 4andhi& the main philosophical concepts o%

trth and non'violence have been placed and discssed to %orm a knowled#e base and system

o% belie% in social work perspective.

)hapter seven discsses abot social 5stice and hman ri#hts discorses. Discssion o%social 5stice have discssed abot early re%erences to 5stice in 4reek philosophy and

seventeenth'centry philosophers sch as 2ocke& Rossea& 0me and later thinkers sch as

Thomas Paine& Spenser and 1ropotkin. $n the discssion o% hman ri#hts& the key discssion

is arond the ri#hts o% each individal and combinin# the knowled#e base o% seclar

hmanism& liberalism& democracy and socialism.

)hapter ei#ht discsses abot +movements (sbaltern voices and pra-is!,. This chapter looks

at assertions in the realms o% se o% theory in practical way that have revealed mltiple

standpoints 3 emer#in# %rom di%%erent belie% system in the process. The e-amination is

simltaneosly in the $ndian conte-t and in the conte-t o% social world 3 both the conte-t

woven intermittently. )ommencin# with Dalit movements and standpoints& the chapter #oes

on to e-amine the di%%erent belie% system o% tribal movements in the indi#enos conte-t. The

women*s movements have been discssed in their #lobal and $ndian %ormats 3 %ocsin# on

the visions& versions and strate#ies.The movement #enre& i.e. sbaltern voices and pra-is

openin# with Dalit and tribal movements& transnational and indi#enos discorses in the

women*s movement& 7eer theorisations and movements o% 24BT ri#hts& discssion on

ecolo#y and disability have been done prpose%lly in terms o% knowled#e base and belie%

system. "ventally the knowled#e base link o% social work to social theory has been

established.

)hapter nine discsses history o% social work and the varios domains in social work :or#anised and scienti%ic charity& clinical social work& ecolo#ical social work& radical social

work& %eminist social work and critical& anti'oppressive and developmental social work. /or

each o% the perspectives& the linka#es with social theory and movements are so#ht 3

attemptin# thereby to stren#then the nderstandin# o% the di%%erent domains thro#h their

knowled#e base. The tra5ectory that is %ollowed is that each o% the perspectives has been

e-plained thro#h history and crrent positions and sbse7ently the linka#es are so#ht.

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)onclsion

$n conclsion& Samta P. Pandya has set himsel% an ambitios task in writin# a book which

 brin#s theories and social work perspective in e-aminin# what relevance they have to social

work as an academic sb5ect& a pro%essional practice and as a response to problems which

will inevitably emer#e nder the present social order. This book proposes a comprehensiveview o% social theorisation& positions and movements that inter%ace with social work and lend

to a consolidation o% perspectives. This book wold serve as re%erence material %or those who

are in social work. This analysis wold be se%l %or comprehendin# broader cate#orical

imperatives o% 5stice& e7ity and empowerment.

$n this book the theories are not clearly e-plained and relationship o% theories with social

work perspective is not established.