Revisiting the Global Social Work Definition
How Social Workers Define the Profession a Decade Later
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10898539 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Noam Tarshish (0000-0003-4603-2625, University of Haifa, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 858-876 |
| Publication date | 2025-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal of Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0045-3102 • E-ISSN: 1468-263X |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/bjsw/bcae164 |
| OpenAlex | W4403204969 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 36 |
Social work has struggled to establish a unanimous definition encompassing the full professional scope. In 2014, the International Federation of Social Workers introduced a revised global definition outlining principles, objectives, goals and theories. Now, a decade later, questions have emerged about the definition and its contemporary relevance. This qualitative study interviewed sixty-five Israeli social workers to uncover how they define the profession. Analysis revealed they define social work as a profession that fosters positive change and well-being through tailored interventions. It upholds humanistic values like equality, dignity and participation and assists diverse clients experiencing challenging transitions by utilising different means of support. Findings show continuity in how social workers in Western contexts view the purpose and tools of the profession, whilst also highlighting tensions with the global definition’s macro-orientation. This research then incorporates an inclusive ‘both/and’ perspective, including both micro and macro dimensions, using principles from rights-based social work, to propose small amendments to the global definition
Engineering ethics · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Work (physics) · Engineering · Interprofessional Education and Collaboration · Law · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work
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The Sage Handbook of International Social Work
A Rights-Based Approach to Social Policy Analysis
A Definition of Social Work for Practice
Social work in Israel
Defining the profession? Exploring an international definition of social work in the China context
The definition of social work in the United Kingdom, 2000–2010
The dignity circle
Rediscovering the social question
Global social work
Defining social work is a never-ending story
Anti‐Oppressive Social Work Theory and Practice
Examining the Person-in-Environment Perspective among Social Work Students in China
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The Global-Local Dialectic
Social Work
The Person-in-Environment Approach
The Administrative Burden Framework
The Search for Identity
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A dynamic Asian response to globalization in cross-cultural social work
Establishing the relevance of the Ubuntu philosophy in social work practice
Now Is the Time for a Rights-Based Approach to Social Work Practice
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Practicing Human Rights in Social Work
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 5 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |