First published in 1973, The Expansion of Social Work in Britain presents an overview of the history of social work to develop an understanding of what modern social work ‘is’ and of what the rapid expansion of social work ‘means’ as a social phenomenon. Divided into three parts, Part I examines the traditions and the forms of social action in the nineteenth century from which social work originated. Part II presents the period following the Second World War and concentrate particularly on the development of family casework in relation to what was sometimes called ‘the problem of the problem family.’ Part III examines the context of the expansion of social work in Britain into the field of community work. This book is an essential read for students of social work and social work professionals.
General Editor’s introduction Introduction Part I: Social Conflict and the Origins of Social Work 1. The philanthropic tradition and the national image 2. Disciplined social action in the nineteenth century 3. The origins of social work as a social movement 4. Social work- movement or profession? Part II: Family Casework and the Welfare State Bureaucracy 5. Social work and the arrival of the welfare state 6. The welfare state and the problem family 7. The development of casework in bureaucratic settings Part III: Social Work, Social Conflict and Bureaucracy 8. The return of the volunteers 9. Implications of the retreat from the welfare state 10. The bureaucratic interest in community work Further Reading Bibliography
Biography
Philip Seed
