THE SOCIOPOLITICAL CONTEXT AND SOCIAL-WORK METHOD, 1890-1950

This article explores the influence of the sociopolitical context on t he development of social work practice methods during the first half o f the twentieth century. It analyzes the relationship of the developme nt of method in social work to such phenomena as the rise and fall of urban centers, the increasing diversity of the population, the growth of state power, and the rise of professionalism. It explores why socia l workers in the United Stares maintained a focus on clients' needs ev en as their counterparts in other industrialized nations created polic ies and practices that emphasized clients' rights.