Helmut Spitzer – författare

Soziale Arbeit als Profession und Disziplin hat sich als bedeutsamer Gesellschaftsbereich etabliert. Sie befindet sich aber – zumal in Österreich – in einem Umbruchprozess, der nicht zuletzt durch die Auswirkungen des Bologna-Prozesses im Ausbildungsbereich bestimmt wird. In dem Band werden Fragen theoretischer Diskurslinien, der disziplinären Verortung und sozialpolitischen Relevanz Sozialer Arbeit aufgegriffen und erörtert. Die Beiträge behandeln ausgewählte Handlungsfelder wie Schulsozialarbeit im Kontext von Ganztagsbildung, Jugendkulturarbeit, klinische Soziale Arbeit sowie soziale Altenarbeit. Es werden auch konkrete Forschungs- und Praxisprojekte vorgestellt.

The importance of integrating indigenous knowledge systems into mainstream social work and ensuring context-specific, culturally relevant practice has long been emphasised in Africa and the Global South. This book, based on empirical research, presents a selection of indigenous and innovative models and approaches of problem solving that will inspire social work practice and education. At the core of these models lies a conceptual understanding of the community as the overarching principle for effective social work and social development in African contexts. The empirical part of the book has a focus on East Africa and highlights case examples from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, and Kenya. The book is intended for use by those involved in social work and social development practice, social work educators, students, as well as policy makers. It is relevant not just for audiences in Africa but also the global social work community, especially those interested in promoting culturally relevant social work.

Prevalent poverty and related problems in the East African region call for substantial action from various stakeholders, including social workers. This book, based on comprehensive empirical research, portrays an emerging yet powerful profession that has a significant role to play in the endeavour towards social development, social justice, human rights and gender equality. The book is the first of its kind to provide first-hand theoretical and empirical evidence about social work in East Africa.