Lena Dominelli, Social Work: Theory and Practice for a Changing Profession.

Lena Dominelli, Social Work: Theory and Practice for a Changing Profession. Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2004. $69.95 hardcover.

Dominelli's latest work belongs in the league of prior work by Jim Ife, Jan Fook and Karen Healy, all of whom attempt to help the reader understand the changing context of social work practice in a globalised world by offering a critical perspective on the profession. Drawing heavily from the British experience, Dominelli attempts to enables us to understand the contemporary context of social work practice so that we are fully conversant with the all too familiar changes we encounter on a daily basis. She wants to enable practitioners to meet these challenges and to oppose structural inequalities and oppression. In chapter 2 she examines the context of these challenges and in chapter 3, discusses the values underlying social work before going on in chapter 4 to focus on contradictory relations within families. In chapter 5 she examines older people's plight and in chapter 6, that of offenders. She then turns her attention to the potential of community work and considers new directions that social work might take to enhance interdependence, reciprocity, citizenship, and social justice. Her concluding chapter examines social work as a force for change at an individual and structural level.

Although there is much of interest in this book, one scarcely can hardly believe after reading this book that there is any hope for social work in the harsh cruel world of 'workfare' which Dominelli paints. Domenelli argues that 'Social work is a troubled and troubling profession'. So begins her deficits approach to social work that could be more aptly named Social Work: Theory and Practice for a Dying Profession. The notion of anti-oppressive practice theory is turned inwards on the profession itself: social work is now marginalised, excluded and oppressed. It has become the victim of Taylorisation, Fordism, managerialism, and globalisation, and it has been reduced to routinized, technocratic and bureaucratic tasks where evidence and competency-based practice and risk assessments are the order of the day irrespective of whether or not they improve the lot of clients. Dominelli, clearly disillusioned by British social work, harkens back to 'happier days' when 'Father Biesteck' handed down the values tablets. Elsewhere she gives the impression that the grass is greener on the other side. She cites Southern Africa as an example where social workers are said to have made a major impact on local communities and reconstruction development programs. However, the Reconstruction and Development Program in South Africa scarcely lasted beyond two years of the democratic transition and no-one is free to do anything in Zimbabwe right now, let alone social workers. Furthermore, just as social work is giving way to social care in Britain so too has it given way to social development in South Africa. How can a profession which 'endorsed the rule of white middle-class elites' through 'gendered, classist, homophobic, disablist and racist orientations' ever have a future in a new social order?

Dominelli believes that social work is ailing everywhere. Social workers in Britain are leaving the profession in droves, and are being imported from other countries. What can we conclude about international social work if British social work is more attractive than social work in other parts of the world given Dominelli's critique of her home turf? With her sociological background, Dominelli is armed with the intellectual tools needed to mount her critique and no-one does this as well as she does. She is adept at pointing out what's wrong with the system and from her analysis there is not much right with it.

I would keep this book away from eager beginners in social work who come in with the full flush of optimistism, excitement, wanting to help people, and ready to change the world. It is a book for the more jaded among us and it will certainly have a strong following for there are many in social work who share Dominelli's perspective. My view is far more optimistic for I believe that no profession is more resourceful and skilled at double-guessing the system than social work.

I honestly wonder why anyone would want to be a social worker when it is approached so pessimistically from a critical perspective. Theory is an intellectual tool. It is not the reality. Dominelli makes it a big stick with which to beat ourselves. I can't stand the pain so on with my rose-tinted spectacles--the world of social work looks bright. Always remember when the going gets tough, the tough get going!

Mel Gray

The University of Newcastle, Australia