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International social work as a human rights profession in the global society

Challenges and implications of the Sustainable Development Goals

Bibliographic Data

ID22312499
AuthorsMichael Boecker (0000-0002-2420-5604, Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts), Dorothée Boecker (0009-0001-5676-7652, Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts)
Year2024
Volume39
Issue2
Pages1-16
Publication date2024-09-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social Development in Africa (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1012-1080 • E-ISSN: 1012-1080
PublisherAfrican Journals Online (AJOL) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.4314/jsda.v39i2.2
OpenAlexW4402748745
LanguageEN
Citations received1

This article discusses the importance of international social work in a global society. In an increasingly globalised world, we are interconnected in many ways and interdependent in a complex geopolitical (dis)order. This also applies to those involved in social work as a human rights profession. For a long time, the idea was that social workers had to act solely on a national level and that looking beyond one's own country could be refreshing but was unnecessary. However, we know how important international relationships, networks, and scientific exchanges are today. Geopolitical decisions often affect social work and its target groups at their core. Existential poverty and unemployment in countries of the Global South led to flight and migration to countries of the Global North. Crises such as wars or natural disasters have a wide range of effects on global value chains. The unequal distribution of poverty and wealth leads to asymmetrical power relations, which are not least the legacy of colonial and apartheid influence. This makes the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations even more important. If, for example, the first goal in SDG 1 is formulated as "No poverty", then this poses numerous challenges for social work stakeholders in municipalities, states, and nations, to which they must find an answer. These challenge social work on several levels. The following article aims to discuss these challenges at macro-, meso- and micro levels and formulate mandates for action for international social work stakeholders. The aim is to contribute to forming a professional understanding that is defined beyond national structures and mandates

Engineering ethics · Environmental ethics · Human rights · Political science · Sociology · Sustainable development · Law · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work

  • Why does social work need to be ‘international’

    Open Access•Paul O’leary, Patrick O’Leary et al.•International Social Work•2026

Unique citing works1
Citations per year1
Citation span2026 - 2026 (1)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 1
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