Democratic Peace Theory

Democratic Peace Theory

Definition- A theory from the discipline of international relations that claims liberal or democratic are less likely to become involved in militarized disputes and rarely, if ever, go to war.

Apply- Social workers need to understand democratic peace theory because it is the basis of much foreign policy, including Bush’s forging policy post 9/11. Democratic piece theory is being problematized in academic circles but continues to be a stronghold in international relations. Social workers can do advocacy work by explaining and problematizing this theory at the community and policy levels.  

Adapt- This theory is often used in policy making. If liberal or democratic states are less likely to go to war, then such states should be sought out as allies and partners. Additionally, if this theory holds true then non-liberal/ non-democratic states should be encouraged to change their system in order to obtain peace.

Gat, A.. (2005). The Democratic Peace Theory Reframed: The Impact of Modernity. World Politics, 58(1), 73–100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.umich.edu/stable/40060125

Self-verification theory

Self-verification theory

Definition- A social psychology theory that proposes that people want to be seen by others in a way that matches themselves they view themselves. Their self-view could be positive or negative, it is the continuity between self-view and the way others see them that is preferred.

Apply- Social workers should be aware of this theory as a tool to build relationships and community. People strive for self-verification, which means they will act in a way that prompts others to see the individual as the individual sees themselves, and understanding this motivation could be crucial for a social worker. Additionally, people do not like to have their self view completely disagreed with, so any change that a social worker aims to make concerning an individual’s self-view must be gradual.  

Adapt- This theory could be used by anyone working in a social profession. For example, lawyers may wish to build rapport with clients by initially verifying their self-view. This theory can be used to build relationships between individuals and groups.   

Swann Jr, W. B. (2011). Self-verification theory. Handbook of theories of social psychology, 2, 23-42.

Theory of Justice

Theory of Justice

Definition- In an ideal setting in which no one was aware of their social and personal characteristics and no one had a vested interest in the outcome (original state), people should be able to agree on general concepts of fairness for society. Every person in society has an equal right to the same liberties and inequalities must reasonably benefit all people.

Apply- A community can use Rawls’ two principles of justice when creating new contracts or systems. These principles are 1. Every person has access to extensive basic liberty that is compatible with other people having similar liberty, and 2. Any social or economic inequalities (ie having a group leader) are to be arranged in a way that is to everyone’s advantage and that these positions are open to all. These would be a core consideration for a group creating a governance structure.

Adapt- This theory could easily be applied to the financial world. Instead of focusing business for individual financial gain, the principles of justice could be applied to ensure that everyone is equally financially viable. Instead of working to gain value for the individual or shareholder, work to gain value for society at large.  

Rawls, J. (2009). A theory of justice. Harvard university press.

Public Pedagogy

Public Pedagogy

Definition- Forms and sites of learning/education that occur outside of traditional schooling. This includes citizenship writing and beyond schools, popular culture, public spaces, dominant cultural discourses and social activism.

Apply- Public pedagogy aligns well with social work ethics of valuing community knowledge. The theory specifically states that knowledge and learning can be located outside of traditional structures. This is critical to building knowledge and power that challenge the hegemonic discourse present in dominant educational systems.

Adapt- Social Science research could adapt the idea of public pedagogy. So much social science knowledge in created in labs, which may or may not reflect the true nature of an issue due to the constraints of space, time and the institutions in which these labs function. Utilizing public spaces and non-traditional education may yield more relevant results in social science.

Sandlin, J. A., O'Malley, M. P., & Burdick, J.. (2011). Mapping the Complexity of Public Pedagogy Scholarship: 1894–2010. Review of Educational Research,81(3), 338–375. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.umich.edu/stable/23014296