Social Constructionism: A Unifying Metaperspective For Social Work
by J. Christopher Hall
University of Louisville, Kent School of Social Work
August, 2005

The shift of social work training programs from the practicing agency to the academic institution in the early part of the 20th century created defining shock waves within the profession that still resonates today. This move created both a physical and theoretical fissure between what is taught in the academy and what is practiced in the field. This dissertation focuses on those academics, practitioners, and acedemic/practitioners who seek to build a unifying bridge between the academy and parctice with social constructionism as the foundation. It explores, through qualitative interviews and analyses, what 13 leading social constructionist scholars and practitioners believe social work practice education should entail and how education from a social constructionist framework might influence the field and the client-social worker relationship.
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