The book presents contributions on diverse topics as Parent Support in the Republic of Ireland: An Evaluation of One Model of Intervention; Convergence in the Midst of DivergenceAn Exploration of Feminist Support for and Opposition to Abortion; Relationships and Sexuality Education in the Irish Context: An Analysis of Policy and Programme Implementation; Inner-Country Adoption - Challenging National Identity; Youth Work and Young People's Transitions to the Labour Market in the Republic of Ireland; Social movements, community development and the discourse of national community: an analysis of popular 'progressive' mobilisation in Ireland; Community development: problems of ambiguity and ambivalence; Is there a specific East Central European welfare culture?

This book explores how many issues related to development and governance –including migration, disaster management, environmental justice, peace and security, sustainability, public-private partnerships, and terrorism – impact the practice of social work. It takes a global, comparative approach, reflecting the global context in which social workers now operate.

In bringing together research from a wide range of continental European countries as well as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, the contributors to this text highlight different areas of governance, as well as the various players involved in the policy process.

Furthering social justice and human rights is a fundamental principle underlying the social work profession. Engaging in social policy formulation processes is a major route through which social workers can realise this goal. This type of social work activity has been termed ‘policy practice’. The aim of this book is to shed light on policy practice in social work discourse, education and practice in eight liberal democracies. This is the first effort to undertake a cross-national study of social worker engagement in social policy formulation processes. The book offers insights into questions such as ‘what is the importance attributed to social worker involvement in policy change in the social work discourse and education in different countries?’ and ‘how do social workers influence social policy in various national settings?’ These issues are relevant to social worker practitioners, students, educators and researchers, as well as to social policy scholars, who are interested in the role of professionals in social policy formulation.

Global social work: crossing borders, blurring boundaries is a collection of ideas, debates and reflections on key issues concerning social work as a global profession, such as its theory, its curricula, its practice, its professional identity; its concern with human rights and social activism, and its future directions. Apart from emphasising the complexities of working and talking about social work across borders and cultures, the volume focuses on the curricula of social work programs from as many regions as possible to showcase what is being taught in various cultural, sociopolitical and regional contexts. Exploring the similarities and differences in social work education across many countries of the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Pacific, the book provides a reference point for moving the current social work discourse towards understanding the local and global context in its broader significance.