Social Work in Europe

Social work in Europe began in the 20th century in many countries. Historical backgrounds, social policy trends, pedagogical and disciplinary relationships, and politics all have implications for the way in which social work training has been established in different countries and for the specific manner in which the role of social work has been interpreted. Local factors and European policy developments are also important elements in determining how social work education is evolving in terms of structure, curricula, and pedagogical issues and in determining what kind of role social workers will play. This chapter draws a picture of social work in Europe, focusing on three aspects: the state of the art in social work education, the role played by social workers, and the challenges facing social work in postmodern society.