Aspect

Contemporary Social Work

TCCR (proposal)

Critical Analysis of the TCCR Proposal

Ontology

·      Contemporary Social Work conceives the human being as inherently social and relational, whose identity and well-being are linked to their context and to broader systems (family, community, society).

·      It recognizes the interdependence of social phenomena as an interrelated and dynamic “whole.”

·      Social Work is defined by its pragmatic character and its ontologically ecosystemic nature, emphasizing mediation and transformation of the social environment.

·      However, the discipline has lacked a specific theoretical framework to fully articulate this, which has led to it being perceived as a practice without a coherent theory.

·      The TCCR proposes to define the disciplinary ontology of Social Work in an orderly, concrete, and explicit manner, as a social science dedicated to the relational structuring of the human being in society.

·      It focuses on the “psychosocial intersection” (mind–society interaction) as its core field of study and action, aiming to provide the discipline with its own coherent conceptual framework.

·      Its ontology is grounded in human psychosocial relational construction, seeking to understand and transform the relational fabrics that constitute psychosocial reality.

·      From a critical standpoint, the TCCR addresses a historical weakness of Social Work by proposing a clear and specific ontology.

·      By centering on “human relationality” and “psychosocial relational construction” as its central object, it seeks to grant disciplinary autonomy.

·      The aspiration to position Social Work as the “main social science of human development and fulfillment” is inspiring, though this redefinition poses a major challenge given the hegemonic panorama of the social sciences today.

·      Ultimately, this approach seeks to overcome the theoretical fragmentation derived from exogenous frameworks within the discipline.

Epistemology

·      Social Work has grounded its epistemology primarily in social constructionism (reality is socially constructed through social interactions) and in a critical perspective (knowledge is not neutral and is influenced by power and oppression).

·      It values pragmatism (knowledge useful for problem-solving) and participatory research.

·      Nevertheless, it has largely relied on the disaggregated adaptation of exogenous theories (psychology, sociology, philosophy, etc.), which has led to theoretical fragmentation and the absence of a metatheory capable of ordering and unifying the disciplinary perspective.

·      A trend toward individualistic approaches in practice has been observed, despite the field’s original mission of pursuing social change.

·      The interpretive tradition has been marginalized, replaced by a positivist and functionalist paradigm that restricts the exploration of subjectivity and meaning construction.

·      The TCCR concretely proposes a cognosystemic epistemology, which integrates cognitive and systemic processes to understand how individuals construct their reality through multiple interconnected narrative systems.

·      The Cognosystem is its fundamental analytical unit—an ecosystemic fabric of intersubjective construction of socioculturally interconnected meanings.

·      Cognosystemic Narrative Systems (CNSs) are the basic units of the Cognosystem: human meaning systems that organize perception of the world and are fundamental to the autopoiesis and evolution of psychosocial systems, across the full range of subjective and intersubjective experience of individuals and communities.

·      The approach coherently integrates constructivism, social constructionism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, systems theory, ecosystemic theory, cognitive-behavioral and narrative psychotherapy, and memetic theory—in a metatheoretical synergy rarely seen.

·      It emphasizes professional reflexivity and a critical perspective aimed at transforming structures of human power.

·      Ultimately, it posits that knowledge is adaptive, and intersubjectivity is crucial to the construction of human psychosocial reality.

·      From a critical perspective, the integration of multiple theoretical approaches (phenomenology, constructivism/social constructionism, systems, ecosystemic, narrative, cognitive-behavioral, memetic) represents a key strength that aims to provide Social Work with an integral, coherent, and autonomous theoretical architecture, drawing from well-established scientific and philosophical knowledge in the social and human sciences that have historically benefited the discipline.

·      The concept of the Cognosystem constitutes an ambitious and innovative attempt at conceptual unification within the field.

·      However, the complexity of this integration presents one of the main challenges for its practical application and academic comprehension. Even so, the foundational book provides an exceptionally precise conceptual explanation, detailing even the theorization methodology—abduction, deduction, and inductive projection—to ensure scientific rigor and the functional projection of its theoretical postulates in the disciplinary field.

·      The inductive phase, as a “future challenge,” implies that the empirical validation of this unified framework is still in progress, which is a crucial point for the consolidation of the TCCR.

Intervention Methodology

·      Contemporary Social Work is characterized by the eclectic adaptation and application of exogenous models, mostly individualistic (e.g., crisis intervention, case/diagnosis method, problem-solving model, narrative therapy, etc.), often sidelining social change and structural justice.

·      It frequently responds more to legal frameworks and political guidelines than to its own theoretical foundation.

·      A dissonance exists between the global mission of social change and the real practice focused on individuals.

·      The lack of a specific theoretical body for the relational approach limits professionals’ ability to address the complexity of familial and sociocultural interactions holistically.

·      There is a perceived lack of methodological tools that are both scientifically robust and flexible for multilevel articulation.

·      The TCCR proposes an integrated professional intervention that is ecosystemic, multidimensional, and multilevel, to address psychosocial problems affecting both individuals and collectives.

·      It draws inspiration from Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, chronosystem) to holistically organize intervention across interrelated levels.

·      It emphasizes integral relational and narrative intervention in case/family work, groups, community, and clinical social work, with a holistic focus.

·      It seeks social transformation, empowerment of subjects, and social justice.

·      It aims to provide robust and flexible methodological tools for diagnosis, research, and intervention, enabling multilevel articulation across micro, meso, and macro dimensions.

·      It focuses on the co-constructed reconfiguration of dysfunctional relational and narrative systems.

·      From a critical perspective, the ecosystemic methodology of the TCCR directly addresses the criticism of individualization in Social Work practice, seeking to reorient the discipline toward its foundational goals of social change and structural justice.

·      The integration of Bronfenbrenner’s model provides a coherent framework for multilevel intervention.

·      However, the text acknowledges that implementing such an integral and multilevel model can be a primary challenge in practice, especially in institutions operating under reductionist or biomedical logics.

·      Success will depend on professionals’ ability to apply this complex intervention approach in real contexts.

·      This, in turn, requires the design of research programs that scientifically validate the most effective action methods under this new paradigm, as well as their incorporation into training programs and university education in the discipline.