International social work involves various organizations at the global level including the United Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank, and non-governmental organizations. Social work roles within these international organizations can include casework, community development, planning, policy work, administration, and research. There is no single agreed upon definition of international social work, but it generally involves exchanges or relationships between two or more countries. Globalization is a process that increases human interaction worldwide and transcends traditional boundaries, though it also poses challenges for ensuring social welfare and equitable development. Cultural relativism is important in international social work to adapt practices to local contexts, but complex issues around human rights must also be considered.

1. International social work
HCS103
Presentation by Karen Bell

2. International Social Work
[Images from the CSU Social Work India Study Program]
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3. Organisations involved in international context
include
United Nations – e.g. committees – Economic &
Social Dev’t (ECOSOC), Social Dev’t, Human Rights,
Status of Women, Population, narcotic Drugs. E.g.
Agencies – UNICEF, UN Dev’t Program
World Health Organisation
World Bank & International Monetary Fund (largest
source of funding, loans to dev. countries)
International Social Services (adoptions, family reunion,
custody, etc)
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4. Organisations involved in international context include
Non-government agencies (NGOs)
Red Cross
Oxfam
World Vision
Amnesty International
Greenpeace
Medicines Sans frontieres
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5. Organisations involved in international context
include
Professional organisations
International Federation of Social Workers
(IFSW)
International Federation of Schools of
Social Work (IFSSW)
International Council Social Welfare (ICSW)
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6. Social work roles in international organisations
include -
casework, group work, community development,
planning / policy / administration / research
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7. Defining international SW
Midgley (2001)
– no standard definition
– is it a field of practice or a set of skills?
- defined by exchanges between countries? – Healy (1990)
– ‘any aspect of social work involving two or more
countries’ (in Midgley 2001, p. 25).
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8. ‘Social work promotes social change,
problem-solving inhuman relationships, and
the empowerment and liberation of people to
enhance wellbeing. Utilising theories of
human behaviour and social systems, social
work intervenes at the points where people
intersect with their environments. Principles
of human rights and social justice are
fundamental for social work’ (Hare 2004,
p.409).
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9. Midgley (2001) asks -
* In a new era of globalism, has the absence of a
systematic internationalisation of social work led to
uncoordinated and haphazard SW?
* Are students given enough information on
international SW?
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10. Is there a universality of social work values? Or is this
another name for ‘professional imperialism’?
(Drucker 2003).
‘While most SWs will support the idea of enhanced
interaction, many will be uncomfortable with the
proposition that social work should be committed to
internationalist ideology’ (Midgley 2001, p. 24)
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11. Midgley argues for all SWs to have a global
awareness and the ability to contextualise the role of
SW at a global level.
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12. What is globalisation?
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13. Globalisation
- mostly thought of in terms of international
economic integration.
- also has demographic, social, cultural and
ecological, policy and psychological dimensions
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14. Globalisation is
‘a process of rapidly increasing human interaction
within a ‘one-world’ system that transcend previous
political, spatial and temporal boundaries’
(Midgley 2001, p.26).
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15. The focus on globalisation’s economic aspects
leads to
>>>‘market discipline’ (Dominelli 1999) being
imposed on social welfare, the activities of
government and human relationships.
>>> pressure to decrease expenditure on the
welfare state
NEGATIVE EFFECTS
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16. And on the POSITIVE side, globalisation could be argued to provide
opportunities for….
>>> enhancing international collaboration, promoting peace and
cultural understanding
>>> renewing collective responsibility for social welfare
>>>enhanced global human interaction
>>>increased lobbying for greater accountability from International
Monetary Fund, World Bank, G8, etc.
>>>strengthening the UN
>>>increased supranational social policy development
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17. Models of Social Work
Remedial – most Western SW focuses on
remediation (‘fixing’ individual problems)
Activist – challenging the underlying causes of
disadvantage, challenging oppression, view remedial
SW as a tool of oppression
Developmental – harmonising economic and social
development, community development work (e.g.
cooperatives, micro-enterprises), working for self-
determined, sustainable communities
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18. Social work
- has moved away from remedial practice to more
developmental work
Priorities
- reinvigorating planned socio-economic dev’t – not distorted
dev’t (where economic dev’t is pursued at the expense of
social outcomes, leading to skewed income distribution
favouring rich)
- oppression of women, children, indigenous people
- poverty alleviation
- refugee issues
- peace, environmental degradation
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19. How can we avoid cultural imperialism in
international social work?
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20. Cultural relativism implies
- an acceptance of social diversity
- that Western SW needs to adapt to the needs
and the context of the developing country
- indigenisation / authenticisation
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21. Midgley argues that it is more complex than that.
He challenges us to consider what position social
work should take on issues like
- genital mutilation
- prescriptive clothing requirements
- arranged marriages / dowry systems
- harsh physical punishment, capital punishment
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22. Drucker (2003, p. 55)
‘…do we in fact function largely as selective stretcher
bearers… of our own society, and act predominantly
with a Western cultural orientation, indistinguishable
from others, currently dancing to the compelling
tune of unrestrained free market forces?’
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23. VIDEO - In Silence:Maternal Mortality in India
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?
a=mgINITOFJmJRJ8L&s=gmKYKdPSKeITLcOYKv
G&m=kuL1I6PMIiLWJkJ
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24. References
Drucker,D. 2003. Whither international social work?
International Social Work. 46(1):53-81
Hare, I. 2004. Defining social work for the 21st
century.
International Social Work. 47(3):407- 424
Hugman, R. 2010. Understanding international social work. New
York, Palgrave Macmillan.
Midgley, J. 2001. Issues in international social work. Journal of
Social Work 1(1): 21-35
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