Performing social work : an ethnographic study of talk and text in a metropolitan social services department
The central theme of this ethnographic study is captured in the word play in the title. It is, essentially, an analysis of the social work in social work. With a primary focus on the collegial discourse taking place between 'child care' social workers and managers in a social services department in the North West of England, I have undertaken an analysis of naturally occurring talk, interview data, formal policy and procedure, and written records of action taken (case files and minutes) and action to be taken (e.g. court reports, strategic planning documents). My analytic focus has been upon on the routines and linguistic practices through which 'caseness' is accomplished. I argue that, although professional accounts are artfully produced against certain (situated) background expectancies, the 'materials' invoked in such accounts are not entirely local phenomena. That is to say, competent accounts are both locally accomplished and contingent upon available vocabularies. In a search for analytic adequacy, I have drawn particularly upon the temporal and rhetorical 'turns' in the human sciences. Using an unashamedly eclectic approach, I argue that 'imported' materials, such as bureaucratic time, remain malleable
White, Susan J. Baldwin
Health and Wellbeing
Performing social work : an ethnographic study of talk and text in a metropolitan social services department. The central theme of this ethnographic study is captured in the word play in the title. It is, essentially, an analysis of the social work in social work. With a primary focus on the collegial discourse taking place between 'child care' social workers and managers in a social services department in the North West of England, I have undertaken an analysis of naturally occurring talk, interview data, formal policy and procedure, and written records of action taken (case files and minutes) and action to be taken (e.g. court reports, strategic planning documents). My analytic focus has been upon on the routines and linguistic practices through which 'caseness' is accomplished. I argue that, although professional accounts are artfully produced against certain (situated) background expectancies, the 'materials' invoked in such accounts are not entirely local phenomena. That is to say, competent accounts are both locally accomplished and contingent upon available vocabularies. In a search for analytic adequacy, I have drawn particularly upon the temporal and rhetorical 'turns' in the human sciences. Using an unashamedly eclectic approach, I argue that 'imported' materials, such as bureaucratic time, remain malleable
social work ethnographic_study talk text metropolitan social services department central_theme ethnographic_study capture word play title essentially analysis social work social work primary_focus discourse take_place child care social worker manager social_service department north_west_england undertaken analysis naturally_occur talk interview_data formal policy procedure write_record action take case file minute action take court report strategic planning document analytic focus_upon routine linguistic practice argue_although professional account produce certain situate background expectancy materials invoked account entirely local phenomenon say competent account locally accomplish contingent upon available vocabulary search analytic adequacy draw particularly upon temporal rhetorical turns human science using eclectic argue imported material bureaucratic time remain