Social work in the 21st century : Scholarship and praxis reimagined towards vulnerability

Abstract

This scholarly book, Social work in the 21st century: Scholarship and praxis reimagined towards vulnerability,is the third volume in the ‘Knowledge Pathing: Multi-, Inter- and Trans-Disciplining in Social Sciences’ book series. Chapters were invited from contributing authors who are involved in social work practice and education and who are dealing with the issues of poverty, inequality and vulnerability in these fields. The focus of the book emanates from the main conference theme and sub-themes of the ASASWEI (Association of South African Social Work Education Institutions) conference held in 2021. The theme of the conference, ‘Pandemics, poverty, inequality and disability: Social work in the 21st century’, provided an opportunity for deep deliberation, knowledge exchange and skills development on how vulnerable communities, already on the economic margins of society due to poverty and inequality, are further marginalised during significant societal disruptions such as the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It is these deliberations which culminated in this book. Drawing on the papers presented, the chapters promote knowledge and skills around vulnerabilities in our social context and how the social work profession is challenged to interrogate its role in addressing the persistent challenges of poverty and inequality that keep people on the peripheries of human development. The target audience for this book is primarily academics engaged in the field of social work and related fields.