Next Steps: What Do We Know About Thinking Complexity and Acting Pragmatically in Social Work?

In this final chapter, we draw together and summarise some of the key ideas developed in this book. Five key themes that characterise important learning to be taken from the practice chapters and from those in Part III addressing policy, research and social work education are then identified. These five shared themes are: working in and with uncertainty, integrating theory and practice, being strategic, identifying patterns and constructing narratives and engaging in possibility thinking. Importantly, we also argue that what has been the driving idea in this book is that proposed by CT, which offers social workers a more sophisticated understanding of the character of social and material reality. This understanding suggests that there are many roles social workers can play in pursuit of their commitment to advocacy, social change and human rights. The chapter ends with a number of key questions, which are directed towards assisting readers to reflect on what CT, understanding of CAS and adopting a pragmatic approach to practice, research and policy might contribute to social work thinking and action.