Introduction to Social Work 5th Edition

There are certain questions that all students considering social work ask. Who are social workers? What is it that social workers do? How is the social work profession changing? What does it take to become a social worker? Sophia F. Dziegielewski, Debra Nelson-Gardell, and Ira Colby bring their decades of experience in social work practice and education to answer these questions.

This engaging text gives readers a practical guide to the many ways in which social workers effect change in their communities and the world. The authors offer an overview and history of the profession; introduce readers to the practice of social work at the micro, mezzo, and macro level; and finally look closely at the many settings and populations that social workers work with. While realistically portraying the pressures and obstacles that social workers face, the authors communicate their own passion for social work.

Sophia F. Dziegielewski is Professor of Social Work at the University of Central Florida. Previously, she served as dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati and taught in the School of Social Work at the University of Alabama. She also serves as editor for the Journal of Social Service Research. She is widely published with over 135 publications to her credit including eight textbooks and numerous articles and book chapters.

Debra Nelson-Gardell is Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Alabama. She is the author of numerous journal articles with a focus on clinical practice with individuals, families, and groups; child maltreatment; child sexual maltreatment; child victimization; and emotional trauma.

Ira C. Colby is Professor of Social Work at the University of Houston. He is the author of The Handbook of Policy Practice (OUP 2019) and serves as consulting editor on the Journal of Social Work Education.