Rural Social Work in the 21st Century

Despite current population movement towards urban areas, rural people remain a significant yet under-served population. According to the most recent statistics, 19% of the US and 20% of the Canadian populations reside in rural areas. These communities share a rich and distinctive culture, but also face specific problems including higher rates of poverty, increased rates of obesity and other chronic health problems, and decreased access to health coverage and social services. For any social worker to provide competent assistance to these communities it is essential that they comprehend both the culture of rural peoples and the specific problems they face. This book provides a survey of the many issues related to rural social work organized around the major content areas of the social work curriculum. The author addresses a wide range of practice issues including culture and behavior, diversity, social policy, and ethics of work.

Features: Single-author perspective rather than a volume of collected readings offers a comprehensive and cohesive overview; Uses informal and colloquial language to introduce readers to rural expressions and attitudes; Includes content on working with rural people who are no longer living in rural settings; Employs a strengths perspective rather than focusing on deficiencies within rural communities; An instructor's guide will be available with additional teaching resources.