Communication in Social Work

Communication in Social Work focuses on the role of communication in social work. This book discusses aspects of communication in the helping process and illustrates where information and advice on their own would not have been helpful to the client. Comprised of seven chapters, this book begins with an overview of the nature of communication and explains why a study of the communication process may help in dealing with serious problems of the environment and human relations. Attention then turns to communication processes in social work, with emphasis on the role of non-verbal behavior in the interaction between social worker and client, along with the factors that influence communication between them. The chapters that follow focus on social factors in communication, considering the sociological view of social work as a mechanism of social control, as well as the importance of communication in the helping process. This book concludes by explaining how social agency contributes to the nature of the social worker's activities, touching on topics such as problems of cooperation and coordination in social welfare. This text will be of interest to professionals and policymakers involved in social work.