Home > Arhiva > 2019 > Numar: 4 > The Grand Challenges as a Macro Practice Approach for Social Workers to Address Societal Problems The Grand Challenges as a Macro Practice Approach for Social Workers to Address Societal Problems
by:
- Elizabeth Lightfoot (University of Minnesota, School of Social Work, 105 Peters Hall Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA, E-mail: elightfo@umn.edu)
- Jessica Toft (University of Minnesota, School of Social Work, 105 Peters Hall, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA, E-mail:jtoft@umn.edu)
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While macro practice activities are core to social work, macro practice has been deemphasized in recent decades in many countries. Efforts to elevate macro practice have typically involved focusing on various social work education interventions. This article proposes that adopting a grand challenges approach to social work is an alternative method for elevating macro practice social work. The article first provides an overview of the grand challenges approach, which has been adopted by many disciplines internationally to enliven their fields, and then discusses how it is inherently a macro practice approach that can both strengthen the field of social work overall, as well as center macro practice within the field. The article also discusses and critiques how social work has adopted such an approach in the United States and suggests additional considerations for other countries in adopting this approach. Particular attention on the importance of macro practice skills in implementing such an initiative is discussed.
Keywords: Grand Challenges, Macro Practice, Community Practice, Social Work, Research
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