1st Edition
Social Work and Integration in Immigrant Communities Framing the Field
There has been a marked rise in global migration with many former countries of emigration becoming immigration destinations. As a result of this, social workers increasingly encounter immigrant clients and are called upon to work in their communities. At the same time, in the field of research, theories, conceptual frames, perspectives and discourse have materialized and evolved to make sense of contemporary events. Social work professionals, researchers and students must, therefore, need to be apprised of current thinking, research and discourse in the field of integration. Valtonen familiarizes the reader with the variation in national policies, institutional arrangements and service responses, which all provide rich contrasts and insights into a breadth of policy possibilities. Since macro-level developments in migration carry direct implications for social work as a discipline and a profession with a central stake and role in immigrant wellbeing, this book provides salient information to help with visioning in the profession, defining appropriate and concerted responses, and building robust standing in the field as well as promoting the linking of disciplinary and multidisciplinary research with practice.
Preface; Perspectives on contemporary migration and social work; Theories and frames for understanding migrant incorporation: past and current perspectives; Immigrants in society; Policy and institutions; Social work professional capacity building; Challenges, opportunities, strengths; Family, and caring - transnational and local; Connectedness in an interactive systems frame; Shaping our future community
Biography
Kathleen Valtonen is Principle Investigator at the Swedish School of Social Science at the University of Helsinki, Finland. She is the author of Social Work and Migration (Ashgate, 2009). She has published widely within social work and migration in journals such as the Journal of Refugee Studies, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, International Social Work, European Journal of Social Work, Asia Pacific Migration Journal and the British Journal of Social Work.
’The book provides a comprehensive overview of migrant social work in the context of immigration. It provides an elaborate picture of both practice and research in this growing and important field. The author convincingly situates the issues at stake into broader discourses and theories of migration, settlement and integration.’ Östen Wahlbeck, University of Helsinki, Finland
