Book Review: Queer Social Work: Cases for LGBTQ+ Affirmative Practice
Queer Social Work, Tyler M. Arguello, editor, Columbia University Press, 2019, ISBN: 978-0-231-19401-3, 223 pages, $30.00.
The book Queer Social Work is a compilation of 14 case studies by various social work practitioners and educators. The cases present a variety of clients and client issues specifically related to the LGBTQ+ population, coming directly from the practice experiences of the contributors to the book. The authors have been given a general framework in which to present the cases, so while they present a variety of issues, the cases are put forward in similar ways, making the book very readable. The strength of this approach is that it shows that the LGBTQ+ population faces many of the same issues that all clients face, along with issues that can be more specifically related to this population. The book provides a breadth of cases, so it becomes a book that can be useful beyond work with the LGBTQ+ population.
The book begins with a very important section related to language and the use of the term “queer” in the title. This section helps the reader become grounded in the context of the variety of terms that have been used to describe the LGBTQ+ population, It then goes on to explain the embracing of the term “queer” for the title of the book. This introductory section also provides information regarding specific terms that may be unfamiliar to many readers—in particular, terms related to HIV and its current treatments. This section and the introduction set the stage for the reader both in terms of language and the structure of the cases.
Along with this is a well-informed section about the need for “Queer-Affirmative Practice” in today’s society. The introduction also includes a useful section on how the book can be used by instructors and students.
In reading this book, it was evident that it is a useful addition to the practice literature for any number of courses that are being offered across the social work curriculum, as well as helping any practitioner who is working with members of the LGBTQ+ population. The most obvious use of the book is for a course specific to working with the LGBTQ+ population, but the book goes beyond that.
Students and faculty will find the structure of the book useful in any number of practice courses. The cases are presented well and describe the clients and their situations thoroughly.
The greatest strength is in the analysis that is provided following each case. These analyses show specific issues related to the cases and how they can be viewed from both generalist and clinical perspectives, along with looking at issues from micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice. The book is easily used as a whole, or individual cases could be chosen as a supplement to any number of practice courses.
Queer Social Work fills a gap in practice literature while, at the same time, being useful across the practice curriculum.
Reviewed by Hugh G. Clark, PhD, MSSW, Associate Professor and MSW Program Coordinator, Florida Gulf Coast University.
