Feminist social work research engaging with poststructural ideas

Abstract

English This article draws on two empirical studies, one with women who had experienced domestic violence and the other with children and young people in public care. It presents reflections by two feminist social workers on how poststructuralism influenced their research practices in social work. French Cet article fait appel à deux études empiriques; la première auprès de femmes victimes de violence conjugale et la seconde auprès d'enfants et d'adolescents pris en charge par les services sociaux. Il présente les réflexions de deux travailleuses sociales féministes sur la façon dont le poststructuralisme a influencé leurs recherches en travail social. Spanish Este artículo llama la atención sobre dos estudios empíricos, uno con mujeres que tuvieron experiencias de violencia doméstica y el otro con niños y gente joven con cuidados públicos. Presenta reflexiones de dos trabajadoras sociales feministas, sobre cómo el post-estructuralismo ha influenciado sus prácticas de investigación en trabajo social.

Financial abuse of older people: A case study

“…As Stake (1995) encourages, we have selected one case study to maximize what we can learn about financial abuse, that is, to show its complexities, which aids theoretical development in understanding why older people themselves and social care professionals struggle to identify it. Case studies are likely to lead to new understandings and assertions, which support theoretical development because they render the local into something workable (Wendt and Boylan, 2008).…”

Listening to Children in Care: A Review of Methodological and Theoretical Approaches to Understanding Looked after Children’s Perspectives

“…Wendt and Boylan (2008) briefly relate Boylan's empirical work with looked after children to a more general discussion of post-structural feminist theory and social work. But how do studies which primarily report empirical findings frame their work theoretically?…”

“…The commentaries on theory in relation to looked after children, mentioned above, have been in the form of discussion papers rather than application of the theories they are promoting Listening to Children in Care 227 to empirical research. Wendt and Boylan (2008) briefly relate Boylan's empirical work with looked after children to a more general discussion of post-structural feminist theory and social work. But how do studies which primarily report empirical findings frame their work theoretically?…”

Making Sense of the Waves: Wipeout or Still Riding High?

“…The social work variant of postmodern feminism draws heavily from social constructivism seeing women's liberation being achieved through narrative or storytelling whereby a unique feminist identity and culture is created and knowledge is constructed 'locally' in partnership with others (Wendt & Boylan, 2008). Many feminist social workers have moved towards postmodern and poststructural understandings of feminism.…”