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The profession of social work, like all other human behavior disciplines today, is undergoing rapid change and is taking a fresh look at its own underpinnings in order to meet the social revolution that is almost upon us. Strean notes that the definition of social casework has varied with the times but that as yet
… casework has not developed its own consistent set of theoretical terms, its own body of knowledge, and its own theory. In contrast to older professions … casework's values and concepts have stressed helping as a service in such a way that doing and feeling, rather than analyzing, have been emphasized [p. 10]. … A scientific attitude with sound theoretical underpinning has often been linked to aloofness and impersonality toward the client and these latter qualities have been viewed as an antithesis to a sound casework process [p. 25] … the schools of social work have perpetuated a system whereby the majority of its members may be inclined towards an antitheoretical orientation [p. 25].
In order to remedy these lacks Strean has gathered a compact volume in which the following theories of human behavior are clearly explicated, well illustrated with case studies, and also described in application to casework process: (1) psychoanalysis and ego psychology, (2) systems theory,