Cover Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Foreword -- Preface -- List of Illustrations -- Section 1 A Theoretical Overview -- 1 Thinking critically about critical thinking -- Background and development -- Definitions of critical thinking -- Possible boundaries of critical thinking -- Purpose and politics of contemporary critical thinking 'studies' -- 2 The authenticity of knowledge -- The development of a knowledge industry society -- Transition from manufacturing economy to knowledge production economy -- Knowledge and professional autonomy -- 3 Assumptions -- Identifying assumptions -- Physical and perceptual assumptions -- Context and the manufacture of assumptions -- Assumptions and professionalism -- 4 The nature of evidence -- Evidence: where's the problem? -- Scientific approaches to evidence -- The scientific use of evidence -- Criticisms of scientific approaches to evidence -- Section 2 Key Theoretical Tools of Critical Thinking -- 5 Political ideologies -- Principal political ideologies -- Application of political ideologies to contemporary issues in health and social care -- Political ideologies as critical thinking tools in health and social care -- 6 Moral reasoning -- Key ethical theories -- Contemporary issues in health and social care -- Moral reasoning as a critical thinking tool in health and social care -- 7 Feminism and post-feminism -- Key concepts associated with feminism and post-feminism -- Similarities and differences between feminist and post-feminist theories -- Application of feminist/post-feminist theories to contemporary issues in health and social care -- 8 Critical realism -- Critical realism: key concepts -- Application of critical realism to contemporary issues in health and social care -- 9 Chaos and complexity theories -- Chaos theory: key concepts -- Complexity theory: key concepts.

Links between chaos and complexity theories -- Contemporary issues in health and social care using chaos and complexity theories -- Chaos and complexity theories as critical thinking tools in health and social care -- 10 Postmodernism and post-structuralism -- Postmodernism: key concepts -- Similarities and differences between modernism and postmodernism -- Post-structuralism: key concepts -- Contemporary issues in health and social care using postmodernism and post-structuralism -- Postmodernism and post-structuralism as critical thinking tools in health and social care -- Section 3 Application To Health And Social Care Practice -- 11 Case studies in health and social care -- Case study 1: medical model or holistic care? -- Case study 2: inter-professional working -- Postmodernism -- Case study 3: developing services for older people -- 12 The implications for practice -- The opportunities and challenges of applying critical thinking tools in practice -- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in health and social care -- Portfolio development and critical thinking -- Personal, professional development planning -- Summary -- The future of health and social care provision -- Ascendancy of neoliberalism -- Impact on practitioner skills -- References -- Index.