Broadening Horizons: International Exchanges in Social Work (Contemporary Social Work Studies)

While the remit of social work professionals is, in general, locality-based, social work has a long tradition of concern about international issues. Social work theorists have been increasingly interested in establishing the international credentials of the discipline within a globalized economy, and in considering the relationship between the local and the global. "Broadening Horizons" provides a contribution to the debate on how to tackle social work problems on a global scale. Aiming to fill both a theoretical and a practice gap in the literature, the book discusses the experiences of academics, practitioners and students involved in international exchanges in social work. It draws on a major EU-Canadian exchange project as well as separate projects in countries including South Africa, the USA, China and Australia. The contributors highlight the opportunities and barriers that shaped their experience, and they give guidance on how to deal with both the practicalities and aspirations of living and working across borders. This book should thus be valuable both to readers interested in the meaning and the realities of international social work and to those hoping to embark on an exchange programme themselves.