Social Work and Integration in Immigrant Communities : Framing the Field

There has been a marked rise in global migration with many former countries of emigration becoming destinations of immigration. As such, social workers are increasingly called upon to work in immigrant communities, while in the field of research, theories, conceptual frames, perspectives and discourse have materialized and evolved to make sense of contemporary events. Valtonen familiarizes the reader with the variation in national policies, institutional arrangements and service responses, and provides salient information to help with visioning in the profession, defining appropriate and concerted responses, and building robust standing in the field as well as promoting the linking of disciplinary and multidisciplinary research with practice.

There has been a marked rise in global migration with many former countries of emigration becoming immigration destinations. As a result of this, social workers increasingly encounter immigrant clients and are called upon to work in their communities. At the same time, in the field of research, theories, conceptual frames, perspectives and discourse have materialized and evolved to make sense of contemporary events. Social work professionals, researchers and students must, therefore, need to be apprised of current thinking, research and discourse in the field of integration. Valtonen familiarizes the reader with the variation in national policies, institutional arrangements and service responses, which all provide rich contrasts and insights into a breadth of policy possibilities. Since macro-level developments in migration carry direct implications for social work as a discipline and a profession with a central stake and role in immigrant wellbeing, this book provides salient information to help with visioning in the profession, defining appropriate and concerted responses, and building robust standing in the field as well as promoting the linking of disciplinary and multidisciplinary research with practice.