Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare: Empowering People

by Charles Zastrow

Zastrow's INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WELFARE: EMPOWERING PEOPLE, NINTH EDITION looks at today's society with a realistic view of social problems, and gives you a comprehensive overview of the profession. By presenting positive strategies in the context of the core values, ethics, skills and knowledge base of today's professional social worker, Zastrow motivates you to think about new and realistic ways to solve problems and empower clients. Throughout the book, social problems cases, exhibits, and tables help you apply the concepts and compare and contrast the issues. You can study whenever and wherever you want with the latest technology tools: CengageNOW, an assessment-centered tutorial program that is integrated throughout the book, has interactive components including video segments which depict social work practitioners. Thomson iAudio, which features MP3-ready Audio Lecture Overviews for each chapter and a comprehensive audio glossary of key terms for quick study and review, is also available with this edition. Additionally, a free book-specific website is available to help you succeed. No wonder this is the #1 best-selling book in social work!

Genres: Social Work, School

624 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's tough to decide on a rating for this one. The content is, on the whole, relevant and helpful. But there were quite a few flaws, some more egregious than others. For example, Zastrow writes that "using the term homosexual to describe a gay or lesbian individual is offensive and is similar to using the 'n-word' to describe African Americans" (p. 233). Speaking even as a queer white man, i was taken aback to read this. The "n-word" has very deep implications and a history which the word "homosexual" doesn't even come close to rivalling. To compare the two is ridiculous at best and quite possibly extremely offensive. There are other examples: he inexplicably refers to Marxist criminology as "Marxist–Leninist Theory" (AFAIK, Lenin was virtually never spoke/wrote on the topic, much less contributed to it); it's suggested, with no evidence, that the term "Native American" is seen as preferable to "American Indian" by those to whom it is applied (Russell Means and many, many others would beg to differ); and he baselessly asserts that, while men with long hair face discrimination, "hardly anyone" anyone judges a woman with short hair (most short-haired women i've ever known would certainly dispute that.)

i also couldn't stand the formatting of this book. It just felt messy. There would be some "exhibits" which only took up a few lines and others that spanned several pages. But perhaps my biggest peeve would be how frequently he cited other textbooks—usually social work textbooks. i don't recall any other textbooks that relied so heavily on tertiary sources.

i've appreciated the class, and there is certainly useful information in the text, but i am less than impressed.

[Moriah Schoech · Rating 2 out of 5]

The wording in this book is questionable at best. A lot of the context seems to present the author as portraying themselves and other social works above other individuals, specifically people who seek their help. While it does have some very important case studies, I would absolutely take the vast majority of the rest of the book with a grain of salt.

[Selmoore Codfish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zastrow’s book is for the first course in a Social Work program.
Since the book deals with social work, some of the main topics are counseling theories and social welfare programs. In several ways, the author seems conflicted. On the one hand, he heavily emphasizes personal responsibility, but on the other hand he strongly supports social welfare programs. These are often considered opposite positions in political arguments. The author could have taken the opportunity to show how these ideas can be blended for a new concept of responsibility and social action, but he never gets to that point.
Personal responsibility is a conservative catch phrase. The author emphasizes that in counseling it is necessary for the client to commit to changing, because the counselor can’t make them do anything. Likewise, community organizations can’t tell people what they need, but should empower them in making their own decisions. People need to see that they are responsible for making the changes they want.
Social programs, such as welfare, support people with temporary needs. Zastrow supports these programs, but mentions ways that governments have tried to make aid recipients more responsible.
The author presents a poor opinion of counseling with psychiatric-based theories. This is relevant to this text because social workers counsel too. The author promotes the ecological model of psychology. This deals with how society impacts a person’s behavior through interaction with him or her and then causes the person to follow social norms or misbehave in ways we label as mentally ill. The author doesn’t support pill-popping treatment that psychiatrists often provide. Zastrow is correct about the value of talk therapy, but he inappropriately underrates medical treatments.
The author’s emphasis on ecological models of psychology sets up another conflict. By promoting responsibility, but also talking about the effect of the social environment on people, he could have an effective discussion of the free will versus determinism. However, he never brings the ideas together. He supports that society is responsible for a person’s actions (determinism), but also that the individuals are responsible (free will). He could compare them to come up with a balanced theory, but only presents the ideas in ways that are not consistent. These sorts of conflicts appear over and again throughout the text.
Other times, I don’t know whether to take him seriously. For example, he mentions a report about why there are good reasons to have poor people. His writing about this is very odd.
Also, sometimes I felt offended because he generalized things too much. Every reader is not a conformist the norms of society. Therefore, it isn’t appropriate to always say “we” do things a certain way.
The chapters have no list of assignments at the back. The on-line materials don’t have this either. They are not included with the cost of the book, so it is not the main part of this review. However, the on-line materials looked only like flashcards and quizzes. There needs to be questions about applying the reading to new situations.
The book has Critical Thinking Questions mixed throughout the text. Many of the questions ask the reader’s opinion. It is too easy for the reader to skip over them, or just rehash their previous opinions. If the reader took them seriously, they could spur them to investigate more about the topics.
The summaries at the ends of the chapters don’t add anything if the reader has completely read the chapter. It might be more useful if the information was applied to a new situation. Elsewhere the book the book shows other repetitiveness.
I checked several of the references, but unfortunately many citations are from other books rather than the original sources. Some of the data is very old. The data on sexism from more than 20 years before the book edition is probably no longer valid.
At times the book is informative and mentally stimulating, but there are too many problems to give it more than 3 stars.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This textbook was very helpful to introduce me into the different aspects of social work.

[Leobie Alluad]

good.