Redefining Social Work for the New Millennium

Social workers began the new millennium enmeshed in a climate of change. Educators are revisiting debates about how best to conceptualize the social work curriculum. Clients are facing a wide range of problems as they confront the uncertainty of daily life. These conditions call for a “sustained, critical examination of the profession” and “our definition” of social work (Call for Paper, 2000). In response to this current crisis in social work, this paper examines the profession's primary mission, purpose, and central focus. It discusses select social influences that necessitate the continued reconceptualization, if not renewed definition, of our educational and practice approaches. The author asks: Can the profession come together with an overarching purpose? Can the profession claim to have a common base to social work practice? and What is the impact of socioeconomic forces on social work practice and education?