International Social Work

This book details the evolution of Bengali culture (in both Bangladesh and West Bengal) since antiquity and argues for its modernization. Originally peripheral to Hindu civilization based in North India, Bengali culture was subjected to various forms of Sanskritization. Centuries of invasions (1204-1757) resulted most notably in the Islamization of Bengal. Often there were conflicts between Sanskritization and Islamization. Later colonization of Bengal by Britain (1757) led to a process of Anglicization, which created a new middle class in Bengal that, in turn, created a form of elitism among the Bengali Hindu upper caste. After British rule ended (1947), Bengali culture lost its elitist status in South Asia and has undergone severe marginalization. Political instability and economic insufficiency, as reflected by many quantitative and qualitative indicators, are common and contribute to pervasive unemployment, alienation, vigilantism, and instability in the entire region. A Story of Ambivalent Modernization in Bangladesh and West Bengal is appropriate not only for Bengali intellectuals and scholars but for sociologists, political scientists, cultural anthropologists, historians, and others interested in a case study of how and why a given culture becomes derailed from its path toward modernization.

Note: written by Mandel School emeriti faculty

Since the first International Confernce of Social Work in 1928, the call has been raised for constant intellectual contact between social workers worldwide. Inspired by this call, Lynne M. Healy, Yvonne Asamoah, and M. C. ''Terry'' Hokenstad have developed a source book to foster interuniversity collaborations in social work education. The first two chapters, by Asamoah and Healy, respectively, provide a background and theoretical basis to international collaborations. Eleven case studies representing partnerships between universities around the world provide models for program development. In each chapter the authors discuss the strengths, surprises, and obstacles they encountered in establishing and maintaining their collaborations. In the concluding chapter, Hokenstad consolidates the previous material to provide a concluding look at international exchange and possibilities for the future.
Council on Social Work Education.

Learn about the place of social work in a global economy, the role of social workers in addressing ethnic conflicts, future directions in response to new international needs, and more. Each chapter outlines the global context of the challenges faced, the nature of the challenges now and in the future, and the response of social work to these challenges.

Although social workers in the United States are regarded as among the world's leaders in formulating innovative approaches to social work and social welfare, U.S. policymakers have much to learn from colleagues in other nations. No matter how well developed or tested practice and policy approaches may be, there is always the opportunity to share experiences and learn from others. In Lessons from Abroad, renowned international social work experts Hokenstad and Midgley examine how domestic policies and practice can be enhanced by documenting, analyzing and judiciously adapting innovative approaches emanating from other countries.

"Information is divided into four sections--Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and the Americas--with each section containing description and analysis of ethnicity in each nation in that region. Each regional section begins with an introduction, bibliography of sources, and maps. The nation profiles include three categories of information. First, there is an overview of the major ethnic groups or clusters of related ethnic groups in the late 1990s. Included are indigenous groups and nonindigenous or immigrant groups. Second, there are brief descriptions of these ethnic groups, including location, population, religion, and basic economic, social, and political practices. Third, a brief analysis is given of the current state of ethnic relations in that nation. The book's introduction adds significant value by discussing topics such as ethnocentrism, stereotyping, ethnic politics, indigenous rights movements, immigration, and assimilation. The index is very detailed, allowing the user to locate, as examples, information on Croats in Sweden or Evangelical Christians in Kuwait." --Booklist

This book advocates the development of international social work, both as offering an important perspective on practice at local level and as a distinct form of cross-border and supra-national activity. The author argues that the effects of globalization and regional policies on the welfare sector have implications for the users of social services and community development programmes which require all social professionals to have a better understanding of these processes and consequences and of the international networks through which they themselves might operate. Some of the material used is of a comparative nature, for instance in relation to the education of social professionals or their relationship with the state or the family and examples are drawn from a wide range of countries. But there is also a thematic treatment of three phenomena which are seen to have significant international dimensions, that is, poverty, migration and disasters. The book considers the role of social professionals in relation to these themes and identifies greater scope for intervention in relation to a range of social problems at international levels.

Completely updated, this classic text includes new chapters on prevailing social issues and covers the latest advances in theory, ethics, measurement, clinical practice, assessment, and more.

Authors Chathapuram S. Ramanthan and Rosemary J. Link anticipate the new CSWE accreditation standards, stressing the importance of international content to the effectiveness of social work programs. In this cutting-edge book, the authors focus on a global commitment to sustainable human development and encourage the interaction of social workers globally. Focusing on guiding social workers in facilitating a more humane and multidimensional approach to social and economic development and a sensitivity to marginalized citizens of the globe, the authors emphasize reciprocity of professional technology and practice rather than exporting expertise from Western nations.

With the constant exchange of international information now a permanent condition in the world, social work scholars and students must be sensitive to the need for knowledge sharing between countries as well as to issues involved in obtaining and utilizing international knowledge. Yet until now, no book has juxtaposed these two growing streams of emphasis. In this clearly written volume, Tony Tripodi and Miriam Potocky-Tripodi fill that gap, presenting readers with the many prospects and great potential for international social work research.