Sociology for Social Workers and Probation Officers.

Beckett, Clare

SOCIOLOGY FOR SOCIAL WORKERS AND PROBATION OFFICERS

Cree, V. (ed.) (1999) 2nd edition, London: Routledge. pp.272 (pbk) 26.99 [pounds sterling]

ISBN 978-0-415-15016-3

Cree offers a well-crafted and accessible introduction to sociological theory. The first chapter introduces definitions and perspectives and the following seven chapters address key concepts. Included are focused accounts of frameworks that structure the social environment. Obvious contenders like 'family' and 'community' are joined by 'health and illness', and 'crime and deviance'. Each chapter follows the same template: an introduction to the concept; some theoretical tools for study; and links between theory and practice.

The section on gender is particularly strong, presenting an even-handed picture of feminist positions. The text book is written explicitly to show the usefulness of 'thinking sociologically', of placing personalised understanding in a social context. This move is examined explicitly in the preface and in the final chapter, where Cree offers ways of integrating sociological thinking into practice.

Perhaps the most attractive part of this book is Cree's unwavering and unhidden belief that understanding the social world, and using the conceptual tools offered by sociology, helps practitioners to work. It is an ambitious project. Recognising that both sociology and social work 'may be regarded as an integral part of the process through which society investigates, controls and manages (or, to use Foucault's terminology, 'disciplines') its citizens' (p.6) is not comfortable. Without this understanding, Cree argues, social workers run the risk of perpetuating oppression and discrimination. Working from this stance to offer a comprehensible account of theory is a challenge well-answered. Cree is interested in how concepts develop over time and in discursive explanations. Her approach in the book is based on broad questions paraphrased from Foucault (Cree, 1995). These questions frame the link between structural explanations and individual actions that can be hard to bring into practice situations. I found her explanations of major approaches compelling; from Marx to Rousseau, from identity politics to the post modern turn, the short entries are consistent, clear and readable.

It is hard to find fault with what is in this book but, despite the title, probation officers are not well served here. There is almost no mention of probation work or workers and, worse, some comments could be inimical. For example, she comments that the use of the term 'offender' could be seen as discriminatory (p.173). This may be true but is unhelpful to practitioners whose organisational structure demands the use of the word. Omissions are everywhere; the section on family does not look at criminal or criminalised families, the section on community looks at gender, sexuality, age and disability, but not offending. It could be expected that probation work would come into its own in the section on crime and deviance. Here, there is a useful overview of deviance, but no discussion of offending. The probation service is mentioned in the implications for practice box, bracketed with social work as a 'social control agency' (p.197). While this statement is in some senses true, it totally leaves out the relative positions of the agencies in current policy and practice.

Cree herself spent 16 years in social work practice. In the preface she locates herself personally and reflectively (p.xii) and discusses changes in the role of social workers and training over the last 20 years. During the same timeframe, probation training has separated from social work training and the service has undergone a step-change towards punishment rather than care. The service is teamed with custodial workers, not social workers. A social work degree is not a 'relevant degree' for entry into the service any more. This does not mean that social work practice and probation practice require different skills, but that the context in which those skills are practiced is different. Trainee probation officers are exploring case work in a political climate that unapologetically prioritises control. To write a book aimed at these trainees without exploring this is, I think, to miss the point.

This leaves me with a dilemma. I would like trainee probation officers to read this book. I would like them to explore the underlying value system that demands good practitioners move past individual case work and explore social explanations for behaviour. There are other books that attempt this: Knepper (2007) 'Criminology and Social Policy' or, in broader context, Craig, Burchardt & Gordon (2008) 'Social Justice and Public Policy' both spring to mind. Yet neither of these contenders offers the clear and concise introduction to thinking in a sociological way that Cree offers. So I will put the book on reading lists and recommend it to trainee probation officers, but I will do this with an apologetic feeling that I am letting them down as only some will be able to benefit from the practice lessons offered. More will feel excluded by a book that labels itself as suitable for probation officers but does not offer them an inclusive experience.

References

Cree V. E. (1995) From Public Streets to Private Lives: The Changing Task of Social Work, Aldershot: Avebury.

Knepper, P. (2007) Criminology and Social Policy, London: Sage.

Craig G., Burchardt, T. and Gordon, D. (2008) Social justice and public policy: seeking fairness in diverse societies, Bristol: Policy Press.

Dr Clare Beckett, Senior Lecturer/Programme Leader Diploma in Probation Studies, University of Bradford