This book offers an analysis and summary of the uses, abuses and limitations of attachment theory in contemporary child welfare practice. Analysing the primary science and drawing on the authors’ original empirical work, the book shows how attachment theory can distort and influence decision-making. It argues that the dominant view of attachment theory may promote a problematic diagnostic mindset, whilst undervaluing the enduring relationships between children and adults. The book concludes that attachment theory can still play an important role in child welfare practice, but the balance of the research agenda needs a radical shift towards a sophisticated understanding of the realities of human experience to inform ethical practice.
About the author
Sue White is Professor of Social Work at the University of Sheffield. Matthew Gibson is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Work and Social Care at the University of Birmingham. David Wastell is Emeritus Professor of Information Systems at Nottingham University Business School. Patricia Walsh recently retired from the School of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College Dublin after 25 years as a social work academic.
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