Human behaviour in social work

328 Pages·2008·6.768 MB·English

by  Parrish, Margarete

Social Work Perspectives
Social Work Perspectives
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on Human Behaviour
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i on Human Behaviour
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The capacity to observe, interpret and understand human behaviour is vital for
effective social work practice. By choosing to enter a profession that requires high o
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levels of astute observation and listening skills in the interpretation of people's k
behaviour, social work students have undertaken a demanding task.
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Using a bio-psychosocial framework, this fascinating book provides a wide basis of r
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perspectives on human behaviour on which to build understanding of and p
responses to people’s behaviours, along with an enhanced appreciation of some e
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of the circumstances that shape behaviour.
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Margarete Parrishcovers the key theories of human growth and development in
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the context of social relationships, providing a frame of reference from which to s
explore various aspects of human behaviour. This is particularly relevant to o
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students' preparedness to practice social work with complex populations,
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addressing factors such as:
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(cid:129) Attachment (cid:129) Diversity m
(cid:129) Developmental status (cid:129) Trauma a
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(cid:129) Context (cid:129) Oppression
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By drawing from biological, psychological and sociological perspectives, the book e
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aims to provide social work students with a theoretically informed basis to
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observe, understand, and interpret people's behaviours in ways that will v
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contribute to excellent practice. o
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The book includes exercises, discussion questions and chapter summary points to r
help the reader further develop their understanding.
Social Work Perspectives on Human Behaviouris key reading for all social work
students.
P
Margarete Parrishis Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of
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Gloucestershire, UK. She has over twenty years experience of teaching social R
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work, both in the US and the UK.
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S
H
M P
ARGARETE ARRISH
Cover design Hybert Design (cid:129)www.hybertdesign.com
www.openup.co.uk
Social work
perspectives on
human behaviour

