Deck 2: Social Work Theories

Question 1

In social work, theory provides ________.

A) an explanatory framework
B) a way of organizing practice
C) a relatively clear direction and structure for intervention
D) a way of seeing
E) all of the above

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Developing an expertise in a theoretical approach and applying it consistently is known as a(n) ________.

A) eclectic approach
B) purist approach
C) strength-based approach
D) cognitive approach
E) structural approach

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Choosing a pertinent theory involves critically thinking about ________.

A) the aim of practice and the practice context
B) the perceived merits and conceptual rigour of a particular theory
C) one's own intellectual and theoretical inclination
D) both A and B
E) all of the above

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Until recently, the vast majority of well-known authors of social theories belonged to the ________ group.

A) white males
B) indigenous people
C) white females
D) males from the Global South
E) people of colour

Question 5

When examining theoretical perspectives, it is vital to ask the following question(s): ________.

A) Are these theories created with multiple contexts and cultures in mind?
B) What are the implications for practice?
C) What is the popularity of the theory?
D) both A and B
E) all of the above

Question 6

Ecosystem theories are ________.

A) focused on the environment
B) no longer used in social work practice
C) one of the most influential sets of ideas to shape social work practice
D) used only to explain biological processes
E) none of the above

Question 7

Onion-peeling theories describe theories like ________.

A) psychodynamic theory
B) behavioural theory
C) story-telling theory
D) feminist theory
E) both A and B

Question 8

Ecosystem theories include ________.

A) onion-peeling theory
B) faulty-engine theory
C) story-telling theory
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 9

Ecosystem theories ________.

A) study reciprocal relationships among individuals
B) examine mutually influencing factors in the environment
C) seek holistic change by examining interacting components
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 10

Mary Richmond's early text Social Diagnosis is today recognized as a(n) ________.

A) onion-peeling theory
B) systems approach
C) guide to modern social work
D) psychiatric manual
E) explanation of society

Question 11

________ sees all organisms as systems, composed of subsystems, and in turn part of super systems.

A) General systems theory
B) Multiple systems theory
C) Attachment theory
D) Social work theory
E) Post-modern theory

Question 12

Individuals both affect and are affected by ________ systems.

A) satellite
B) solar
C) family
D) behavioural
E) circulatory

Question 13

According to Uri Bronfenbrenner, ________ must be considered in order to understand human development.

A) the microsystem
B) the mesosystem
C) the exosystem
D) the macrosystem
E) all of the above

Question 14

Ecosystem theories help identify ________.

A) interacting risks
B) protective factors
C) faulty thinking
D) both A and B
E) all of the above

Question 15

In psychodynamic theory, the id represents the ________.

A) conscience
B) internalization of values and norms of society
C) reality principle
D) powerful forces of drives, instincts, and desires
E) control over drives and desires

Question 16

Sigmund Freud identified ________ stage(s) through which humans move as they age.

A) the oral
B) the anal
C) the phallic
D) the latency
E) all of the above

Question 17

________ developed a theory of how seeking attachment to others is a basic drive.

A) Carl Rogers
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Ludwig von Bertalanffy
D) John Bowlby
E) Charles Darwin

Question 18

Theories of attachment focus on ________.

A) client self-determination
B) early childhood development
C) sex-role stereotypes
D) inner drives
E) cognitions

Question 19

Carl Rogers developed the ________ approach.

A) psychodynamic
B) feminist
C) person-centred
D) cognitive-behavioural
E) structural

Question 20

Person-centred approaches focus on ________.

A) putting the client at the centre of practice
B) notions of dignity and respect
C) client self-determination
D) a non-directive relationship with the client
E) all of the above

Question 21

Counter-transference refers to ________.

A) translocation of past experiences to the present without conscious awareness
B) therapist's emotional reaction to a client
C) client's emotional reaction to a therapist
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 22

________ demonstrate(s) the powerful and longstanding influence of psychodynamic theories.

A) Freudian slip
B) Oedipus complex
C) separation anxiety
D) both A and B
E) all of the above

Question 23

________ theories tend to be structured and directive.

A) Onion-peeling
B) Mountain-moving
C) Faulty-engine
D) Feminist
E) Ecosystem

Question 24

Behaviour therapy aims to ________.

A) help individuals work through unhelpful patterns of relating
B) alter an individual's maladaptive reactions to a stimulus
C) help individuals develop innovative supports through systems and networks
D) both A and B
E) all of the above

Question 25

Behavioural approaches emerged from the work of ________.

