Staff

Paul Michael Garrett

Senior Lecturer

Director of Social Work

PhD (Nottingham)
MA (Liverpool)
MA (Lancaster)
CQSW (Manchester)
BA (Sussex)

Office: 221 Aras Moyola
Telephone: 353 (0)91 495243
Email: pm.garrettnuigalway.ie

Member of the Power, Conflict and Ideologies Research Cluster

Profile

Paul is the author of three single-authored books critically examining social work/social policy relating to children and families: Remaking Social Work with Children and Families (Routledge, 2003); Social Work with Irish Children and Families in Britain (Policy Press, 2004); 'Transforming' Children’s Services? (Open University/McGraw Hill, 2009). His work has also appeared in academic journals across a range of disciplines and he has presented papers at a number of international conferences. Furthermore, he is a member of the editorial boards of Critical Social Policy (where he edits the book reviews), the European Journal of Social Work and is a consulting editor for the US-based Journal of Progressive Human Services.

Teaching

Currently, Paul coordinates five modules within the School of Political Science & Sociology:

’Modernising’ Social Work and Social Care
Theory & Social Work 1
Theory & Social Work 2
Welfare Words
Methods of Social Work

Research Interests

Social Theory and social work; ’modernisation’ of social work and social care

Selected Publications

(2009) 'Transforming' Children’s Services? Social Work, Neoliberalism and the 'Modern' World (Open University/McGraw Hill).

This book provides an accessible overview of the 'transformation' of Children's Services in England. In doing this, it draws on social theory, critical social policy and takes account of developments in other countries. Paul Michael Garrett argues that the many changes which have taken place within, and beyond, Children's Services are related to the politics of Neoliberalism which, it is maintained, lie at the core of the Change for Children programme.

(2009) ’Marx and “Modernization”: Reading Capital as social critique and inspiration for social work resistance to neoliberalization’, Journal of Social Work, 9 (2): 199-221.

(2008) ’Thinking with the Sardinian: Antonio Gramsci and Social Work’, European Journal of Social Work, 11 (3): 237-250.

(2008) ’The hidden history of the PFIs: The repatriation of unmarried mothers and their children from England to Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s’ in A. O’ Day and N. C. Fleming (eds.) Ireland and Anglo-Irish Relations since 1800: Critical Essays, Vol. 3, Aldershot, Ashgate.

(2007) ’Learning from the “Trojan Horse”? The arrival of “Anti-Social Behaviour Orders” in Ireland’, European Journal of Social Work, 10 (4): 497-511.

(2007) ’Sinbin Solutions: The “pioneer” projects for “problem families” and the forgetfulness of social policy research, Critical Social Policy, 27 (2): 203-230.

(2004) Social work and Irish people in Britain: Historical and contemporary responses to Irish children and families (Policy Press).

Dominant social work and social care discourses on 'race' and ethnicity often fail to incorporate an Irish dimension. This book challenges this omission and provides new insights into how social work has engaged with Irish children and their families, historically and to the present day. The book provides the first detailed exploration social work with Irish children and families in Britain; examines archival materials to illuminate historical patterns of engagement; provides an account of how social services departments in England and Wales are currently responding to the needs of Irish children and families; incorporates the views of Irish social workers and acts as a timely intervention in the debate on social work's 'modernisation' agenda. The book will be valuable to social workers, social work educators and students. Its key themes will also fascinate those interested in 'race' and ethnicity in Britain in the early 21st century.

(2003) Remaking Social Work with Children and Families (Routledge).

Remaking Social Work with Children and Families provides a sustained examination of the 'modernisation' of this area of social care. It analyses some of the key themes introduced by the administrations of John Major and Tony Blair and provides a critical exploration of contemporary policy initiatives and issues. These include: the Looking After Children (LAC) materials; the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families; 'working together' to protect children; the mainstream approach to 'race' and ethnicity in social work; the implications for social work of the emergence of 'personal advisers', mentors and related professionals. The author argues that political and ideological factors need to be taken into account in order to understand the dominant discourses and evolving practices of social work with children. Potential fixation with ensuring that young people are able to 'fit' into their allotted roles in a market economy and an overarching concern about children and criminality have been crucial in this respect. He concludes that while social workers and educators should be prepared to embrace change, they need to be critical agents in the process of change, recognising the ever present need to promote and foster democracy within the sphere of social welfare.

>> For a more extensive list of publications, click here. 

>> For a compendium of book reviews, click here. 

Supervision of Research

Masters in Social Work Dissertations:

2006
Tracey Hough. Children are Children the World Over: The views of Irish foster carers who foster Non-Irish Children
Orla Quinn. Is there any hope for the future? A Study of the psychological consequences and social well-being of Angolan refugee and asylum seeking young people living in Galway City
Fiona Patricia Lyons. Tick, Tock: Where does the Time Go? The pressure undermining direct work with children in child protection
Catherine Sheridan. The Allegory of the Mother in Child Protection Social Work (co-supervised)

2007
Glenn Blaney. Dangerous Masculinities: Social Work Professionals Understanding of Masculinity and the Failure to engage Non-Abusing Fathers in Social Work Services
Elaine Finneran. Schizophrenia and Social Stigma
Fiona Meenaghan. The Perceptions Young People in Care have of their Social Worker

2008
Donal Farrell. Exploring the ’Different Dynamic’: Changing social work in contemporary Ireland
Lorraine Gaughan. Portrayal or Betrayal: Print media reports on the image of social work in the Republic of Ireland

2009
Rachel Lynch. More Than Words: Touch Practices in Social Work: An exploratory study (The related article written by Rachel and I can be viewed here)

2010
Eleanor Sexton. Trying to Make it Fit: Complexities associated with relative foster care
Christina Warnock. Social Work, Motherhood and Substance Abuse: A Bourdieusian Perspective

Masters in Family Support Dissertations:

2007
Lorraine Anne Mallaghan. An exploratory study of professional views on supporting the Children of Parents who abuse alcohol

2008
Bronach O'Donoghue. Professionals accounts of inter-agency collaboration in family support

2009
Paul O’Connor, Family Support: Challenging the Limits of Our Helping Paradigms

2010
Sabrina Carey. If you are minding the work you are minding yourself: Reflective practice as an aid to anti-violence workers self-care

PhD Supervision

2005
Anne-Marie Dineen. Is Irish governmental social policy in alleviating the social exclusion of the homeless? (discontinued)

2007
Nessa O’Callaghan. Society’s attitude towards young people and their involvement in ’anti-social behaviour’ and government responses (Incomplete)

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