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Practitioners working within the people professions have a legal and moral responsibility to promote equality wherever possible. This insightful book from a leading author provides a lucid guide to the complexities of inequality, and offers a sound foundation for practice that makes a positive contribution to equality, social justice and empowerment. Now in its fourth edition, this highly successful text challenges oversimplified approaches to tackling discrimination and oppression. It combines an impressive blend of theoretical analysis and practice insights, all conveyed in the accessible and engaging style which has earned Neil Thompson his sterling reputation in the field. With a clear exposition of a coherent theory base that does justice to the multi-level and multi-dimensional nature of discrimination, Promoting Equality is essential reading for students and practitioners within the helping professions, and managers and supervisors across the public, private and voluntary sectors.Accompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsburyonlineresources.com/the-effective-social-worker. These resources are designed to support teaching and learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.

Communication is the basis of so much of what happens in the workplace and indeed in our private lives. Without effective communication our lives are so much the poorer and with so many more problems. This book, now in an updated third edition, is therefore an important and valuable resource for anyone where success in their work depends on the quality of their interactions, whether face to face, in writing or electronically.Divided into two parts, the book focuses first on theoretical insights to provide a firm basis of understanding and then on practice issues. Written in Neil Thompson's characteristically clear and accessible style, this important book provides an essential foundation for making sure that we are communicating with one another as effectively as possible.

This gateway text lays the foundations for a thorough knowledge of the theory and methods that social workers need. Pulling together the work of a team of experts, this book uses the innovative “theorizing practice” approach, rather than the traditional “applying theory to practice” approach, thereby providing a much more satisfactory basis for understanding the relationship between theory and practice and making it easier for practitioners to employ theory in practice.Part I sets the scene by examining the relationship between theory and practice, how research can be used to inform practice and the important role of policy and organizational factors. Part II provides 14 chapters, each exploring a different theoretical approach. All in all, this book provides the ideal introduction to using social work theory and methods in practice.

This important textbook is a revised and updated edition of a very well-received and much-appreciated insightful guide to reflective practice designed for students, practitioners and managers of social work, health care and related fields. Its clear and careful integration of both the'thinking and doing'elements of the often challenging task of practising reflectively makes this book an ideal text at all levels of study and practice. Divided into two parts, the book focuses first on theoretical issues to help develop a sound foundation of understanding of critically reflective practice and then on practical guidance on how to make this type of practice a reality.Accompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsburyonlineresources.com/the-effective-social-worker. These resources are designed to support teaching and learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.

The workplace is not immune to the problems, pressures, and challenges presented by experiences of loss and trauma and the grief reactions they produce. This clearly written, well-crafted book offers important insights and understanding to help us appreciate the difficulties involved and prepare ourselves for dealing with such demanding situations when they arise. People's experiences of loss and trauma are, of course, not left at the factory gate or the office door. Nor are loss and traumatic events absent from the workplace itself. Loss, grief, and trauma are very much a part of life - and that includes working life. Executives, managers, human resource professionals, and employee assistance staff need to have at least a basic understanding of how loss, grief, and trauma affect people in the workplace. This book provides that foundation of understanding and offers guidance on how to find out more about these vitally important workplace issues.The text provides a valuable blend of theory and practice that will be of interest to those involved in management, human resources, and organizational studies as well as those interested in the social scientific study of loss, grief, and trauma - and, of course, to those involved in the helping professions. It is essential reading for anyone concerned with making the workplace a more humane and effective environment, or anyone wishing to develop an understanding of the complexities of loss, grief, and trauma in our lives.

Theory and practice are two sides of the same coin: they are inextricably linked. In this second edition of his classic text, Neil Thompson revisits the crucial topic of integrating theory and practice – this time, widening his scope to explore the importance of informed practice not just in social work, but across the full range of human services: from nursing and counselling to youth work, community studies and beyond.Thoroughly revised and updated, the new edition uses detailed explanations, practitioner quotes and engaging practice examples to guide the reader through the process of'theorizing practice'. With his peerless clarity and flair for tackling advanced concepts in an accessible way, Thompson critically discusses the approaches and perspectives of the numerous human services, including postmodernism, morality and organizational culture, and brings particular focus to the role of existentialism in understanding the challenges of contemporary practice.This important new edition provides much-needed food for thought about the complexities of theory and practice, and is sure to provide fresh inspiration to professionals and students alike.

Existentialism and Social Work provides a clearly-expressed and well-argued exposition of Sartrean existentialism as a theory base for social work practice. It introduces the key concepts and themes of the philosophy and relates them to social welfare theory and practice. Existentialism is a valuable means of making sense of many of the complexities, contradictions and dilemmas which social work staff encounter. The book explores the relationship between theory and practice and examines how existentialism can help to bridge the gap. A number of theoretical perspectives are evaluated from an existentialist perspective and links are drawn between Sartre's philosophy and aspects of commonly used theories and methods. But this is not simply a theoretical analysis. Neil Thompson also explores the use of existentialism as a guide to day-to-day practice and draws up a set of Principles for Practice. The ultimate aim is to present existentialism as a concrete philosophy of praxis.

The Handbook of the Sociology of Death, Grief, and Bereavement sets issues of death and dying in a broad and holistic social context. Its three parts explore classical sociology, developments in sociological thought, and the ways that sociological insights can be useful across a broad spectrum of grief-related topics and concerns. Guidance is given in each chapter to help spur readers to examine other topics in thanatology through a sociological lens. Scholars, students, and professionals will come away from the handbook with a nuanced understanding of the social context –cultural differences, power relations, the role of social processes and institutions, and various other sociological factors – that shape grief experiences.

The Handbook of Traumatic Loss adopts a broad, holistic approach that recognizes traumatic loss much more fully as a multidimensional human phenomenon, not simply a medical condition. Initial chapters build a foundation for understanding traumatic loss and explore the many ways we respond to trauma. Later chapters counterbalance the individualistic focus of dominant approaches to traumatic loss by highlighting a number of thought-provoking social dimensions of traumatic loss. Each chapter emphasizes different aspects of traumatic loss and argues for ways in which clinicians can help deal with its many and varied impacts.

Sociology offers fascinating insights into social life that tell us so much about people and society. But what can we do with those insights? How can we put them to good use? That is exactly what this book is all about. It explores the practical value of sociology, how sociological understanding can be of help in a variety of settings.Neil Thompson's wealth of experience in using sociology in practice comes shining through in this clearly written and accessible text that succeeds in conveying complex ideas without oversimplifying them. Key concepts are explained and clear links are drawn with how the ideas can be used to inform professional practice and cast light on a wide range of situations across all sectors of working life, and in our personal lives too.So, whether you are involved in the helping professions or any other occupation where success depends on having a good understanding of people; a student of sociology wanting to put your learning into practice; or simply interested in how sociology can help address social issues, this book offers a solid foundation of understanding. It is an ideal text for anyone seeking to use sociological ideas to make a positive difference.

Modern society is beset by a vast range of problems – such as poverty, homelessness and terrorism – that cause immense suffering for a significant number of people. These social problems both reflect and contribute to wider inequalities; consequently, in order to develop a true understanding of them, we must consider the social injustices with which they are inextricably linked.In this ground-breaking text, Neil Thompson turns his attention to the range of complex issues relating to social problems and social justice, and the relationship between them. With the help of engaging features that have become synonymous with his books, Thompson provides a clear exploration of some key social problems currently challenging us, analysis of the connection between social problems and social justice, and a review of how social policy initiatives to tackle these issues have fared to date.Innovative and absorbing, Social Problems and Social Justice is essential reading for students and practitioners across a wide range of social science disciplines and the social professions.