'What am I Doing Here, Really?' - Students' and Teachers' Reflections on International Placements

The idea that social work is a local, culture and nationally bound profession is fast being challenged as social work programmes spread across the globe. Schools of social work are opening up in many countries once closed to Western influences, as the reality of global interdependence breaks down previous communication and ideological barriers. At the same time, the rapid growth of changing demographics in many Western countries has demanded social work academe to foster a culturally aware programme in the curriculum that prepares students and practitioners for the realities of practice in increasingly multicultural communities.