Overview
Social workers today not only face competing claims concerning the rights and needs of children and youth, but they also confront contradictions between policy and practice. Social workers are expected to fight for the best interests of the child, even though financial support for children's welfare and education grows scarce. They are asked to save ""children at risk,"" while, at the same time, they are urged to protect communities from ""risky children""; and they are encouraged to ""leave no child behind,"" while also implementing ""zero tolerance"" policies to keep educational environments free from troubled youth. A cutting-edge text that deals directly with the confusion and complexity of modern child welfare, Childhood, Youth, and Social Work in Transformation features contributions from a truly interdisciplinary group of practitioners, scholars, and activists. Examining the theoretical, political, and practical aspects of working with youth today, this volume breaks free from existing modes of thought and strategies of practice and prompts readers to critically reflect on accepted approaches and new possibilities of action. Contributors analyze how economic, political, and cultural changes over the last several decades have reshaped the experiences and representations of children and youth in the United States. They examine conceptions of troubled children and youth in contemporary policies and programs and assess why certain discourses about troubling youth are so compelling to professionals, policymakers, and the public. In conclusion, these skilled professionals explore the reinvention of social work policy and practice, including the need to forge relationships that respect the experiences, rights, and personhood of children and youth.
Full Product Details
Author: Lynn M. Nybell ,
Jeffrey J. Shook ,
Janet L. Finn
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 23.60cm
, Height: 3.60cm
, Length: 16.30cm
Weight: 0.822kg
ISBN: 9780231141406
ISBN 10: 0231141408
Pages: 480
Publication Date: 30 January 2009
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Language: English
Reviews
The topics are refreshingly unique and thought provoking and encourage insight in addressing the challenges that children and youth face today. Choice A welcome addition to the literature and a thoughtful contribution to social work practice. -- Steven Walker British Journal of Social Work
The topics are refreshingly unique and thought provoking and encourage insight in addressing the challenges that children and youth face today. -- Choice A welcome addition to the literature and a thoughtful contribution to social work practice. -- Steven Walker, British Journal of Social Work
Author Information
Lynn M. Nybell is professor of social work at Eastern Michigan University. Jeffrey J. Shook is assistant professor of social work and law at the University of Pittsburgh. Janet L. Finn is professor of social work at the University of Montana. She is the author of three books and serves on the editorial board of Affilia.
