The joint team: a descriptive study

Abstract

The thesis is a descriptive study of the work of the Joint Teams in Auckland, New Zealand, as at August, 1973. In the first two chapters, theories of delinquency from sociological writings are considered, and their implications for, and relation to, the practice of social work. These matters are then examined for their relevance to New Zealand urban society, with particular reference to New Zealand's urban Polynesian population. Chapter three considers the methodology of the research, and the limitations of this methodology. Subsequent chapters contain a history of the development of the Joint Teams, their composition, social work considerations concerning the teams, and general description of their work, subdivided into three main areas - work in the schools, work in the courts, and night patrol work. Finally, the results are summarized and discussed. The interviews used in the research are reproduced at the end of the thesis. Two appendices contain Y.A.S. statistics and a summary of the week of one J-team member. The bibliography appears last.