Conceptualizing a Social Work Issue From Critical Theory or Feminist Theory

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As a doctoral student, you are learning to become a scholar-practitioner, but what does this mean? At Walden University, the scholar-practitioner moves from being a “consumer of knowledge” to an “agent of change.” Part of this journey of learning involves obtaining the skills in establishing your voice. As your voice develops, you will disseminate and translate your research knowledge into practical solutions to implement in the field of social work. You will find many vehicles to express this “voice”; one is to present at community, local, and national workshops and conferences.

Let’s assume that you will be presenting in your local community about one of the following topics: crime, cultural competency, trauma, or organizational leadership. You will also be conceptualizing the topic from either critical theory or feminist theory. In this Assignment, you simulate your community presentation by creating a PowerPoint presentation and delivering the presentation using Kaltura.

To prepare:

  • Review the following article from the Learning Resources: “Critical Theory as a Framework for Child Welfare Decision-Making: Some Possibilities” in the Journal of Public Child Welfare.
  • Review the website and guides for developing PowerPoint skills listed in the Learning Resources.
  • Select from one of the following social work topics or problems: crime, cultural competency, trauma, or organizational leadership.
  • Select either critical theory or feminist theory as the epistemological paradigm to conceptualize your chosen topic.

 

Submit a Kaltura video that is no longer than 4–5 minutes in which you present a PowerPoint that consists of 8–10 slides. Submit your PowerPoint file separately as well. Your presentation should address the following:

  • Identify the topic or problem selected and provide a brief overview using peer-reviewed literature.
  • Analyze the ontological, axiological, and methodological assumptions of critical theory or feminist theory for the selected topic or problem.
  • Analyze the issue of power relative to your topic or problem within the social work practice context from the perspective of critical theory or feminist theory.
  • Describe engaging or partnering with clients, families, communities, or organizations within the context of your selected topic or problem from the perspective of critical theory or feminist theory.
  • Provide one recommendation for how you could be an agent of social change in the field of social work on the topic you selected by wearing a critical theory or feminist theory lens.
  • Explain to what extent viewing the topic or problem from a critical theory or feminist theory alters your initial conceptualization of the topic or problem.

For the PowerPoint presentation, be sure to:

  • Use literature to support your claims.
  • Use APA formatting and style.
  • Include a reference list on the last slide.