Jan 25, 2020 the international federation of social workers ifsw is the worldwide body for professional social work. It is the third volume in the series and is formatted as a workbook, with short lessons and exercises to help you apply the lessons theoretically and in your own practice. At times people will ask you to define social work and this is not an easy task to be done. Editorial news from roundabout report from the president of ifsw asia pacific the quest for a definition of social work australian social workers for stockholm development of narrative therapy in australia. The international federation of social workers ifsw is a global organisation striving for social justice, human rights and social development through the promotion of social work, best practice models and the facilitation of international cooperation. Definition, goals, scope, core values, principles of social work discipline and ideas in the applied social sciences mr. Additional motions that were passed at the ifsw general meeting relating to the global definition of social work no part of this definition shall be construed in a way to interfere with any other parts of this definition. The international federation of social workers ifsw is the worldwide body for professional social work.
It organizes international events, publishes policy statements. Social work is a practicebased profession and an academic discipline that facilitates social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Jul 07, 2014 social work is a systematic way of helping individuals and groups towards better adaptation to society. Global agenda for social work and social development. About ifsw international federation of social workers.
They help people build the kind of environments in which they want to live, through codetermination, coproduction and social responsibility. In contrast, the council on social work education 2015, the organization responsible for overseeing accreditation of social work programs in the united states, has expanded this to also include advancing human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice as one of the nine core competencies for social work education. Ifsw general meeting and world conference 2014 words. Magante humss that in all things, god may be glorified. It considers social work as an important service to the society focusing on the individuals and families in need.
Adopted in 2014 by iassw and ifsw the global definition of social work is the basis for the activities of many national and international social work organizations. Definition of social work the social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships. Since 2004 international social work has awarded an annual prize for the best article published in each volume. Defining international social work oxford scholarship. Jun 16, 2017 definition of social work that in all things, god may be glorified.
The international federation of social workers ifsw definition states. International federation of social workers wikimili, the. Social work can be to the development of zimbabwe what paint is to an artist. There is also an essential, shielding aspect to social work. Opportunities and challenges for social work practice in malaysia denison jayasooria1 published online. The social worker will work together with clients to develop their inner resources and he. Editorial news from roundabout report from the president of ifsw asia pacific the quest for a definition of social work australian social workers for stockholm development of narrative therapy in. The following definition of social work was approved by the iassw general assembly and ifsw general meeting in july 2014. It is difficult to come up with one universally agreed definition of social work because the profession, though still in its infancy, is very complex. Social work is a practicebased profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Social work is a practicebased profession and an academic discipline that.
The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human. As noted in the preface, the conceptual map guided the development of the plan for the book. Human rights are at the heart of social work and ifsw was pleased to take a leading role in creating a successful human rights training manual for the social work profession and schools of social work, first published by the united nations in 1992 and reprinted in 1994. Social work definition is any of various professional activities or methods concretely concerned with providing social services and especially with the investigation, treatment, and material aid of the economically, physically, mentally, or socially disadvantaged. Defining social work for the 21st century sage journals. Global definition of social work aotearoa new zealand. These two sections provide the backdrop for examining in more depth how social.
Ifsw has formal consultative status with the united nations and other global bodies. The isw journal prize is awarded to the authors of the article that best reflects the aims and scope of the journal to explore and promote the development of international social work. In the global definition of social work jointly adopted by the international federation of social workers ifsw and the international association of schools of social work iassw in 2001 each organization had worked on it for several years previously and adopted it separately in 2000, the dual foci of the interaction between the two. They argued that a challenge for social work education from a postmodern critical. Ifsw supports its 90 members organisations by providing a global voice for the profession. Vorwort ethical awareness is a fundamental part of the professional practice of. Social work is a systematic way of helping individuals and groups towards better adaptation to society. The following definition was approved by the ifsw general meeting and the iassw general assembly in july 2014.
The international federation of social workers ifsw is an international organization representing the interests of social workers around the world, with its secretariat based in berne, switzerland. This book is intended as a tool for international social work practitioners, students, and educators to help advance the global agenda for social work and social development theme of working toward environmental sustainability. A very important aspect of social work is to offer care and support to citizens in different life situations. This statement takes as its point of departure the 2014 global definition of social work, which reads as.
The international federation of social workers have developed a global social work statement of ethical principles to serve as an overarching framework for social workers to work towards the highest possible standards of professional integrity july 2018. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective. Social work as a field within human services and a part of services of the government. The most used formulation currently is the international definition of social work devised jointly by the international federation of social workers ifsw and supported by the. There are many forms of social work and so a simple and concrete definition of social work is not easy to come by in a sentence or two. A definition of social work for practice request pdf. Social media as a concept is so new that it has not taken root in the lexicon of the code of ethics of social work organizations.
