Social Work Theories 101-
revised Questions and Answers
Updated 2027
EcosystemBPerspectiveB-
BAnswerBTheBinteractionsBofBpeopleBinBtheBsocialBsystem,BandBtheirBenvironment.BUs
efulBforBtheBclientBinBtheBphasesBofBassessmentBandBplanning.
StrengthsBPerspectiveB-
BAnswerBFocusesBonBtheBclientsBstrengths,BthisBperspectiveBpresumesBthatBallBclients
BhaveBstrengths,BevenBwhenBtheBclientsBbehaviourBisBdysfunctional
Ethnic-SensitiveBPerspectiveB-
BAnswerBLookingBatBaBclientsBethnicity,Bculture,Breligion,BandBsocioeconomicBclassBan
dBhowBitBinfluencesBaBclientsBthoughts,BbehavioursBandBvalues,BitBwillBalsoBaffectBho
wBaBpersonBdefinesBaBproblem.
FeministBPerspectiveB-
BAnswerBHeightenedBawarenessBinBtheBpractitionerBinBhowBsocialBbeliefsBandBattitud
esBrelateBtoBsex,Bgender,BandBsexBrolesBmayBshapeBhowBaBclientBviewsBandBexplains
BaBproblemBorBsituationBandBalsoBtheBwaysBthatBaBprofessionalBorBagencyBrespondBt
oBtheirBclients.
BehaviouralBTheoryB-
BAnswerBPresumesBthatBmostBhumanBbehaviourBandBevenBsomeBtypesBofBemotional
BreactionsBareBbestBexplainedBbyBprinciplesBofBlearning.B(lookBinBtextBforBmoreBinfo)
Cognitive-BehaviouralBTheoryB-
BAnswerBIntegratesBsomeBselectedBconceptsBfromBlearningBtheoryB(i.e.BhowBpeopleBi
nterpretBandBassignBmeaningBtoBtheirBexperiencesBandBtheBinterplayBofBthoughts,Bem
otionsBandBbehaviour).
, DialecticalBBehaviouralBTherapyB(DBT)B-
BAnswerBElaboratedBformBofBcognitiveBbehaviourBtherapyB-
BdescribesBtensionBthatBisBbuiltBintoBtheBtherapistsBrelationshipBwithBtheBclientB-
BaBtensionBbetweenBacceptanceBandBpushBforBchange,BbetweenBnurturanceBandBchall
enge.
ExchangeBTheoryB-
BAnswerBMostBpeople,BmostBofBtheBtimeBplaceBtheirBownBneedsBandBdesiresBabove
BthoseBofBotherBpeopleBandBwillBbehaveBinBwaysBthatBmoveBthemBcloserBtoBwhatev
erBtheyBperceiveBtoBbeBofBbenefitBtoBthemselves.
PsychodynamicBTheoryB-
BAnswerBFocusesBmostlyBonBtheBclientsBdeeplyBpersonalBthoughts,Bfeelings,BandBinne
rBconflicts.BItBgivesBattentionBtoBpowerBofBintenseBemotionsBandBfeelingsB(hatred,Bfea
r,Banger,Bguilt,Blust)BandBtheBpsychologicalBturmoilBtheyBcanBcause.
Person-CenteredBTheoryB-
BAnswerBConstructedBaroundBaBveryBpositiveBandBoptimisticBviewBpointBthatBpeopleB
areBbasicallyBgood,BwantingBtoBdoBwhatBisBright,BandBstrivingBtoBdiscoverBandBdevelo
pBtheirBfullBpotential,BitBpresumesBthatBchangeBwillBoccurBwhenBtheBpractitionerBpro
videsBtheBclientBwithBaBrelationshipBthatBisBvalidating,Baccepting,BandBnon-
judgemental.
InteractionalBModelB-
BAnswerBFocusesBonBtheBclientsBinteractionsBwithBothersBandBwithBvariousBsocialBsys
tems.BGivesBprimaryBattentionBtoBtheBclientsBhereBandBnowBexperiencesBandBrealities
.BTheBSocialBWorkerBbecomesB'thirdBforce'BwhoBfunctionsBasBaBmediatorBbetweenBin
dividuals,Bgroups,BandBsystemsBandBseeksBtoBresolveBconflicts.
StructuralBModelB-
BAnswerBTheBbeliefBthatBmostBofBtheBclientBproblemsBaddressedBbyBsocialBworkersBa
reBmanifestationBofBinadequateBsocialBarrangementsBandBinsufficientBresources,Brather
Bthan,BforBexample,BaBmanifestationBofBindividualBpathologiesBorBdeficiencies.
revised Questions and Answers
Updated 2027
EcosystemBPerspectiveB-
BAnswerBTheBinteractionsBofBpeopleBinBtheBsocialBsystem,BandBtheirBenvironment.BUs
efulBforBtheBclientBinBtheBphasesBofBassessmentBandBplanning.
