Social Work and Science in the 21st Century

Social Work and Science in the 21st Century enhances the inclusion of natural science concepts and knowledge into social work education and practice. The book highlights basic scientific theories and ideas in a broad array of natural science fields, including chemistry, physics, astronomy, geometry, numbers, and big data. A number of chapters focus on how knowledge from the natural sciences can enhance social work practice in areas as diverse as medicine, substance abuse, mental health, and intellectual and developmental disabilities, while other chapters on water, human geography, climate change, execution and the death penalty, and the life cycle are designed to highlight the natural science behind social issues. The information presented in the book is complex enough to spark the reader's continued interest in knowing more about the natural sciences, but basic enough to allow readers with limited understanding of the natural sciences--at both the bachelor's and master's levels--to feel comfortable exploring its contents.