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Overview
This is a book about social workers and social work. It tells the story of the journey into and through social work of people from around the world living and working in social work today. We hear what has brought them into social work and what has kept them in it since. Their lively accounts demonstrate that commitment and passion remain at the heart of social work today.
This new edition of Becoming a Social Worker is made up of entirely new stories. It describes what it is like to be a social worker in a range of different practice settings in different countries. While many of the narratives are from practitioners and educators who either grew up in, or came as adults to, the UK, half of the narratives explores the experiences of social workers and educators working in different parts of the world in countries as diverse as Australia and New Zealand, India and Bangladesh, Ireland, Sweden and Eastern Europe, Nigeria, the USA and Canada. The book ends with a commentary, which argues that social work is truly a global profession.
Some of the contributors will be recognised as those who have played a key part in shaping social work over the years and they provide valuable insights into how the profession has developed over time. Other contributors, less well known but no less interesting, give a vivid account of the challenges that social work education and practice face, and the shared values that underpin social work wherever it is located. Social work is a demanding and difficult job that goes largely unseen within society. We only ever hear about social work and social workers when something goes wrong and a vulnerable adult or child is hurt. Becoming a Social Worker sets out to change that – to make social work visible, so that those considering a career in the caring professions across the world can make an informed choice about whether social work is the career for them.
Editorials
From the Publisher
‘Professor Cree has gathered together a fascinating collection of autobiographical accounts of how 23 people became social workers. It makes for an engrossing read, though neither the profession nor its administrative context emerge unscathed. As a piece of exploratory occupational sociology, it is unique and will prompt lively debate among its readers.’ – Martin Davies, Emeritus Professor, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK and author of ‘The Essential Social Worker’‘This book provides a fascinating introduction to social work in many different forms and in different places. It does so through the narratives of 23 social workers across a dozen countries and gives insights into the motivations and experiences of people involved in a wide variety of roles. Its emphasis is on the contemporary but authors also reflect on the social and professional issues which were significant in their early careers and the prospects for future developments in the profession.
Rather than presenting a systematic or comprehensive account of "social work around the world", this is a collection of autobiographical stories about social work "from the inside" and, as such, illustrates the unique paths into and through social work in a variety of national, socio-economic, cultural and organisational environments. Asked to describe a typical week some authors denied that there is any such thing and certainly the variety in day to day work is a major motivator for many social workers working in this complex and demanding field.
The extent to which social work is increasingly a global profession is illustrated by several authors who have themselves experienced international mobility or are working in international agencies and the relevance of cross-cultural understanding and communication is a common thread in many chapters. Equally notable is the emphasis given by some authors to the importance of professional values and working for change towards the goal of social justice. While some of the stories are rooted in the practice of social work, others emphasise the role of social workers in education, research, policy change and political activity.
Readers considering a career in social work will not find a blueprint for practice in any particular country or setting in these pages but they will get a glimpse of the challenges, variety and potential of work in this field, while experienced social workers will derive stimulus and may see alternative career opportunities from the narratives presented in this very readable book.’ – Karen Lyons, Emeritus Professor of International Social Work, London Metropolitan University, UK