Originally published in 1991, this title is a valuable social work text which demonstrated how to apply family system concepts to clinical situations encountered in work with inner-city populations at the time. Unlike traditional theories in clinical social work which were oriented toward the individual, this fascinating book offers a paradigm for social work that encompasses the client, his or her immediate and extended family, the community, the government, and the social worker. The family systems concepts in this refreshing volume are illustrated by case examples addressing the specific issues of AIDS and drug abuse, homelessness, foster care, wife abuse, care of those with intellectual disabilites, and adoption issues. Social workers and social work students can still gain perspective from these insightful chapters and will discover that it is not pathological people that make difficult populations, but difficult life situations that breed pathology.
