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Abstract
Cultural competence is one of the most debated concepts in social work. Whilst some scholars view it as a central tenet of social work theory, practice and education, others critique it as a new form of racism and even encourage its abandonment in social work. Amidst this fierce debate, this article attempts to answer the following question: How do we become entrapped by our own thinking when it comes to fostering or critiquing cultural competence and related constructs as well as understanding their embodiment in everyday social work practice? Using a post-structural lens, especially Foucault's work on the 'Order of Things' in society, this article interrogates discourses and praxis in cross-cultural social work practice (CCSWP). After briefly examining the pervasive concepts of cultural competence, cultural humility and structural competence currently in circulation, this article elaborates upon debated discourses and interrogates the praxis underlying CCSWP. Instead of descending into semantic and theoretical debates and promoting one dogmatism above others, it is essential to assume a position of ongoing interrogation and critique of the pervasive discourses and praxis of cultural competence and alternative concepts. Doing so can promote reflective CCSWP and create the possibility for transformative change in social work practice.

AbstractSocial work doctoral education is charged with the task of generating and critically evaluating knowledge to inform and transform professional practice. To promote the foundational values of social justice and diversity in social work, scholars highlight the importance of multiple ways of knowing and multiple ontological perspectives in social work knowledge generation. Yet, critical scholars have raised concerns about a reviving dogmatism in the philosophical and theoretical orientations (e.g. positivism and empiricism) of social work knowledge. Recent studies also show a significant gap between research and social justice in the social work doctoral curriculum. Critically reflecting and problematising this 'social' phenomenon, I argue that it is essential to engage in ongoing theorising to resist dominant discourses, represent marginalised voices in social work knowledge and furthermore, to teach students how to theorise in doctoral education. Drawing from Foucauldian theories on knowledge and power, this article first contextualises the dangers of dogmatism in knowledge generation in social work. Then, I provide a brief review of the historical development of theorising, introducing Richard Swedberg's work on the topic, particularly his four steps in the 'process of theorising'. How this noble sociological 'theory of theorising' can be incorporated into social work is discussed.

Abstract
Social work practice starts with an effort to understand clients-in-context, a task which involves a process of assessment. Whilst social workers often assess clients-in-systems, rarely do they consider the social worker-in-systems as part of the client's context. Guided by Foucault's concepts of disciplinary and biopolitical power and related constructs of 'Panopticism' and 'homo oeconomicus', this article interrogates how the social worker's observational gaze in assessment has become veiled in practice. Using a critical review method, the author examines how Foucault's notion of a 'faceless gaze' has been increasingly intensified by the use of information technology in 'common assessment', thereby transforming the fundamentals of assessment from understanding the client for 'care' to 'managing risk' in neoliberal governance. This article historicises and politicises temporal discourses of social work assessment and illustrates how the worker's embodied knowledge of assessment as a governing apparatus may solidify and/or endanger the social work profession. Locating assessment as a site of social in/justice, this critical review on the inevitable workings of power in assessment invites social workers to re-think the boundaries of de/professionalisation and to critically reflect on and re-imagine everyday institutional practices in social work assessment.

Although controversial, a therapist's self-disclosure has been increasingly considered to have a positive effect in therapy. However, there has been little discussion around disclosing therapists' culturally embedded values and their impact on assessing, assimilating, and changing culturally diverse clients. Due to the implicit nature of culture within the self, it is challenging for social workers to bracket a powerful cultural influence in their practice. Using critical theories of language and discourse, this article analyzes two case examples from recorded therapy sessions between White therapists and clients of color to illustrate how therapists disclose their personal, professional, or cultural self in assessing clients' presenting issues and selecting interventions. The case examples suggest that self-disclosure can involve problematic therapy interactions based on cultural assumptions.

This article proposes a revision to the construct of cultural competencies into cross-cultural competencies (CCC), to include relational and dynamic aspects from clinical social work practice. This approach moves the construct beyond a 1-person system (i.e., cultural competence as a clinicians characteristic across diverse clients) to a 2-person system that interacts between 2 cultural beings, client and clinician. Comparing the National Association of Social Workers Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice with the American Psychological Association Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists, this article illustrates the unique emphasis of clinical social work practice on cross-cultural interactions. The implications of CCC for clinical social work practice are also discussed.

"This handbook presents a thorough examination of the intricate interplay of race, ethnicity, and culture in mental health - historical origins, subsequent transformations, and the discourses generated from past and present mental health and wellness practices. The Routledge International Handbook of Race, Ethnicity and Culture in Mental Health is an essential resource for students, researchers, and professionals alike as it addresses the complexity of mental health issues from a critical, global perspective"--