FIELDWORK PRACTICE IN SOCIAL WORK

Fieldwork Practice in Social Work is a comprehensive anthology that brings together the lived field experiences of emerging social work professionals from across India. The book demonstrates how classroom theories are transformed into meaningful practice when students engage directly with communities, institutions, and social systems. It presents field narratives from diverse settings—including tribal villages, urban slums, hospitals, mental health institutions, schools, community centres, disability organizations, and migrant settlements—revealing both the complexities and the transformative potential of social work practice.
The chapters illustrate the application of core social work methods such as casework, group work, community organization, social action, and social work research. Contributors demonstrate how theoretical frameworks, including the Biopsychosocial Model, Ecological Systems Theory, the Strengths-Based Approach, and Empowerment Theory, inform interventions addressing issues such as substance use among tribal youth, disability inclusion, cancer care, women’s empowerment, child welfare, homelessness, migration, mental health, and school-based challenges.
The book also documents the use of innovative tools and approaches such as Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Community Process Mapping (CPM), skill mapping, grassroots mobilization, and inter-agency collaboration. Through personal reflections, case studies, and practice insights, the contributors highlight both the challenges faced by marginalized communities and the resilience that sustains them. Concluding with the ISWIM Framework, the book serves as a valuable resource for students, educators, practitioners, and researchers.