SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The classic paradigm “think globally and act locally” is discovering a new relevance in the context of social development, as it provides a useful perspective on addressing the needs of nations as complex and diverse as India. In order to understand a country’s motivation for change and social action, it is first necessary to understand the history of the people and their way of life. Social Work and Social Development compares India and the United States’ approaches to social work and social development. The book highlights the similarities between the two countries, especially the cultural pluralism, democratic political structures, and social welfare policy commitments that make possible an inclusionary exchange of knowledge in the fields of social work and social development. The book’s unique multicultural, multilevel approach integrates diverse perspectives, and provides a faceted picture of social structures and change in both countries. The goals are to ultimately move beyond the ethnocentric mantra of applying “developed” solutions to “developing” problems and redefine the parameters for understanding people and problems in international social work. Features • A unique framework for international comparisons that can be applied beyond the United States and India. • Contributions from Indian and US experts in social work, sociology, theology, philosophy, and women’s studies. • Concept overview preceding each part and discussion questions following each chapter.