University of the Philippines

College of Social Work and Community Development

SW 201 – Social Work Perspective

Ms. Yolanda G. Ealdama

Reflection Paper:
Critical Social Work Perspective

Submitted by:
Saleah Joy S. Uclusin, RSW
2020 – 20139
 Critical, in my own view, means a chancy or risky situation. Another word popping out of my head
is the Critic, which I take as having analyzing or to explore different possible angles of the subject. Thus,
Critical means for me is the need to conduct a careful and logical analysis, searching the facts and pieces
of evidence to conclude a right judgment or right actions in a situation or a subject.

The critical approach is related to radical social work and structural perspective. Radical social
work encompasses structural, feminist, neo-Marxist, and antiracist/-oppressive/-discriminatory social
work (Leskošek, 2009) which end goal is radical social change. The critical approach means the merging of
not just the aspect of personal related to Psychoanalysis theory but also understanding the other factors
and social context. It is the awareness of social context and its importance in understanding the individual
experiences (Fook, 2016). It is mainly the concept of person-in-environment. Additionally, the goal of
critical social work is to identify the multiple possibilities of the present in order to contribute to the
creation of a more just and satisfying social world (Hick & Pozzuto, 2005, p. xi). Therefore the critical
practice of social work includes an analysis of power and understand social relationships as both personal
and political (Campbell & Baikie). Critical thinking understands how a structure rules, but also how people
construct & being constructed by changing social relationships and structures.

Critical thinking in social work is essential, as we do not give easily services as dole out. We need
to analyze carefully, decided with basic empirical knowledge as our basis and support, think and act with
empathy, and carry a proper plan change that is not against the will of our client for his empowerment
and development. Critical thinking is multidimensional, encompassing the intellectual, psychological,
sociological, ethical, and philosophical (Belchior-Rocha & Casquilho-Martins, 2019). In Social Work, the
main goal is change and development that will have a meaningful and sustainable impact to the life,
groups, sectors, or community we served. The need for a critical approach is needed to give holistic
empowerment not just in the level of personal (micro) but also up to the general (macro) influencing
changes in power and structures that hugely affect the individual. Critical thinking and social work are
understanding deeply the conditions of unjust nature of the society, resistance on it and promoting
change through a process of dialogue and interaction, self-reflection, and analysis.