Future Directions in Social Development

This book invites readers to think about future directions in social development. The book succinctly presents the historical context and progress of social development. By reflecting on the Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals, it discusses the increasing global relevance of several critical themes and issues such as human rights and good governance, participation, peace, gender, environment, religion and spirituality, aging, social protection and partnership. It appreciates the importance of goals and targets, but calls to look beyond them to visualise future directions in social development. The book argues that values-driven social development needs to focus on knowledge creation, dissemination and training, draw on multidisciplinary knowledge and professionals, promote conscientious consumption, create less unequal societies and engage in innovation that brings happiness to everyone.

James Midgley is Harry and Riva Specht Professor of Public Social Services and former Dean of the School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, US. He previously taught at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the London School of Economics, UK, and Louisiana State University, US. His most prominent publications include Professional Imperialism: Social Work in the Third World (1981), Comparative Social Policy and the Third World (with Stewart MacPherson, 1987), Social Development: The Developmental Perspective in Social Welfare (1995), Social Policy for Development (with Anthony Hall, 2004), Social Development: Theory and Practice (2014) and Social Welfare for a Global Era: International Perspectives on Policy and Practice (2016).

Manohar Pawar is Professor of Social Work at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Australia, and President of the International Consortium for Social Development. His most recent publications include Reflective Social Work Practice: Thinking, Doing and Being (with Bill Anscombe, 2015), Water and Social Policy (2014), Social and Community Development Practice (2014), International Social Work: Issues, Strategies and Programs (with David Cox, 2013), Sage Handbook of International Social Work (CoEd., 2012), Social Development: Critical Themes and Perspectives (with David Cox, Ed., 2010), and Community Development in Asia and the Pacific (2010).