A new book written by Janelle Barker Gibson, a teaching professor at the Brown School, is designed to encourage practitioners to view behavior through a macro practice lens.
Titled “The Social, Political, and Economic Environment for Social Work Practice,” and recently published through Cognella Academic Publishing, the book explores the influence that the economic and political systems have on social interactions and outcomes.
“I wrote the book in hopes of providing a comprehensive resource that facilitates a deep understanding of the larger systemic structures that influence the way we are able to live our lives,” Gibson remarked.
Rooted in the person-in-environment perspective, each chapter opens with a case example of a practitioner helping clients navigate complex social situations. These case studies help social workers consider the larger environmental forces at play in client care as well as their own interpretation of those experiences. Each chapter concludes with a Considerations for Practice section to tie the case and content together for application.
“Crafted to demystify economic and policy concepts, it’s an ideal textbook for coursework emphasizing human behavior from a mezzo and macro perspective,” Gibson said.