Social Change and Social Work: The Changing Societal Conditions of Social Work in Time and Place

Social Change and Social Work discusses and examines how social work is challenged by social, political and economic tendencies going on in current societies. The authors ask how social work as a discipline and practice is encountering global and local transformations. Divided into three parts, topics covered include the changing social work mandate throughout history; social work paradigms and theoretical considerations; phenomenological social work; practice research; and gender and generational research. Taken together, the chapters in this anthology provide an authoritative and up-to-date overview of current discussions within the European social work research community.

Timo Harrikari is Senior Research Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Social Work in the Department of Social Research at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Pirkko-Liisa Rauhala is University Lecturer of Social Work and Adjunct Professor of Social Policy in the Department of Social Research at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Elina Virokannas is University Lecturer and Adjunct Professor of Social Work in the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.