The Paradigm Of International Social Development

This book takes a historical approach to analyse ideologies, policy approaches and development systems that have constructed the paradigm of international social development. It aims to review the social construction of "development" by tracing the historical dynamics of the modern ideologies and political economy of industrialization, colonization, the Cold War, and globalisation; to examine the process of reconstruction of development as "social development" based on alternate ideologies and alternate policy approaches and review the roles played by the development systems; and to trace the history of social policy approaches from welfare to rights-based, universal, comprehensive and preventative social policies for social development, and identify the roles played by non-government organizations and the social work profession.

This book takes a historical approach to analyse ideologies, policy approaches and development systems that have constructed the paradigm of international social development. It aims to review the social construction of "development" by tracing the historical dynamics of the modern ideologies and political economy of industrialization, colonization, the Cold War, and globalisation; to examine the process of reconstruction of development as "social development" based on alternate ideologies and alternate policy approaches and review the roles played by the development systems; and to trace the history of social policy approaches from welfare to rights-based, universal, comprehensive and preventative social policies for social development, and identify the roles played by non-government organizations and the social work profession.

The social development approach seeks to integrate economic and social policies within a dynamic development process in order to achieve social welfare objectives. This first comprehensive textbook on the subject demonstrates that social development offers critically significant insights for the developed as well as the developing world. James Midgley describes the social development approach, traces its origins in developing countries, reviews theoretical issues in the field and analyzes different strategies in social development. By adding the developmental dimension, social development is shown to transcend the dichotomy between the residualist approach, which concentrates on targeting resources to the most needy, and th

Tang provides a coherent and systematic exploration of social evolution as a phenomenon and as a paradigm. He critically builds on existing discussions on social evolution, while drawing from a wide range of disciplines, including archaeology, evolutionary anthropology, sociology, economics, political science, the philosophy of social sciences, and evolutionary biology. Clarifying the relationship between biological evolution and social evolution, Tang lays bare the ontological and epistemological principles of the social evolutionary paradigm. He also presents operational principles and tools for deploying this paradigm to understand empirical puzzles about human society. This is a vital resource for students, practitioners, and philosophers of all social sciences.

"This superb collection assembles a number of stimulating and theoretically current contributions by outstanding scholars."—Angelique Haugerud, author of The Culture of Politics in Modern Kenya

This edited collection demonstrates that the ideas inherent in social development are practical and not utopian. By discussing and delineating a social development approach, the book argues the need for practicing it at local or grassroots-level communities to promote universal social justice and wellbeing. Towards this end, several leading scholars have presented critical and inspiring thoughts on the significance and usefulness in development of genuine participation of people, bottom-up strategies, self-reliance, capacity building, and egalitarian and empowering partnerships. They also delve into hitherto neglected aspects of social development related to preparing personnel for social development work, ethical imperatives and a new social development paradigm. The world’s contemporary problems persist in part because the social development approach in its comprehensive form has not been planned and implemented at local, national and global levels. Social Development presents the optimistic argument that the application of social development ideas can help create a world in which almost all people’s wellbeing can be significantly enhanced.

Social work is a profession that is increasingly involved with issues which have a global dimension. This Handbook tackles the global/local aspect of social work in its various forms and interrogates the key concerns that societies are facing through an international lens. The contributors show that, with an appreciation of commonalities and differences, local practices and appropriate forms of international activity can be better developed. Areas covered include: - Analysis of ′International social work′ - Globalisation and indigenisation - Social justice and human rights - Poverty and livelihoods - Ecological issues - Migration - Education, theory, research and practice - Social work in different settings - Religion and spirituality - Responses to disasters and conflicts - Life course perspectives - Regional perspectives - Future directions With a truly international range of contributions, the Handbook incorporates perspectives from Asia, Africa, Europe, Australasia, the Middle East and the Americas. It will be an invaluable resource for undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers and academics working in the fields of social work, social welfare, human services, and community development worldwide, as well as service providers and policy makers in the international arena.

All recent books on international social work mention Africa only briefly and few engage with the broader field of development studies. This book focuses solely on the unique African context engaging with issues relating to social work and development more broadly thus enabling a deeper examination and more complex and nuanced picture to emerge. Unlike most academic works, this book highlights multiple practitioner voices, with authors or co-authors that have recently been or are currently practising social workers. As an edited book, it draws from both academic research as well as lived practice experience, supported by strong theoretical positioning and guidance in introductory chapters, drawing on African literature, wherever possible. Looking at case-studies from Lesotho, Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Namibia, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, Zambia and Tanzania and covering established areas of practice such as child protection; working with older people; working with people with disabilities; mental health; and mainstream services targeting women as well as emerging areas of developmental social work practice, such as humanitarian assistance in post-conflict situations; work with immigrants and refugees; and the training of community-based workers, this book takes a future-oriented perspective that aims to move beyond well-worn critiques to envision constructive and sustainable futures for social work and social development in Africa from a critical perspective.

Global knowledge is increasingly essential for all aspects of social work. Today's professionals respond to concerns including permeable borders, the upheavals of war, displaced workers, natural disasters, international adoption, and human trafficking. Everywhere, social workers work with service users and colleagues from diverse cultures and countries. Globally relevant concepts such as human rights, development, and inclusion offer new perspectives to enhance policy and practice and facilitate the international exchange of ideas. This handbook is the first major reference text to provide a solid foundation of knowledge for students and researchers alike. The extensive collection of 73 chapters confirms the integral and necessary nature of international social work knowledge to all areas of practice, policy, and research. Chapters systematically map the key issues, organizations, competencies, training and research needs, and ethical guidelines central to international social work practice today, emphasizing the linkages among social work, development, and human rights practice. In-depth country case studies and policy examples encourage readers to understand how their practice in social work touches on international issues, regardless of whether the work is done at home or abroad. Representing all regions of the world, a wide range of contributors that are leaders in their fields have put together an exhaustive collection that represents the state-of-play of international social work today.