Social Work and Attachment

The Influence of Social Work on the Measurement of Attachment

Influence of Social Care on the Measurement of Attachment

Introduction

Attachment called the special ties that link the child and his original mentor. Many psychologists believe that the initial attachment effect for all subsequent life on our relationships with those whom we love. The attachment gives a child a sense of security. Children with attachment to the mother from the first days of life, receive profound stress of separation from her. Studies of attachment rhesus monkeys conducted by Harlow demonstrated the importance of physical contact and comfort for the development of attachment. Bowlby added to the conclusion that children are genetically programmed for the production of attachment to his first tutor. The innate behavior of children, aimed at developing affection of his mother, include a smile and cooing, invariably causing the mother of the child and the desire to be kind to pick him up (Bowlby, 1969).

Attachment Theory

Attachment theory explains the relationship bond in a social relationship. This theory was formalized by the psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby, after the work of Winnicott, Lorenz and Harlow. It is also known to be a field of psychology that deals with relations between human beings. Its basic principle is that a young child needs to experience a normal social and emotional development, to develop an attachment relationship with at least one person who takes care of him in a consistent and continuous basis (Bowlby, 1969). Attachment theory is now one of the most popular trends in American and European psychology. Born in the depths of depth psychology, attachment theory took shape as an independent scientific school. Like psychoanalysis, attachment theory has arisen out of clinical practice. Its founders - John Bowlby and Ainsworth M. were clinical psychologists, and their early research focused on practical work with patients. Subsequently, it acquired the status of a full line of the psychological concept that goes far beyond the psychology of infancy (Bowlby, 1969).

Implications of Attachment Theory

At present, attachment theory finds its application in various fields of psychology: social, developmental, educational, general psychology, etc. A clear example, of the widespread and unquestioning application of a psychological theory in social work is the use of Attachment Theory. Despite the diversity of theory within developmental psychology on child development, 'Attachment Theory', it has assumed an unrivalled authority within children's social care. Contemporary authors now write of 'Attachment Theory', as a 'paradigm' (Svanberg, 1998, p.544) and even 'knowledge' (Lewis & Rosental, 2000)The unparallel status of Attachment Theory is even evident within the legal arena (Crawford & Walker, 2007) and local government professionals have found themselves criticized within judicial inquiries for not being conversant with Attachment Theory. Almost without exception, contemporary social work literature speaks of 'Attachment Theory' as a key to understanding the complexities of the lives of children (Shaver & Mikulincer, 2004).

Perhaps the most radical and controversial claim of 'Attachment Theory' is that the nature and the strength of the 'attachment pattern or bond' between child ...