Policy Press Exploring Social Work: An Anthropological Perspective

As perceptions of social work across Europe continue to evolve, this thought-provoking book takes a fresh look at a multi-faceted subject from an anthropological perspective. It considers social workers’ preoccupations, how they view society, and how, over time, society views them. Blending research and personal reflection, this book provides a stimulating analysis of what social work means today, both within and beyond the profession.  Review "Bell's personal perspective of anthropological reflections and author polemics invites the reader to consider their own perspective. This I feel means that this book should have a big appeal for a diversity of audiences... Some texts on the first time of reading feel like they are books that you will return to time and time again and this is one such text." Journal of Social Work "Linda Bell offers a new perspective on a long-standing question: What is social work?... For readers outside of the UK and Europe, the book offers a foil to compare, contrast, and query the different policies and ideologies that distinguish social work across the globe, in addition to highlighting the challenge of social work as an embodiment of social work regimes." Affilia "This is a fascinating and challenging book... offers a detailed, rich and complex portrait of social work in contemporary society." European Journal of Social Work About the Author Linda Bell is an anthropologist and retired Associate Professor, now a Research Fellow and Visiting Academic in the School of Health and Education, Middlesex University.