Abstract
Dr Brij Mohan’s The Future of Social Work is a welcome contribution to the study of social work in a globally transformed world. This is a new book based on Dr Mohan’s over three decades of experience of teaching and research at the School of Social Work at Louisiana State University.
The book consists of 10 chapters. The first chapter describes social problems, specifically inequality and poverty. War and welfare as global issues are also discussed in order to understand what is involved in human–social miseries. The examination of welfare, policy and social work in Chapter 2 is welcome because the techno-digital progress has given rise to further problems in the ‘digitalising’ world. The comparative human–social development—a theme already examined in his earlier works—maintained by social policy, values and techno-scientific progress is well placed within the social policy and transformative social work (pp. 29–31).
The author highlights the impacts internationalisation has on social work practice. Quoting the emerging human–robot relationship as a new concern in the digital culture, the author foresees major modifications in social work practice (pp. 43–44). In Chapter 5, the author points out that the transformation of social work is at the crossroads of change in a globally transformed world. The author argues that social work education and research should therefore be repositioned in accordance with the cultural, social, economic and political realities embedded in the new forces of change operating in the new social structure. The author, referring to core values and principles of human-centred social practice, stresses the need for considering the importance of algorithmic solutions for transformative actions. In Chapter 7, he clarifies seven pillars of social practice: mission, education, service, empathetic humility, liberatory assistance, transparent effectiveness and buoyance (i.e., ‘how to get the right things done’), which is the subtitle of the book.
The environment cannot be isolated from the cultural and economic structures of values, services and technologies. It is therefore appropriate that environmental justice is discussed because of its significance in achieving equality (Chapter 8). In the concluding chapter, the author presents vocabularies of change, associated with the future of social work; these are important for educators, students and scholars, who are interested in further deeper studies connected with the theme of the book. In Chapter 10, ‘Epilogue’, Mohan returns to fundamental future changes with profound consequences for social work; to the new algorithms of social transformation to stave off unprecedented human crises, to the revolutionising digital progress resulting, for example, in the design of multi-functional robots which may replace humans.
This book—depicting social work in a changing and futuristic society, with a wide appeal—offers new perspectives for understanding the great transformations that have taken place. These demand new thinking about social work. In the wake of the rapidly changing digital culture, this book is of great importance and is well worth reading by a range of helping professionals, including social and welfare workers, human services workers, scholars, as well as planners and politicians.