Social work
perspectives on
human behaviour
Margarete Parrish
Open University Press
McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill House
Shoppenhangers Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
England
SL6 2QL
email: [email protected]
world wide web: www.openup.co.uk
and Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121-2289, USA
First published 2010
Copyright © Margarete Parrish 2010
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of
criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the publisher or a licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency
Limited. Details of such licences (for reprographic reproduction) may be obtained
from the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd of Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street,
London EC1N 8TS.
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
ISBN-13: 978-0-33-522367-1 (pb) 978-0-33-522365-7 (hb)
ISBN-10: 0335223672 (pb) 0335223656 (hb)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
CIP data applied for
Typeset by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk
Printed in the UK by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow
Fictitious names of companies, products, people, characters and/or data that may be used
herein (in case studies or in examples) are not intended to represent any real individual,
company, product or event.
Contents
List of figures xi
List of tables xiii
Acknowledgements xv
Introduction 1
What is behaviour? 1
Relevance for social work 1
A bio-psychosocial perspective 2
Overview of the book 3
Organization of the book 3
1 The role played by theory in understanding behaviour 4
Theories’ relevance for social work 4
Necessary components of a theory 7
The functions of theory 8
Implications for practice 9
Criticisms of a theoretical framework to inform practice 12
Questions 12
PART I
Biological Dimensions of Human Behaviour 13
2 Biological and medical influences on behaviour 15
Relevance for social work 15
The bio-psychosocial model 16
The medical model of understanding illness, disease and disability 18
Some basic genetic concepts 18
A bio-psychosocial approach to illness, disease and disability 23
The strengths perspective 24
Variables related to stress 26
The diathesis–stress model 26
Criticisms and shortcomings of the medical model 27
Overview of some specific conditions with which social workers are likely
to need familiarity 28
Questions 29
vi CONTENTS
3 Developmental models and considerations 30
Relevance for social work 30
Ante-natal factors 31
Pregnancy 31
The foetal period 33
Prematurity 34
Birth weight 34
Newborns 35
Post-natal depression 35
Infancy 36
Failure to thrive 38
Temperament 38
Fears 39
Toddlers 39
Early childhood 40
Middle childhood 41
Adolescence 42
Sexual orientation 44
Young adulthood 46
Middle and late adulthood 46
Implications for practice 47
Questions 47
PART II
Psychological Dimensions of Human Behaviour 49
4 Freud’s psychoanalytic and Erikson’s developmental
theories of behaviour 51
Relevance for social work 51
Freud’s historical background 52
Key psychoanalytic concepts 52
Freud’s topographical concept of the mind 55
Freud’s structural concept 56
Defence mechanisms 57
The developmental constructs of Sigmund Freud 58
Freud’s psychosexual stages 59
Erikson’s historical background 62
Key concepts of Erikson’s psychosocial theory: the life cycle 63
Erikson’s life stages of development 64
Criticisms and debates regarding psychoanalytic and
Eriksonian perspectives 71
Implications for practice 72
Questions 73
CONTENTS vii
5 Neo-Freudian or ego psychology perspectives 76
Relevance for social work 76
Historical background 77
Key concepts 77
Object relations theory 82
Transactional analysis 83
Historical contributors 83
Implications for practice 94
Criticisms and debates regarding ego psychology and
neo-Freudian perspectives 95
Questions 97
6 Behaviourism 98
Relevance for social work 98
Historical background 99
Key concepts 102
Classical conditioning 103
Operant conditioning 104
Implications for practice 106
Criticisms and debates about behaviourism 107
Questions 107
7 Cognition and theories of learning 110
Relevance for social work 110
Historical background 111
Key concepts of cognition and learning 113
Bandura and the learning of aggression 121
Bandura and self-efficacy 122
Learned helplessness theory 122
Role theory 123
Attribution theory 124
Some basic ideas about intelligence 126
Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences 126
A widening cognitive-behavioural perspective 128
Implications for practice 130
Criticisms and shortcomings of cognitive models 131
Questions 132
8 Humanist and existentialist perspectives on behaviour 134
Relevance for social work 134
Historical background of humanism 135
Key concepts of humanism 136
Historical contributors to existentialism 141
Key concepts of existentialism 143
Implications for practice 145
viii CONTENTS
Criticisms and debates regarding humanism and existentialism 147
Questions 148
9 Influences of trauma on behaviour 150
Relevance for social work 150
Key concepts related to child maltreatment 151
Domestic violence 157
Sexual assault (rape) 160
Traumatic bereavement 162
Implications for practice 163
Questions 167
10 Influences of mental health, alcohol, and other drugs
on behaviour 170
Relevance for social work 170
Historical considerations 172
Key concepts regarding mental health 174
Specific types of mental health conditions 177
Suicide 191
Substance misuse and dependence 192
Implications for practice 196
Questions 199
PART III
Social Dimensions of Behaviour 201
11 Systems theory, ecosystems and personal-cultural-social
(PCS) perspectives 203
Relevance for social work 203
Historical contributors to systems theory and
ecosystems perspectives 204
Key concepts of systems theory 206
Key concepts of ecosystems 209
Key PCS concepts 211
Implications for practice 214
Criticisms and shortcomings of systems, ecosystems and PCS
perspectives 216
Questions 217
12 Families and family systems 220
Relevance for social work 220
Historic contributions to social work perspectives on working
with families 221
Key concepts about families, family functions, and family systems 223
Family systems 225
CONTENTS ix
Communication 227
Reciprocity, relationships and roles 228
Changing family demographic patterns 232
Divorce and family disruption 232
Lone parenting 235
‘Blended’ families 236
Fostering and adoptive families 236
Diverse family forms 239
Families with alcohol- and drug-related problems 240
Bereavement 241
Genograms 243
Implications for practice 244
Criticisms and shortcomings of family theory 247
Questions 248
13 Feminist perspectives on behaviour 250
Relevance for social work 250
Historical background 251
Key concepts of feminism 253
Women and poverty 254
Feminism and the family 255
Women and crime 256
Women and domestic violence 257
Feminism and mental health concerns 259
Feminist perspectives on sexual violence 259
Feminist approaches to practice 260
Criticisms and shortcomings of feminist perspectives 261
Questions 262
14 Theories of sociological and socio-economic influences
on behaviour 264
Relevance for social work 264
Historical background 265
Key concepts 267
The distribution of resources 270
The role of poverty related to access to resources 271
Criticisms and shortcomings of Marxist theory 272
Implications for practice 273
Questions 273
Bibliography 275
Index 297