ABSTRACT
Social work has deep roots in urban settings. Although its realm is not exclusively urban, much of its history and development are inextricably linked to cities and urbanization. Within social work, urban conjures all the complexities of addressing social problems and the needs of human beings. Social work is profoundly intertwined with urbanism. Its origins, its development, and a great deal of its practice all address the issues that manifest in cities. If problems are defined as "urban problems", solutions will be devised under the rubric of urban policy, but in other instances, the problems and solutions might be defined within social or economic frameworks. The "intensification of migration processes" in the era of globalization means that urban social work needs to engage the diversity, which will distinguish urban social work from that in less urbanized and less diverse settings. The global definition of social work and national definitions indicate the emphasis of social work on social justice.
