Anti-Discriminatory Practice,
 Neil Thompson,
 London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, pp. 208, ISBN 13 978 1 4039 2160 4, £17.99

Extract

First published in 1992, this is the fourth edition of Professor Thompson’s popular text on anti-discriminatory approaches to social work intervention. As the author rightly points out, his book also has much to commend it to other social and health care professionals.

The first chapter contextualizes anti-discriminatory practice in relation to social work. It outlines the development of legislation around discrimination and some of the weaknesses of social work theory and training in addressing issues of racism, sexism and disablism. Chapter Two outlines Professor Thompson’s conceptual approach, which he terms PCS analysis. This utilizes a tripartite model that examines discrimination at the personal, cultural and structural levels and offers a basis upon which to challenge it. Chapters Three to Six deal in turn with sexism, racism, ageism and disablism. Chapter Seven is rather a catch-all section and explores the forms of oppression which have not been covered previously. Consequently, sexual orientation, religion, language, regional identity, mental illness and mental impairment are each dealt with in relatively short subsections. A concluding chapter summaries and pulls together the major themes of the book.