Social work, child protection and social theory : a critical review and analysis

This PhD by publication consists of two single authored books, five single authored
papers in refereed journals, five single authored papers and one joint authored paper
in edited books and covers the period 1985-2000. Two central ongoing themes are
identified in the work: (1) the analysis of changing policy and practice in relation to
child abuse in the UK from the late 1960's onwards; and (2), the changing nature of
social work, again mainly in the UK. The themes are overlapping and in relation to
both a number of concepts and debates in social theory are drawn upon both to
analyse the changes and to make a positive contribution to policy and practice,
particularly in the area of child welfare social work.