1
Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Zübeyde Hanım Faculty of Health Sciences, Niğde, Turkiye
2
Hacettepe University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Ankara, Turkiye
Abstract
The extent to which the critical perspective is reflected in social service practices in Turkey, and how this approach is reflected in theoretical knowledge and the reflective process, is not sufficiently known. This study aims to reveal the extent to which the critical social work approach is reflected in the practices of social workers working with people with disabilities in Turkey and how theoretical knowledge and reflective processes are transformed into practice in the field. It also aims to highlight the intellectual and ethical stances of practitioners in order to develop rights-based, fair and inclusive practices in the field of disability. The research involved in-depth interviews with 17 social workers who engage with disabled individuals. Following a thematic analysis of the collected data, three primary themes emerged: building bridges between theory and practice, awareness and reflective process in professional practice, and examples of good practice. The research shows that needs-based discourses are prominent in the practices of social workers working with people with disabilities. The findings indicate that bridging the gap between theory and practice, local knowledge production, and strengthening reflective processes are important for critical social work. While good practice examples are important for empowering people with disabilities and developing inclusive services, there is a need to disseminate these models more widely.
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