An introduction to conversation analysis in social work research

Abstract

Communication is at the heart of social work. As Baldock and Prior (1981) go on to highlight, it is through discussions and interactions that social work is done. To understand social work practice is to understand what is happening when social workers and clients meet; what is happening when they are ‘ talking to one another ’ . The aim of this special issue is to showcase the value and potential of conversation analysis to understand how the process, practice and outcomes of social work are achieved through communication. For over 50 years, conversation analysts have built up a vast body of research fi ndings about the sys-tematic nature of social interaction and what constitutes effective communication, informing guidance and policy. From medicine to policing, and from education to service encounters, conversation analysts have made powerful interventions in shaping our understanding of how conversation works. In this special issue, we bring together fourteen articles from international researchers which examine different aspects of social work practice (e.g. relationship-building skills, decision-making, assessment and child protection) to demonstrate how conversation analysis can help us to understand, and inform, social work practice. a social self-professed ‘ non-academic)