International Social Development

Abstract

This chapter discusses the evolution of the text from looking at “international” social work to evolving to “global” social work, to emphasize the commonality of the social issues examined. It explains social development and its importance in global social work, focusing on social development to purposefully link social and economic development and utilize macro-level interventions and structural change to help people to meet their full potential. It discusses perceptions of the world and how they are influenced by one’s upbringing, including the maps that one uses; the chapter encourages readers to assess their geographical knowledge. Modernization theory and dependency theory are presented as two contrasting explanations of development, and distorted development within and between countries is examined.