Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-c75p9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-09-05T07:06:35.675Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 2 - Social Work for a Better World: Are We In-between Stories?

from Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2025

Tony Ghaye
Affiliation:
The Arctic University of Norway
Rita Sørly
Affiliation:
The Arctic University of Norway
Get access

Summary

1. When was the last time you had a social work conversation-that-mattered? Who was it with? What did you discuss? How did you feel? What was the outcome? 2. What do you do that gives your social work meaning and purpose? 3. What are the existing possibilities and dilemmas facing social work? 4. What is the social worker’s key role in an era of profound social change? 5. In what ways do you see your social work being in the business of building a better world?

Information

Type
Chapter
Information
Learning through Social Work Stories-That-Matter
Global Perspectives
, pp. 20 - 34
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Au, A. (2023). Decolonization and qualitative epistemology: Toward reconciliation in the academy. Qualitative Social Work, 22(4), 679–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, C. (2009). Evolution and revolution: Healing approaches with Aboriginal adults. In Sinclair, R., Hart, M. A., & Bruyere, G. (eds.), Wicihitowin: Aboriginal Social Work in Canada, pp.133–52). Winnipeg: Fernwood.Google Scholar
Beresford, P., & Slasberg, C. (2023). The Future of Social Care: From Problem to Rights-Based Sustainable Solution, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bhuyan, R., Wahab, S., & Park, Y. (2019). A Green New Deal for social work. Affilia, 34(3), 289–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109919861700CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blackstock, C. (2009). The occasional evil of angels: Learning from the experiences of Aboriginal peoples and social work. First Nations Child and Family Review, 4(1), 2837.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boccalandro, B. (2021) Do Good at Work: How Simple Acts of Social Purpose Drive Success and Wellbeing, New York: Morgan James.Google Scholar
Buckingham, M. (2007). Go Put Your Strengths to Work: Six Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance, London: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Buckingham, M. (2011). Standout. Nashville, tn: One Thing Productions.Google Scholar
Buckingham, M., & Clifton, D. (2001). Now, Discover Your Strengths: How to Develop Your Talents and Those of the People You Manage. London: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Chogugudza, C. (2009). Social work education, training and employment in Africa: The case of Zimbabwe. Journal of African Studies, 35(1), 19.Google Scholar
Clarke, K. (2022). Reimagining social work ancestry: Toward epistemic decolonization. Affilia, 37(2), 266–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Domielli, L. (ed.). (2018). The Routledge Handbook of Green Social Work, London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flett, G. (2018). The Psychology of Mattering: Understanding the Human Need to be Significant. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Foucault, M. (2000). Power. New York: New Press.Google Scholar
Gardner, H. (2011 [1983]). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Gaventa, J., & Cornwall, A. (2015). Power and knowledge. In Reason, P. & Bradbury, H. (eds.), The Sage Handbook of Action Research (3rd edn). Los Angeles, ca: Sage.Google Scholar
Ghaye, T. (2022). Concerned Arctic peoples: Characteristics of conversations-that-matter. In Sørly, R., Ghaye, T., & Kårtveit, B. (eds.), Stories of Change and Sustainability in the Arctic Regions: The Interdependence of Local and Global. Oxford: Routledge.Google Scholar
Gilgun, J. (2023). Reflections on the thoughts of Norman Denzin: His connections to the once and future social work qualitative research. Qualitative Social Work, 22(6), 1061–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development. (2024). Buen vivir: Shared future for transformative change. www.ifsw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GlobalAgenda2030-Theme2024.pdfGoogle Scholar
Goleman, D. (2006). Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships. London: Hutchinson.Google Scholar
Henrich, J., Heine, S., & Norenzayan, A. (2010). The weirdest people in the world. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 33(2–3), 6183. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X0999152XCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
IFSW (International Federation of Social workers). (n.d.). Global definition of social work. www.ifsw.org/what-is-social-work/global-definition-of-social-work.Google Scholar
Ioakimidis, V., & Trimikliniotis, N. (2020). Making sense of social work’s troubled past: Professional identity, collective memory and the quest for historical justice. British Journal of Social Work, 50(6), 1890–908.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaplan, S. (2023). Experiential Intelligence: Harness the Power of Experience for Personal and Business Breakthroughs. Dallas, tx: Matt Holt.Google Scholar
