The Concept of Reflexivity For Whom and How in Social Work

The Concept of Reflexivity for whom and how in Social Work1
As Winter et al pointed out, reflective paradigm plays a role in caring professions by
a means of defending professional values, creativity, and autonomy in a context where
practitioners are under the attack from economic and political forces (Halton, Murphy and
Dempsey, 2007). With this paradigm the concept of reflexivity has become important in
social work, as the value of practice for social work theory and knowledge are increasingly
emphasized and questioned in terms of how professional power functions in professional
knowledge. We need to clarify the concept of reflexivity for whom and how in social work
research, practice, and education since there is lack of dialogue about it (D’cruz, Gillingham
and Melendez, 2007).
Reflexivity means critical awareness of self. According to Gilgun(2008), reflexivity
is “the idea of awareness that researchers are reflexive when they examine and take into
account the multiple influences they have on research processes and how research process
affect them and the person and situations they research (Gilgun 2008,184).” It is essential that
researchers recognize what they are doing because reflexivity impacts structural power on the
research process as a knowledge-producing activity (Daley, 2010). Researchers should be
aware of themselves in terms of how their position, background and experiences could be
connected to their research. Gilgun(2008) mentions that she recognizes that what she knows
results from her knowing through reflection on her experiences in life history research on
perpetrators of interpersonal violence.
In terms of reflexivity in social work practice, it is important that workers recognize
1
About the Author: Mihwa Lee is PhD student, School of Social Work, University of
Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA.
their social status and privilege since their power may reinscribe at the moment of
intervention. It might affect clients’ self-closure or their attitude to participate the
intervention. In addition, social workers should encourage clients to do reflexivity so they
recognize by themselves how everything works. Clients should have an active role or lead to
solve the problem/need, not have a passive role just following social workers’ direction. They
should be a witness in the process of their intervention. There is also a possibility for clients
to foster the ability a kind of self-enrichment by themselves from their own reflexivity. Social
work is based on person-environment interaction and social workers intervene in clients’
environment. Social workers should be aware of themselves via self-reflexivity and must be
committed to examine another person’s strengths, weakness, resources and stressors in their
environment. They also should understand of the complexities of interaction between
themselves and clients.
In social work education, students discover their own learning style, and
acknowledge the influence of their ways of thinking and constructing knowledge through
integrating their past experiences reflexivity into knowledge with reflective learning (Halton,
Murphy and Dempsey, 2007). Social work educators need to encourage students to write
themselves into their papers so they can incorporate their past experiences, current academic
works and practices. Educators also emphasize power issues in students’ writing such as how
power and oppression shapes their sense of self since the societal forces that influence social
work’s practice (Heron, 2005). This kind of educator’s guidance or training can make
students think about why and how they respond the ways they do and find the meanings by
themselves. It helps students be willing to undertake a deeper reflection of their interactions
with clients, as well as see how clients’ issues relate to power and oppression when they work
as social workers later.

As the concept of reflexivity has become significant in social work, a collaborative
approach is required among researchers, practitioners and educator to make the field of social
work practice better.
Reference>
Daley, Andrea (2010). Reflections on reflexivity and critical reflection as critical

research practices. Affilia, 25, 68-82.
D’cruz, Heather., Gillingham, Philip., Melendez, Sebastian (2007). Reflexivity, its

meanings and relevance for social work: a critical review of the literature, British Journal of
Social Work, 37, 73-90.
Jason E., Heather N. Rasmussen, Shane J. Lopez, Jamie A. Ryder, Jeana L. Magyar-
Moe, Alicia Ito Ford, Lisa M. Edwards, Jennifer C. Bouwkamp (2006). The engagement
model of person-environment interaction, The Counseling Psychologist 2006 34: 245
Gilgun, Jane F. (2008). Lived experience, reflexivity, and research on perpetrators of

interpersonal violence. Qualitative Social Work, 7(2), 181-197.
Halton, Carmel., Murhpy, Marian., Dempsey, Maria (2007). Reflective learning in

social work education: researching student experiences. Reflective Practice, 8(4), 511-523
Heron, Barbara (2005). Self-reflection in critical social work practice: subjectivity and
the possibilities of resistance. Reflective Practice, 6(3), 341-351
Sheppard, Michael., Newstead, Steve., Caccavo, Antonietta Di., Ryan, Kate (2000).
Reflexivity and the development of process knowledge in social work: a classification and
empirical study, British Journal of Social Work, 30, 465-488

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The Concept of Reflexivity for whom and how in Social Work1

As Winter et al pointed out, reflective paradigm plays a role in caring professions by

a means of defending professional values, creativity, and autonomy in a context where

emphasized and questioned in terms of how professional power functions in professional

and Melendez, 2007).

Reflexivity means critical awareness of self. According to Gilgun(2008), reflexivity

research process as a knowledge-producing activity (Daley, 2010). Researchers should be

perpetrators of interpersonal violence.

In terms of reflexivity in social work practice, it is important that workers recognize

intervention. It might affect clients’ self-closure or their attitude to participate the

intervention. In addition, social workers should encourage clients to do reflexivity so they

work is based on person-environment interaction and social workers intervene in clients’

environment. They also should understand of the complexities of interaction between

themselves and clients.

themselves. It helps students be willing to undertake a deeper reflection of their interactions

as social workers later.

work practice better.

Daley, Andrea (2010). Reflections on reflexivity and critical reflection as critical

D’cruz, Heather., Gillingham, Philip., Melendez, Sebastian (2007). Reflexivity, its

Gilgun, Jane F. (2008). Lived experience, reflexivity, and research on perpetrators of

Halton, Carmel., Murhpy, Marian., Dempsey, Maria (2007). Reflective learning in

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