Social work has a rich intellectual history that has roots in 19th century German philosophy that emphasized understanding meanings in context, immersion of researchers in social settings they want to understanding, interpretations that are based on descriptions of multiple perspectives, and emancipatory purposes. This slide show places social work in an intellectual history that is unknown to many and vibrant to this day.

1. Qualitative Social
Work
& Social Work’s
Intellectual History
Jane F. Gilgun, Ph.D., LICSW
Professor, School of Social Work
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA
First Annual International Social Work Day
Urbana, IL May 18, 2011

2. Topics
Understanding Experiences in Interactive
Contexts
Immersion
Grounded Interpretations
Emancipatory Purposes

3. Overview
Many intellectual histories
Jane Addams and the Chicago School
American pragmatism
Core social work values
Qualitative research delivers on this heritage

4. Understanding Experiences
in Interactive Contexts
Verstehen
Erlibnis
Reflexivity
Interaction
Multiple perspectives

5. Immersion
Sustained engagement in the field
Sometimes multiple methods
Brings about in-depth
understandings of human
experiences in context
These meanings are laden with
socially constructed meanings that
are subject to careful analysis

6. Grounded Interpretations
Experiences in context are primary
What does this mean?

7. Grounded Interpretations
Experiences in context are primary
What does this mean?
We make sense of this material through
concepts

8. Grounded Interpretations
Experiences in context are primary
We make sense of this material through
concepts
Is this what we do?
Understand
Describe
Interpret
Multiple products

9. Emancipatory Work
Social work innately emancipatory
Origins of social work research were
based on values
Follow principles of credible
research
Considerable variations on how we
advocate

10. Summary & Discussion
Characteristics have a strong
philosophical base
Understanding experiences in
context
Immersion
Researcher interpretations based
on descriptions
Emancipatory goals