ABSTRACT
As long as public museums have existed, so has an entire profession devoted to the service of society and its development. For more than one hundred years, as the museum eld inched toward declaring a prevailing concern for the public good, the profession of social work actively fostered the well-being of individuals, groups, and society, while rening theories and methods for doing so. Luckily, museums value interdisciplinary knowledge, professional development, and productive partnership. From the elds of education and communication, for example, museums have adopted important concepts and techniques. It is from the eld of social work that museums have, intentionally and unintentionally, garnered both essential approaches and practical guidance to inform many of their social service eorts to date. Increasingly, museums are engaging in social work. It is therefore not only professionally wise but ethically necessary for museums to deepen their relationship with this essential global profession. What is social work, and how do its fundamental perspectives further advance museum theory and practice? Let’s briey return to our scenes of change in museums for a closer look at social work in action.
