Social Welfare in Global Context

James Midgley provides an overview of social welfare, outlining key institutions, terminology, historical research and approaches. In addition, he details reasons for the existence of international social welfare and the challenges which arise from it.

Social Welfare in Global Context includes sections on: applied international social welfare, which addresses the concerns of practitioners; and issues of social work practice, social development, the activities of international agencies and their collaborative efforts. As well as its important focus on practical application, the book also presents key theoretical debates in the field, and provides a comprehensive account of world social conditions and social welfare.

James Midgley provides an overview of social welfare, outlining key institutions, terminology, historical research and approaches. In addition, he details reasons for the existence of international social welfare and the challenges which arise from it.

Social Welfare in Global Context includes sections on: applied international social welfare, which addresses the concerns of practitioners; and issues of social work practice, social development, the activities of international agencies and their collaborative efforts. As well as its important focus on practical application, the book also presents key theoretical debates in the field, and provides a comprehensive account of world social conditions and social welfare.

James Midgley is the Harry and Riva Specht Professor of Public Social Services and Dean of the School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to Social Welfare in Global Context which was published by Sage in 1997, he has published widely on issues international social work and social welfare. He is particularly well known for his work on social work and social policy in the developing world and he is widely regarded as a pioneer of this field. His most important books dealing with social work and social welfare in the developing countries include: Professional Imperialism: Social Work in the Third World, Heinemann.1981; The Social Dimensions of Development; Social Policy and Planning in the Third World, Wiley, 1982 (with M. Hardiman); Social Security, Inequality and the Third World, Wiley 1984; Comparative Social Policy and the Third World (with S. MacPherson) Harvester, 1987; Social Development: The Developmental Perspective in Social Welfare. Sage, 1995; and Social Policy for Development (with A. Hall, Sage, 2004). Professional Imperialism and Social Security, Inequality and the Third World were among the first to address issues of social work and Social Security in the developing countries.

Midgley is also a pioneer in the field of international social work. He formulated the proposal for Profiles in International Social Work, one of the first books dealing with international social work which was co-edited with M. C. Hokenstad and Shanti K. Khinduka and published by NASW Press for the World Social Work Congress in 1992. Subsequently, he published two additional books with M. C. Hokenstad on international social work for NASWPress. These are Issues in International Social Work (1997) and Lessons from Abroad: Adapting International Social Welfare Innovations (2004). Midgley's graduate textbook Social Welfare in Global Context which was published by Sage in 1997 has been widely adopted.

His other recent books include: The Handbook of Social Policy (with M. Tracy and M. Livermore) Sage, 2000; Controversial Issues in Social Policy (with Howard Karger and Brene Brown, Allyn & Bacon, 2003), and Lessons from Abroad: Adapting International Social Welfare Innovations. (With M. C. Hokenstad NASW Press, 2004).