Advanced Praise
Paula Allen-Meares, University of Michigan
"The life narratives, voices, or actual experiences contained in this book
reflect the spiritual awakenings, desires to make a difference in the quality of
life, and the day-to-day realities of social workers in actions. These
narratives offer contemporary insights and beg the question: Why were you
called to this profession? The passion for social justice and meaningful
activities, the dedication to compassion, and the commitment to building
community connections and healing journeys are only a few of the motivational
themes that [emerge from this book]."
Barbara W. White, The University of Texas at
Austin
"The Call to Social Work: Life Stories offers what has long been
needed: a large dose of crucial, unvarnished stories about the work of
social work. LeCroy has brought erudition of hands-on experience to those
who are new to the profession and to those of us who need to experience renewal
of the contexts in which we teach and practice. The stories portray
personal, political, and professional struggles of vision, courage, and
sacrifice. This important book should be essential reading for anyone
seeking a candid guide that elucidates major themes that define and underlie the
profession of social work."
Dennis Saleebey, University of Kansas
"This is a book of narratives, of stories, of practicing social workers
from a variety of fields and with a variety of experience. These stories
are rich in detail, emotion, consideration, philosophy, conflict, hope, and
determination that make up the dailiness of the lives of social workers.
Professor LeCroy has done a masterful and respectful job of recounting these
narratives, and arranging them in themes that emerge not just from the stories
but from the very nature of social work itself. The use of story and
narrative is a kind of evidence that we ignore or belittle at our peril. I
learned more about the faces and phases of social work reading these narratives
than in thousands of pages of surveys or empirical accounts of this life.
The central message here is that social work is a calling, a call to service (as
Robert Coles has written). The words of these social workers speak to the
luminous and nearly spiritual essence of the calling. 'I still go back to
the core thing,' says one social worker. 'I do something that matters to
somebody else, that matters to me. Something that has value. That is
a demonstration of caring.' Or, more directly, another social workers
says, 'Social work is a calling. A call to something. There is
restlessness inside of you and you have the opportunity to deal with [it].
That restlessness has to do with injustice in the world.' These are not
sugar-coated stories. There is trouble, pain, anguish, deep hurt
here. But the urge of the calling, its drumbeat, is unmistakable.
And in the end, really, these are stories of life and work, of possibility and
disappointment. Everyone could learn from them."