Dissenting Social Work. Critical Theory, Resistance and Pandemic.

Abstract

While pursuing my PhD, more than 10 years ago, I came across an inspiring book: Social Work and Social Theory: Making Connections (Policy Press, 2013). From that that moment I began to follow Paul Michael Garrett's track, and I discovered his works on critical theory and Social Work, elaborated in such a sharp, rigorous and conceptually dense way, that I could not help but share his productions with my colleagues. Always on top of the situation, always putting the point of controversy at the center of the debate (see for example: 'A World to Win': In Defence of (Dissenting) Social Work-A Response to Chris Maylea, published in 2021 in The British Journal of Social Work), Garrett is an exceptional author, a source of pride for our profession and discipline of Social Work. It is a pity - I often lament - the language barrier that separates us. I am sure that, if his work were known, it would be tremendously valued by our Latin American schools of Social Work, which have a vast tradition of critical social theory, forged through its almost one hundred years of history. I hope that this review can motivate you to jump over that barrier and try to approach the author's work.