A) B.F. Skinner
B) Sigmund Freud
C) John Bowlby
D) Carl Rogers
E) Michel Foucault

Question 26

Behaviour therapy alters human behaviour using ________ methods.

A) rewards
B) biofeedback
C) reinforcement
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 27

Cognitive-behavioural theories assume that ________.

A) thinking mediates emotions and behaviours
B) faulty thinking leads to psychological distress and dysfunction
C) altering distorted thinking and behaviour reduces stress and dysfunction
D) both A and B
E) all of the above

Question 28

Homework assignments and practice skills are common in ________.

A) the psychodynamic approach
B) the cognitive-behavioural approach
C) the person-centred approach
D) both A and B
E) none of the above

Question 29

Critique(s) of faulty-engine theories state that ________.

A) they are highly individualistic in focus
B) they do not address importance of therapeutic relationship
C) the theory is lacking evidence
D) both A and B
E) all of the above

Question 30

________ argued that language and discourses are not neutral.

A) B.F. Skinner
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Max Weber
D) Michel Foucault
E) Mary Richmond

Question 31

________ have been influential in the development of storytelling theories.

A) Social constructionist theories
B) Psychodynamic theories
C) Feminist theories
D) Behavioural theories
E) Mountain-moving theories

Question 32

Anti-oppressive social work practice falls under ________ core themes.

A) five
B) eight
C) ten
D) twelve
E) fifteen

Question 33

________ focus practice on participatory and/or revolutionary consciousness-raising and political action.

A) Mountain-moving theories
B) Storytelling theories
C) Faulty-engine theories
D) Onion-peeling theories
E) Ecosystem theories

Question 34

Historically, ________ reinforced the importance of equality and laid the groundwork for equal opportunity.

A) socialist feminists
B) post-modern feminists
C) Marxist feminists
D) radical feminists
E) liberal feminists

Question 35

________ were early users of the term "patriarchy."

A) Post-modern feminists
B) Radical feminists
C) Marxist feminists
D) Black feminists
E) Socialist feminists

Question 36

________ highlighted the distribution of power as a critical component of women's oppression.

A) Black feminists
B) Liberal feminists
C) Marxist feminists
D) Socialist feminists
E) Post-modern feminists

Question 37

The goal of anti-oppressive social work practice is ________.

A) to acknowledge the existence of oppression
B) to fight for change
C) to understand the complex nature of identities
D) both A and B
E) all of the above

Question 38

From an anti-oppressive practice perspective, labelling is considered ________.

A) destructive
B) desirable
C) disrespectful
D) aggressive
E) all of the above

Question 39

________ is/are examples of how colonial practices have impacted Indigenous communities.

A) Residential schools
B) The Sixties Scoop
C) Overrepresentation of Indigenous children in child welfare systems
D) both A and B
E) all of the above

Question 40

An Indigenous approach to social work requires a broad, grounded, contextual understanding of ________.

A) Indigenous land treaties
B) Indigenous health problems
C) residential schools
D) Indigenous peoples in their totality
E) Indigenous culture

Question 41

Structural social work focuses on the impact of ________ social structures.

A) family
B) community
C) bureaucracy
D) both B and C
E) all of the above

Question 42

Structural social work focuses on the ________ practice strategy.

A) normalization
B) dialogical relations
C) person in their environment
D) both A and B
E) all of the above

Question 43

The overall contribution of mountain-moving theories is ________.

A) to help people understand what prevents them from moving forward
B) to shift the focus of practice attention
C) to explore how stories can be reinterpreted
D) to consider interactions between people and their physical environment
E) to change some of the often apolitical and oppressive practices in social work

Question 44

According to Lester Parrott, two important elements of empowerment are ________.

A) power and control
B) power and self-actualization
C) partnership and control
D) partnership and power
E) control and self-actualization

Question 45

Working collaboratively with clients requires ________.

A) involving them in the assessment process
B) ensuring transparency
C) seeking out their views
D) involving them in decision making
E) all of the above

Question 46

The purpose of reflexive practice is ________.

A) to allow social workers to reflect on how power relations shape interactions with clients
B) to help to assure critical engagement with the theory/practice dialectic
C) to help develop good clinical reflexes
D) to mirror what clients are experiencing
E) both A and B

Question 47

Trauma-informed practice approaches consider the impact of ________.

