Social Work and Social Welfare

Book Overview

Social Work and Social Welfare: An Invitation is a best-selling text and website for introductory courses in social work. It provides students with the knowledge, skills, and values that are essential for working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, in a variety of practice settings. The sixth edition has been updated to reflect the contemporary world in which today’s social workers practice, with current demographic, statistical, legislative, policy, and research information; sensitive discussions of ethical dilemmas; and fresh profiles of social workers with first-person narratives to demonstrate the dynamic field students will be joining. To address the dramatic changes in the world in which social workers practice since the fifth edition was released, we have revised and added content:

• Centering diversity, equity, and inclusion to elevate antiracist and antioppressive practice, including a critical review of our profession’s history
• Demonstrating how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and intensified inequities as well as ways in which social workers responded to the needs of their clients, organizations, and communities
• Updating language to reflect commitment to and respect for inclusivity, gender identity, and nongendered identities

The content in this text is supported by a range of fully updated instructor-led and student resources that are available on its companion website, www.routledgesw.com. Assignments, exercises, and readings that help instructors and students apply the concepts and theories the textbook reviews may be found there, as well as extensive interactive case studies to engage students in some of society’s most challenging issues.

Table of Contents

1. A Glimpse into the World of Social Work
2. History of Social Work and Social Welfare
3. U.S. Poverty and the Implications for Social Work
4. Culturally Competent Practice within the Social Work Environment
5. Values and Ethics in Social Work Practice
6. Social Work Perspectives and Methods
7. Fields of Social Work Practice
8. Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families
9. Social Work Practice with Groups
10. Social Work Practice with Organizations and Communities, and Policy Practice
11. The Social Work Profession

About the Author

Marla Berg-Weger is Professor Emeritus in the School of Social Work at Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri; Executive Director of the university’s Gateway Geriatric Education Center (GEC); and a Gerontological Society of America Fellow. Dr. Berg-Weger’s scholarship has included family caregiving, older adult mobility, and nonpharmacological interventions for persons with dementia.

Vithya Murugan is Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Saint Louis University, Missouri. Dr. Murugan’s research interests and scholarship span intimate partner violence, sexual assault, cultural competency, populations vulnerable to interpersonal violence, and gender empowerment. She has written articles that have appeared in the leading scholarly journals within these areas.

Companion Readings

Carefully curated by the authors, the list of readings provided in this pack are recommended for use as valuable extensions, background material, and advanced analyses to reinforce the particularly important themes covered within the book.

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Instructor Resources