A social work definition can only be meaningful when social workers actively commit to its values and vision. Social work definition of social work by merriamwebster. In the social work profession act cap 468, social work is defined as a practicebased profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. International federation of social workers ifsw aotearoa. Global definition of social work social work is a practicebased profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. The organization works in cooperation with regional social work bodies, national organizations, and associations of social workers. The following definition was approved by the ifsw general meeting and the iassw general assembly in july. The inclusion of social work education as a form of practice has been missing from the debates on the need for a unified definition of social work practice. As the definition of social work is the key element for establishing the identity of an occupational group, a future revision of this definition has to be initiated only after precise evaluation of the implementation process and the need for change. The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in hu. Yet, the point cannot be overstated that cutting edge social work practice of the future will of necessity involve and include extensive use of social media and web based activities.
Possession of the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for social work practice, as measured against the university of montana school of social work competency catalogue, nasw standards for practice, and council on social work educations educational policies and academic standards core competencies. Social workers, regardless of setting or function, tend to view the personand situation pas, personinenvironment pie, or personissuesituation as the basic unit of attention. United nations economic, social and cultural organization, 2000. Global definition of social work international federation of social. Social work is a practicebased profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the. Iassw and international federation of social workers ifsw, such as the global definition, program consultations linked to the global standards. Gain handson experience in the essential skills of social. International federation of social workers wikipedia. Social workers work in communities with people finding positive ways forward in the challenges they face in their lives.
It comprises 120 professional social work associations representing over 3 million social workers. Social work is a practicebased profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of. International federation of social workers ifsw encyclopedia of. All ifsw policies, including the definition of social work above, stem from these ethical. Values and principles for the social work profession. The definition of social work in the united kingdom, 2000. Mar 20, 2020 social work definition is any of various professional activities or methods concretely concerned with providing social services and especially with the investigation, treatment, and material aid of the economically, physically, mentally, or socially disadvantaged. The first section, preamble, summarizes the social work professions mission and.
The late 1970s saw considerable work undertaken on the definition of social work. Theinternational federation of social workers golden. In the eyes of midgley 1981 the presence of social work in africa is more like professional imperialism. Code of ethics of the national association of social workers. Social work ethics cfsi community and family services. Future priorities and challenges that face ifsw updated. The current president of ifsw is ruth stark who is a social worker in scotland and member of the scottish association of social workers.
International federation of social workers ifsw oxford. Social work is an international profession with a set of core values and a diverse knowledge and skills base. I describe the historical development of the international social work definition in a three phase theory by ways of. Radical social work an overview sciencedirect topics. The universalist or deontologist position would argue that social work has a universally applicable set of values which may or may not be those re. Social work was just adopted from the west and it does not correlate with the development needs of africa. Statement of ethical principles jointly adopted with iassw in 2004. The new definition of social work also adopted by the international association of schools of social work iassw 2001 new ifsw training manual on social work and the rights of the child published 2002 ethics of social work.
It was therefore fitting that the general meeting adopted the new definition. The paper then moves on to examine the many facets of social work, taking inspiration from the description of its wideranging roles as set out by its international professional body the international federation of social workers ifsw. Global social work statement of ethical principles. This document was endorsed at the brighton conference in 1982 and remained unaltered until 1996 when a committee was established to revise and prepare a new definition of social work, ultimately adopted by both practitioners and educators in may 2001 ifsw, 2002a. Social work and the role of social media best practices. Social work is the largest nonpolitical movement globally for peace and social justice. International federation of social workers ifsw agreed on a new international definition of social work, replacing a previous version from 1982.
Code of ethics of the national association of social workers overview the nasw code of ethics is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers. The social work profession promotes social change, problemsolving in human relationships and. Jul 31, 2014 the following definition was approved by the ifsw general meeting and the iassw general assembly in july 2014. This organization works in cooperation with global regional social work bodies. This definition stresses principles of human rights and social justice. Articles are judged according to the criteria of scholarship. The definition of social work in the united kingdom, 20002010. The iassw board and the ifsw executive committee are subsequently proposing to their members to adopt a new global definition of social work. Morel caissie, msw, rsw, casw president canada has been a longtime member of the international federation of social workers ifsw which was founded through the initiative of seven countries in 1928. Henceforth social work tries to improve social life increasing cooperation among human beings and increasing solidarity in society. Vorwort ethical awareness is a fundamental part of the professional practice of social workers. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. International federation of social workers ifsw aotearoa new.