Kenrick, D. T., Griskevicius, V., Neuberg, S. L., & Schaller, M. (2010). Renovating the pyramid of needs: Contemporary extensions built upon ancient foundations. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(3), 292314.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koltko-Rivera, M. E. (2006). Rediscovering the later version of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Self-transcendence and opportunities for theory, research, and unification. Review of General Psychology, 10(4), 302–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kurevakwesu, W. (2017). The social work profession in Zimbabwe: A critical approach on the position of social work on Zimbabwe’s development. Afro-Asian Journal of Social Sciences, 8(1), 112.Google Scholar
Kurevakwesu, W. (2023). United we stand, and divided we fall: A call to action for the decolonisation of social work in Africa. International Social Work, 67(5), 14.Google Scholar
Kurevakwesu, W, Chikwaiwa, B., & Mandau, M. (2023). The struggle for social work professional identity in contemporary Zimbabwe: A study on abuse of the social work title. Qualitative Social Work, 22(2), 200–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leah, C. (2024). What it means to be human, what it means to be hurt, and what it means to thrive. Qualitative Social Work, 23(1), 35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Longhofer, J., & Floersch, J. (2012). The coming crisis in social work: Some thoughts on social work and science. Research on Social Work Practice, 22(5), 499519.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maslow, A. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(1), 370–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Masuka, T. (2015). Transforming social work in Zimbabwe from social control to social change. Social Work Practitioner-Researcher, 27(2), 204–19.Google Scholar
Mugumbate, J. (2021). Decolonised social work: Actions, strategies and processes. Africa Social Work Network. https://africasocialwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/decolonisedsocial-work.Google Scholar
Muridzo, G., Mumba, J., & Fometu, A. (2021). International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) African Social Work Conversation Forum: Sharing social work practice stories and interventions in Africa. African Journal of Social Work, 11(3), 145–8.Google Scholar
Nhapi, T. (2021). The place of social workers in Zimbabwe’s social justice endeavours. Advances in Social Work & Welfare Education, 23(1), 71–5.Google Scholar
Novogratz, J. ( 2020). Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World. New York: Henry Holt.Google Scholar
Rath, T., & Conchie, B. (2008). Strengths-Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams and Why People Follow. New York: Gallup Press.Google Scholar
Redman, S., Greenhalgh, T., Adedokun, L., et al. (2021). Co-production of knowledge: The future. British Medical Journal, 372(434). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n434.Google ScholarPubMed
Schmid, J.. (2023). A 40 year (contextualized) social work journey. Qualitative Social Work, 22(3), 553–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Searle, B., Pykett, J., & Alfaro-Simmonds, M. A. (eds). (2021). A Modern Guide to Wellbeing Research. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sørly, R., Ghaye, T., & Kårtveit, B. (eds.). (2022). Stories of Change and Sustainability in the Arctic Regions: The Interdependence of Local and Global, Oxford: Routledge.Google Scholar
Tamburro, A. (2013). Including decolonization in social work education and practice, Journal of Indigenous Social Development, 2(1), 116.Google Scholar
Weaver, H. (2005). Explorations in Cultural Competence: Journeys to the Four Directions. Toronto: Nelson.Google Scholar
Wheatley, M. (2002). Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future. San Francisco ca: Berrett-Kohler.Google Scholar
Yeager, J., Fisher, S., & Shearon, D. (2011). Smart Strengths: Building Character, Resilience and Relationships in Youth. New York: Kravis.Google Scholar
Zerubavel, E. (2012). Ancestors and Relatives: Genealogy, Identity, and Community. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar

Accessibility standard: Inaccessible, or known limited accessibility

The PDF of this book is known to have missing or limited accessibility features. We may be reviewing its accessibility for future improvement, but final compliance is not yet assured and may be subject to legal exceptions. If you have any questions, please contact accessibility@cambridge-org.demo.remotlog.com.

Content Navigation

Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.

Reading Order & Textual Equivalents

Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Short alternative textual descriptions
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
Full alternative textual descriptions
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.

Visual Accessibility

Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Use of high contrast between text and background colour
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge-org.demo.remotlog.com is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×