International Social Work: Professional Debates about Global and Local Practices

Abstract

International social work is still a work in progress and an arena with diverse definitions, interpretations, and directions. The international application of social work requires taking a multi-faceted view of the nature of social work and has implications for the international debate on values and ethics; the profession's firm commitment to the principles of human rights and social justice raises many questions about how these values may be perceived differently in relation to cultural and national contexts. The increasing mobility of social workers across national borders, as well as posing challenges in terms of cultural adaptation and sometimes language competences, offers important opportunities to recognize the skills and the experiences which workers from other countries bring; and, at a more general level, increased opportunities for gaining an international perspective on the development of social work and social services.