A) the present on the future
B) the past on the present
C) the future
D) the present
E) both A and B

Question 48

Trauma is defined as ________.

A) an irrational underlying fear despite normal functioning on the surface layer
B) inability to move forward and forget or repress early childhood experiences
C) an exposure to an extraordinary experience that presents a physical or psychological threat to oneself or others and generates a reaction of helplessness or fear
D) none of the above
E) all of the above

Question 49

Which is NOT a key principle of trauma-informed social work?

A) safety
B) trust
C) collaboration
D) empowerment
E) none of the above

Question 50

Storytelling approaches are applicable at the ________.

A) individual level
B) organizational level
C) collective level
D) global level
E) both A and B

Question 51

Narrative therapy focuses on ________.

A) how stories can be "re-authored" to enable more positive life outcomes
B) how clients can share their stories with others
C) how to structure life stories coherently
D) improving narrative expertise
E) all of the above

Question 52

The use of ________ is critical in solution-focused therapy.

A) problem-solving
B) positive talk
C) self-care
D) language
E) reflexivity

Question 53

Which is NOT a technique of solution-focused therapy?

A) amplify strengths by expressing curiosity and interest when examples of resilience are expressed
B) seek exceptions by asking clients about times when a problem could have been present but was not
C) explore coping strategies by asking what individuals and families are doing to survive the painful or stressful circumstances they are finding themselves in
D) measure the success of attempted solutions
E) none of the above

Question 54

Critical race theory emerged in the context of ________.

A) globalization
B) the civil rights movement
C) WWII
D) the refugee crisis
E) both A and B

Question 55

Critical race theory aims to deconstruct the complex relationship between race and ________.

A) power
B) feminism
C) social structures
D) systems of oppression
E) none of the above

Question 56

Razack and Jeffery suggest ________ basic tenets of critical race theory and their importance to social work education.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 3
D) 9
E) 6

Question 57

Intersectionality recognizes ________.

A) the multiple systems of inequality
B) the many ways there can be further points of distinction within groups
C) the many ways there can be further points of distinction between groups
D) the power of social location
E) both A and B

Question 58

According to Brian Sheldon (1995), humans regularly avoid theorizing.

Question 59

Jargon can be used to confuse, exclude, or denigrate others.

Question 60

Choosing a theoretical perspective must be accompanied by a process of reflection and critical thinking.

Question 61

The theorist's own worldview should not shape or influence the content, direction, or development of social work theory.

Question 62

During the Enlightenment era, theorists would use purely scientific explanations to explain social problems.

Question 63

Social conditions, culture, geography, and economics all influence social work theory.

Question 64

Ecosystem theories of social work are one of the most influential ideas to shape social work practice.

Question 65

Onion-peeling theories of social work describe theories like behaviourism and cognitive-behaviourism.

Question 66

Onion-peeling theories, faulty-engine theories, storytelling theories, and mountain-moving theories are all examples of ecosystem theories.

Question 67

Biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy's early text Social Diagnosis provided one of the first analyses of social work practice.

Question 68

Healthy systems are not static but dynamic and in a constant state of flux.

Question 69

Faulty-engine theories of social work focus on the interactions between people and their environment.

Question 70

Onion-peeling theories of social work view the human experience as a complex layering of experiences that influences our lives.

Question 71

Mountain-moving theories of social work include psychodynamic theories and person-centred approaches.

Question 72

Contemporary Freudian thinking focuses on safety and security as primary drives.

Question 73

Both psychodynamic and person-centred approaches to social work put the client at the centre of the practice and focus on client self-determination.

Question 74

Carl Rogers believed in developing genuine relationships with clients where the practitioner and the client could together examine the client's past.

Question 75

Counter-transference refers to a therapist's emotional reaction to a client, whether conscious or unconscious.

Question 76

Mountain-moving theories focus on behavioural and cognitive-behavioural approaches.

Question 77

Psychodynamic theory has a strong evidence base to support its overall effectiveness.

Question 78

Social constructionist theories, cultural influences, and the work of Michel Foucault have been influential in the development of storytelling theories.

Question 79

Strength-based social work is grounded in the belief that people have inherent strengths, are motivated toward well-being, and have the capacity to find innovative solutions.

Question 80

A strength of storytelling theories of social work is that social workers drive the intervention and direct the "re-storying" process.