Critical Theory and Radical Romanticism: Hans Thiersch's Lifeworld Orientation and German Social Work Theory

Summary With its long history as an academic discipline, social work in Germany has a substantial theory base. The dominant theory in the contemporary German canon is the lifeworld orientation, most closely associated with nonagenarian theorist Hans Thiersch. This paper reconstructs the theory's late twentieth-century evolution, contextualized for the international reader. Its basis is an analysis of Thiersch's own writing, considered with reference to the philosophical, political, and social work positions shaping it. The paper thus locates the theory ideationally, by examining contemporaneous academic educational-philosophical discourses; politically, in terms of social policy shifts; and professionally, with regard to the broader practice developments which it both responded to and triggered. Findings Contextual analysis of Thiersch's work locates it under the influence of hermeneutics/phenomenology, symbolic interactionism, and critical theory. The theory has a strong ethical core, with lifeworld-oriented practitioners demonstrating a mindfulness of clients’ subjective experiences, and a dialogical approach to working collaboratively with them. Applications The lifeworld orientation's social pedagogic roots and its focus on community interventions, prevention, participative processes, and the actual experiences and understandings of clients make it an approach highly compatible with the current interest in relationship-based social work and radical/critical social work. Detailed consideration of German theory evolution also throws light on broader international questions of theory development, as well as offering comparative social work theory insights.