Great Readings in Social Work
A curated collection of field-defining monographs, landmark theoretical papers, and transformative historical texts in Social Work. These works represent the intellectual foundation of the discipline—illustrating how pioneering practitioners, policy architects, and critical theorists formulated new paradigms, critiqued institutional power, and advanced human rights.
Foundational & Historical Classics
| Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Social Diagnosis | Mary E. Richmond |
| Twenty Years at Hull-House | Jane Addams |
| Is Social Work a Profession? | Abraham Flexner |
| The Casework Relationship | Felix P. Biestek |
| Social Casework: A Problem-Solving Process | Helen Harris Perlman |
Clinical Practice, Ecological Frameworks & Trauma Paradigms
| Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| The Life Model of Social Work Practice: Advances in Theory and Practice | Carel B. Germain & Alex Gitterman |
| Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence—From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror | Judith L. Herman |
| The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma | Bessel van der Kolk |
| Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder | Marsha M. Linehan |
| The Skills of Helping Individuals, Families, Groups, and Communities | Lawrence Shulman |
Social Welfare Policy, Political Economy & Institutional Critique
| Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Regulating the Poor: The Functions of Public Welfare | Frances Fox Piven & Richard A. Cloward |
| Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Services | Michael Lipsky |
| The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism | Gøsta Esping-Andersen |
| The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy | William Julius Wilson |
| Blaming the Victim | William Ryan |
| The Gift Relationship: From Human Blood to Social Policy | Richard M. Titmuss |
Critical, Anti-Oppressive & Decolonial Praxis
| Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Pedagogy of the Oppressed | Paulo Freire |
| Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples | Linda Tuhiwai Smith |
| Abolition and Social Work: Possibilities, Paradox, and Praxis | Mimi E. Kim, Cameron Rasmussen, & Durrell M. Washington (Eds.) |
| Cultural Humility Versus Cultural Competence: A Critical Distinction in Defining Physician Training Outcomes in Multicultural Education | Melanie Tervalon & Jann Murray-García |
| Decolonizing Social Work | Mel Gray, John Coates, Michael Yellow Bird, & Tiani Hetherington (Eds.) |
Community Organizing, Power Analysis & Mutual Aid
| Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals | Saul D. Alinsky |
| Poor People's Movements: Why They Succeed, How They Fail | Frances Fox Piven & Richard A. Cloward |
| Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets | John P. Kretzmann & John L. McKnight |
| Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) | Dean Spade |
| Roots to Power: A Manual for Grassroots Organizing | Lee Staples |