Preface

I have been fortunate during my career to know many bright, interesting people. Building relationships and engaging in conversations with these folks has enriched my personal and professional life and has been a continual source of ideas and inspiration. About 10 years ago, one of those people (Dennis Saleebey) and I decided to make sure that we (and others) would have the opportunity to continue these conversations on a regular basis. We instituted a small, annual gathering in Vermont where participants could take part in two and a half days of dialogue about social construction and other “postmodern” perspectives (see Witkin and Saleebey, 2007, for additional information). As we hoped, these gatherings have generated many stimulating conversations and connections with interesting people from all over the world. Some of them constitute the contributors to this book: social work scholars-practitioners for whom social constructionist ideas have informed and enhanced their practice.

Anyone who has published an edited book knows that it is a collaborative enterprise. The current text is no exception. Coordinating the efforts of 11 talented authors from six countries requires mutual patience, flexibility, and conscientiousness. I was fortunate in working with a group who exemplified these qualities. Therefore, my first acknowledgement and note of thanks goes to them. Their ability to translate social constructionist ideas into creative practices and to express those translations in ways that are accessible to readers gives this book its potential to contribute to the corpus of knowledge about social work practice.

In addition to the chapter authors, there are many others, past and present, whose intellectual curiosity, perspicacity, wisdom, friendship, enthusiasm, and support have contributed to my ability to conceptualize and carry out this project. Without diminishing the contributions of those not mentioned, I want to particularly acknowledge Dennis Saleebey, Roberta Iversen, Mirja Satka, Mary Katherine O’Connor, Jan Fook, Katherine Tyson-McCrae, Ann Weick, Adrienne Chambon, and Allan Irving. Their friendships and ongoing dialogues have been an invaluable resource and wellspring of ideas. Brenda Solomon, Susan Roche, and Susan Comerford, colleagues in the social work program at the University of Vermont, have been collaborators in the development and delivery of a social constructionist–oriented curriculum and steadfast supporters of this work. The many students who have taken my classes (voluntarily and not) over the years made the need for such a book visible to me. The many colleagues and friends from the Global Partnership for Transformative Social Work, the umbrella organization for the previously mentioned gathering, have been an enduring source of intellectual enrichment and an antidote to the sometimes numbing effects of an overly corporatized academic life.

I am fortunate to have a daughter, Shana Witkin, who holds graduate degrees in social work and English. Her review of my writing has combined an understanding of social work practice with the uncompromising “blue pencil” of a skilled editor. A special acknowledgement of gratitude goes to my wife, Fran Joseph. Her insightful editorial assistance, constructively critical commentary, and unwavering support have added immeasurably to this project. I thank her, too, for teaching me how to laugh for no reason. Finally, I want to thank Lauren Dockett of Columbia University Press for taking on this project and her support throughout its completion.

For many, social construction has an aura of mystery. What does it mean when we say something is socially constructed? Are we saying that it is not real? Sure, one can grasp that preferences, fads, and the like are socially constructed, but what about “things” like poverty, depression, and violence? Don’t try to tell social workers these are “only” socially constructed! Such questions are understandable and I hope that readers will find satisfactory responses to them. What I also hope they will find is that practicing from a social constructionist perspective does not discount people’s pain and suffering nor the conditions or actions that contribute to them. Rather, I believe that the practices described in the following chapters demonstrate the potential for increased sensitivity and creative ways of addressing such issues.

Powerful cultural and social forces maintain our customary ways of understanding the world. Challenging well-entrenched beliefs or assumptions can be unsettling; however, the rewards can be great. Please accept this invitation to accompany the book’s contributors on their journeys through meaningful and useful practice.