Epistemology and Theory in Social Work

Abstract

Research is a publicly accountable activity. As such it contrasts with ‘intuition’, with taken-for-granted assumptions that remain private and implicit, and with ‘common sense’. Practitioners who are research-minded seriously appraise their understandings of the world. They consider how these are shaped through personal experience in specific historical, social and economic contexts. They reflect on the way these understandings relate to their practice. This requires that practitioners are clear and open about the theories they bring into play.