1 - Professional learning

Summary

Introduction

We, the authors, Ed, Kirsty and Sue, are a group of community work practitioners based in Scotland. Karen makes an academic contribution to this group, also founded on her practical experience. We have tried to make this book as relevant to practice as possible and so have consulted others through interviews and focus groups to broaden the knowledge base both locally and internationally. You will find quotations from practitioners as well as the academic community. We have gathered case studies to illustrate how theory links to practice. You will find, at the end of each chapter, that we have suggested the key principles for practice that have emerged from the theory; and we have posed challenge questions to help you reflect on your own, or with others, about the theory we have chosen.

It has been exciting writing this book together. We have learnt so much about what we and others think. We have not always agreed on the themes, interpretations or importance of key ideas, but it has been enriching working to solve these tensions together. We hope the book will help you to reflect critically on theory and how it links to your practice. The reason we decided to write this book was because we considered that theory was undervalued; once community workers leave further or higher education, they leave the books behind and perhaps wider thought provocations. We hope that by the end of this book you will see that theory and practice in community work are inseparable. We have attempted to make theory highly accessible.

One of the issues that made us think deeply and try to resolve our different understandings was what exactly constitutes theory. This chapter is the result and resolution of these differences we had. It takes a purposeful look at the role of our own learning in the course of professional pursuits. We explore theory as a catalyst in sustaining good practice and invite the reader to reflect on their own influences and sources of inspiration in keeping work in community settings relevant, fulfilling and enduring. We consider theory in the simplest of translations and take a closer look at where our inspiration, understanding and knowledge come from in our everyday working lives as practitioners in community contexts.