ABSTRACT
This book aims to advance ideas about the nature of international social work and to provide theoretical and illustrative material as a basis for developing its practice. It argues that even an activity apparently so intimately linked to the socio-economic characteristics and culture (or cultures) of a given country must recognise the impact of globalisation and of regional policies on the welfare of citizens in diverse societies. Additionally, there is a place for social work activity which is more explicitly crossnational or international in its form. While leaders in the field have historically been aware of social work developments elsewhere and have often been active at an international level, recent rapid globalisation has impacted on social welfare as much as on other aspects of daily life, and now requires all social workers to place their local activities in a wider frame, or, in some cases, to operate outside or across political boundaries.