StrengthsBPerspectiveB-
BAnswerBFocusesBonBtheBclientsBstrengths,BthisBperspectiveBpresumesBthatBallBclients
BhaveBstrengths,BevenBwhenBtheBclientsBbehaviourBisBdysfunctional
Ethnic-SensitiveBPerspectiveB-
BAnswerBLookingBatBaBclientsBethnicity,Bculture,Breligion,BandBsocioeconomicBclassBan
dBhowBitBinfluencesBaBclientsBthoughts,BbehavioursBandBvalues,BitBwillBalsoBaffectBho
wBaBpersonBdefinesBaBproblem.
FeministBPerspectiveB-
BAnswerBHeightenedBawarenessBinBtheBpractitionerBinBhowBsocialBbeliefsBandBattitud
esBrelateBtoBsex,Bgender,BandBsexBrolesBmayBshapeBhowBaBclientBviewsBandBexplains
BaBproblemBorBsituationBandBalsoBtheBwaysBthatBaBprofessionalBorBagencyBrespondBt
oBtheirBclients.
BehaviouralBTheoryB-
BAnswerBPresumesBthatBmostBhumanBbehaviourBandBevenBsomeBtypesBofBemotional
BreactionsBareBbestBexplainedBbyBprinciplesBofBlearning.B(lookBinBtextBforBmoreBinfo)
Cognitive-BehaviouralBTheoryB-
BAnswerBIntegratesBsomeBselectedBconceptsBfromBlearningBtheoryB(i.e.BhowBpeopleBi
nterpretBandBassignBmeaningBtoBtheirBexperiencesBandBtheBinterplayBofBthoughts,Bem
otionsBandBbehaviour).
, DialecticalBBehaviouralBTherapyB(DBT)B-
BAnswerBElaboratedBformBofBcognitiveBbehaviourBtherapyB-
BdescribesBtensionBthatBisBbuiltBintoBtheBtherapistsBrelationshipBwithBtheBclientB-
BaBtensionBbetweenBacceptanceBandBpushBforBchange,BbetweenBnurturanceBandBchall
enge.
ExchangeBTheoryB-
BAnswerBMostBpeople,BmostBofBtheBtimeBplaceBtheirBownBneedsBandBdesiresBabove
BthoseBofBotherBpeopleBandBwillBbehaveBinBwaysBthatBmoveBthemBcloserBtoBwhatev
erBtheyBperceiveBtoBbeBofBbenefitBtoBthemselves.
PsychodynamicBTheoryB-
BAnswerBFocusesBmostlyBonBtheBclientsBdeeplyBpersonalBthoughts,Bfeelings,BandBinne
rBconflicts.BItBgivesBattentionBtoBpowerBofBintenseBemotionsBandBfeelingsB(hatred,Bfea
r,Banger,Bguilt,Blust)BandBtheBpsychologicalBturmoilBtheyBcanBcause.
Person-CenteredBTheoryB-
BAnswerBConstructedBaroundBaBveryBpositiveBandBoptimisticBviewBpointBthatBpeopleB
areBbasicallyBgood,BwantingBtoBdoBwhatBisBright,BandBstrivingBtoBdiscoverBandBdevelo
pBtheirBfullBpotential,BitBpresumesBthatBchangeBwillBoccurBwhenBtheBpractitionerBpro
videsBtheBclientBwithBaBrelationshipBthatBisBvalidating,Baccepting,BandBnon-
judgemental.
InteractionalBModelB-
BAnswerBFocusesBonBtheBclientsBinteractionsBwithBothersBandBwithBvariousBsocialBsys
tems.BGivesBprimaryBattentionBtoBtheBclientsBhereBandBnowBexperiencesBandBrealities
.BTheBSocialBWorkerBbecomesB'thirdBforce'BwhoBfunctionsBasBaBmediatorBbetweenBin
dividuals,Bgroups,BandBsystemsBandBseeksBtoBresolveBconflicts.
StructuralBModelB-
BAnswerBTheBbeliefBthatBmostBofBtheBclientBproblemsBaddressedBbyBsocialBworkersBa
reBmanifestationBofBinadequateBsocialBarrangementsBandBinsufficientBresources,Brather
Bthan,BforBexample,BaBmanifestationBofBindividualBpathologiesBorBdeficiencies.