This paper raises questions about the ways in which social workers try to "explain" or make sense of their practice in interviewing. It is concerned with the ways that they "construct reality" in their day to day work and how they ascribe order or patterns to this reality. The discussion is based on a tape recorded transcript of a social worker — applicant interview and a transcript of a talk between the social worker and the writer about the interview. It seems that "theory" and "practice" are regarded as discrepant as theoretical knowledge is lost sight of in the action setting of the intake team where taken for granted routines take precedence.
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