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Thoughts on the Use of Knowledge in Social Work Practice

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, cnaan{at}sp2.upenn.edu

Melissa E. Dichter

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

The quest for making social work a discipline based entirely on empirical research findings is not new. In this article, the authors briefly review the field of social work in the United States during the past 100 years and discuss how the quest for the status of a profession forced the emphasis on empirical research. However, the authors claim that now and in the past, social work is a most complex field and that many of its basic ingredients are inherently difficult to study. They conclude this article, with a call for social work to continue stressing the "science" side by enhancing careful evidence-based practice, does not hamper the field from evolving and from practitioners using the "art" side of social care.

Key Words: social work history • profession • evidence-based practice • scientific knowledge

This version was published on July 1, 2008

Research on Social Work Practice, Vol. 18, No. 4, 278-284 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1049731506296165


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