Language Practices in Social Work Categorisation and Accountability in Child Welfare

Analysis of language and discourse in social sciences has become increasingly popular over the past thirty years. Only very recently has it been applied to the study of social work, despite the fact that communication and language are central to social work practice.
"Language Practices in Social Work" looks at how social workers, their clients and other professionals categorize and manage the problems of social work in ways which are rendered understandable, accountable and which justify professional intervention. Features include:
- studies of key practice areas in social work, such as interviews, case conferences, media
- analysis of the language and construction used in typical case studies of everyday social work practice
- exploration of the ways in which professionals can examine their own practice and uncover the discursive, narrative and rhetorical methods that they use
The purpose of this engaging study is to increase awareness of language and discourse in order to help develop better practice in social work. It is essential reading for social workers and will contribute valuable studies to discourse analysts in broader areas of social science.

1. Introduction 2. Categorisation and Accountability in Professional Texts and Talk 3. Collegial Communication in Policy Review Interviews 4. Inter-professional Decision-making in a Case Conference 5. Negotiating Roles in a Home Visit 6. Reporting Events in Case Notes 7. The Client’s Account of a Social Work Intervention 8. Justifying Action in a Public Inquiry 9. Narrative Transformation in Media Reporting 10. Conclusion

Christopher Hall is Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Applied Childhood Studies, University of Huddersfield, UK. Stef Slembrouck is Professor of English Linguistics and Discourse Analysis, University of Ghent, Belgium. Srikant Sarangi is Professor of Language and Communication, and Director of the Health Communication Research Centre, Cardiff University, UK.