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Workshop presentation

The training and the challenges of Social Work in the XXI Century

Social work education initially grew in Europe at different stages from the beginning of XX the century till the end of the second world war, but also had a new and important “rebirth” after the crash of the communist regime in the central eastern part of Europe.

In the last two decades the creation or reopening of social work education in eastern European countries has been of considerable significance. What does ‘social work’ mean today and what currently are the social professions being referred to in different European countries? Authors like Lyons, Lawrence (eds.2006) and Lorenz (2006), among others, deal with the topic of social professions in Europe, with a particular focus on the role covered by education in preparing social workers. Education in social work is worthy of such a sustained focus, because of its unique nature in reflecting specific cultural and contextual dimensions. Historical backgrounds, social policy trends, pedagogical and disciplinary relationships and ‘politics’ all have implications for the way in which training in social work has been established in different countries. Local factors and European policy developments are all important elements in determining in what way social work education is evolving in terms of structure, curricula and pedagogical issues.

About us

European Participants

Helle Strauss

Associate Professor, Metropolitan University College, Social Work Department. Copenhagen. hest@dsh-k.dk

Helle Strauss has been engaged in Nordic and international social work education. In the period 2003 – 2007 she chaired the Nordic Committee of Schools of Work, and she has since that time been holding a seat in the board of the International Association of Schools of Social Work. She has been chairing the IASSW chair of project funding committee and was in 2008 elected as Secretary General of the organization.

Social Work in the Nordic. Social Work Education.

Elena Roldán

Actively involved in social work and social policy research has been publishing mainly in Spanish , most recently: “Social Europe: a multidisciplinary study ( sociology, economy and law)” Castilla-La Mancha University, 2007-2008. Personal Social Services Policies, (2006) Síntesis, Madrid. Participation in the EUSW network, collaboration with the chapter “Supervision and Training of Professionals Working with Families and Minors at Risk” (2004) in Children, Young People and Families in a European Context. Network European Social Work – Communalities and Differences. Casa Editrice Carocci, Roma.

Violeta Gevorgianienė

Violeta Gevorgianienė is the associate professor and researcher at Social work department, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University. Her background is education of disabled people and social work. Teaching subjects: rehabilitation and integration of the disabled, social ecology, sociocultural identity and exclusion, social work practice (for Erasmus students). Her interests also include cross-cultural learning and community work. She is the Expert at the Centre of Psychology and Special Education. Violeta participated in many international projects. Currently she is on the Executive Committee European Association of Schools of Social Work (EASSW). Her publications are mostly in Lithuanian language. Recent publications in English are these:

Hendriks., P., Kloppenburg, R., Gevorgianienė V., Jakutienė V. Cross national social work case analysis: learning from international experience in an electronic environment/ European Journal of Social work, 2008, Nr. 11. Lazutka R., Gevorgianienė V. Migration and social work in Lithuania / in Migration and Social Work in Europe , Campanini, A., Frost, E. (ed.). 2008, Roma, Carrocci editore, p. 78-90. ISBN 978-88-430-4786-4. Gevorgianienė V., Jakutienė V. Community development in Lithuania / in Community development – a European challenge. Printed by Barbara Budrich Publishers, Germany, 2008, p. 66-75. ISBN 978-3-86649-205-9.

Susan Lawrence.

currently Principal Lecturer in International Social Work at London Metropolitan University. Sue has been actively involved in European social work research, networks and exchanges throughout her career and is the London Course Director of the MA Comparative European Social Studies (MACESS), which is delivered in Maastricht and validated by London Metropolitan University. She is also Course Leader of the Professional Doctorate International Social Work. Sue is currently the UK-nominated representative on the Executive Committee European Association of Schools of Social Work (EASSW). She is on the Editorial Board of the European Journal of Social Work and is a reviewer for the journal International Social Work. Her recent publications include Lyons, K. & Lawrence, S. (eds) (2006) Social Work in Europe: Educating for Change. BASW/Venture Press. Lawrence, S, Lyons, K. Simpson, G. & Huegler, N. (eds) (2009) Introducing International Social Work. Learning Matters.

Annamaria Campanini

Annamaria Campanini, social worker, sociologist and family therapist, Ph.D. in Sociology, Theory and Methodology of Social Work, I’m actually professor of social work at Milano Bicocca University. I’m President of the EASSW (European Association of Schools of Social Work), Vice President of IASSW (International Association of Schools of Social Work)