the way they see the world and themselves. Additionally, social construction's problematizing of dominant discourses and taken-for-granted beliefs generates the possibility of alternative understandings and practices. Social work practice assumes a revitalized use of the social, blending the stratification among macro, mezzo, and micro levels. For instance, social constructionist informed discussions bring to light the effects of privileged discourse in the lives of clients and invite social workers and clients to consider how they have been influenced by macro- and mezzo-level constructed values, and how these constructs manifest at the micro level. Empowerment, a key tenet of social work, occurs as clients let go of potentially unhelpful and oppressive ways of experiencing the world and co-construct new, more preferred ways-of-being. In this case, clients are not only individuals, but can include working with communities to create preferred community narratives (Irving, 1999), re-envisioning the child welfare system (Parton, 2014) and assisting in the development of new identity conclusions with trauma survivors and perpetrators (Hall, 2011; Keenan, 2012). The result is a stronger, more ‘social’ social work.
Notes
1 A similar question could be raised about social construction.
2 This section is adapted from Witkin (2012).
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