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Knowledge Use in Social Work Practice

Examining its Functional Possibilities

Griffith University, Queensland, Australia

Summary: The enterprise of knowledge utilization in social work practice has to some extent remained elusive. To date, little empirical clarity has been provided that demystifies the ends to which knowledge is put. The reported qualitative study of 10 social workers explored the functional distinctions of knowledge use in practice. The paper offers a number of previously unreported insights into this important topic and, in doing so, offers a level of transparency about practice behaviour that illuminates the nature and shape of direct social work practice.

Findings: The study underscored that knowledge is used for both conceptual and instrumental purposes, with ten primary functions delineated: awareness, prediction, alerting, comparison, generalization, direction of practice behaviour, promoting an attitude and/or ethical stance, education, rapport development and problem solving.

Application: The presented findings offer human service professionals an insight into how practice knowledge is/can be used. Such insight could then be used as a strategy to critically recognize and assess their own knowledge use, determine both its negative and creative potential and assist in the recognition of their own knowledge needs.

Key Words: function • knowledge use • practice • research

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