Social Work and Social Justice: Concepts, Challenges, and Strategies

Social Work and Social Justice transcends discussions of abstract social justice concepts and goals by focusing on how these concepts can be used as guides for socially just practice at the interpersonal, organizational, community, and societal levels. In addition to emphasizing the importance of social justice work through compelling examples, case studies, and exercises, this book vividly illustrates its complexity and discusses how social workers can negotiate the practical and ethical challenges involved. Unlike many books on the subject, the text integrates diverse and often conflicting approaches to social justice to promote critical thinking and underscore the value of incorporating various perspectives into one's practice. Other distinguishing features include: its emphasis on the complementary nature of socially just goals and processes; its use of well-developed case examples, often drawn from the authors' experience; and the authors' reflection on the implications of these examples from both "micro" and "macro" perspectives, along with a discussion of how practitioners with diverse understandings of social justice might interpret the case. Social Work and Social Justice is based on the authors' extensive teaching and practice experience in a wide variety of fields, both in the U.S. and internationally, and on their research on such varied topics as welfare reform, mental health, social work practice theory, social work values and ethics, and the history and philosophy of social welfare and social work. It is undeniably a must-have resource for students and faculty in undergraduate and graduate social work programs, as well as practitioners in social work and the human services.

Michael Reisch, PhD, is the Daniel Thursz Distinguished Professor of Social Justice at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. He has published and lectured widely on such topics as poverty and inequality, welfare reform, the history and philosophy of social welfare, and contemporary social policy, and held leadership positions in numerous advocacy, professional, and social change organizations. In 2013, he was named "Social Work Educator of the Year" by the Maryland Chapter of NASW and, in 2014, he received the "Teacher of the Year" award from the University of Maryland Baltimore and the Significant Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council on Social Work Education.

Charles Garvin, PhD, AM, received his Master's degree in Social Work in 1951 and PhD in Social Work from the University of Chicago in 1968. He was a professor of social work at the University of Michigan from 1965 until he became Professor Emeritus in 2002. He is the author of numerous texts and over 100 articles and book chapters on social work, social work education, group work, social work practice, and research. His current work deals with integrating the concept of social justice into all social work activities. In 2013, he received the Significant Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council on Social Work Education.