Introduction

This chapter takes an initial step toward a comparative analysis of the characteristics and actions of Social Work Professional Organizations (SWPOs) across the 15 countries examined in this book. While the complexity and diversity of national contexts present significant challenges, the comparative analysis undertaken here is intended to hold potential for advancing knowledge of SWPOs from a ‘glocal’ perspective. This approach considers both the specific interactions between each SWPO and its unique context, as well as SWPOs’ shared commitment to internationally defined social work values, often reflected in their affiliation with the IFSW (see Chapter 2). Drawing on the conceptual framework from Chapter 1 and the in- depth analyses from Chapters 3 to 13, this concluding chapter offers some initial findings from a descriptive comparative analysis of key 15 SWPOs. It covers their basic and intra- organizational characteristics and related challenges (Section 1), the fields in which they operate and their inter- organizational interactions (Section 2), and their policy actions (Section 3). Based on this analysis, a case- oriented approach is then used to begin exploring the complex relationship between SWPOs and their broader contexts in greater depth (Section 4).

14.1. Characteristics, types, and intra- organizational challenges of SWPOs: a micro- level comparative analysis

14.1.1. An evidence- based classification of SWPOs and their core activities

A central issue in examining SWPOs is understanding both the diversity and commonalities across varied national contexts. An initial key point to highlight is the significant heterogeneity among SWPOs, alongside notable recurring patterns in their structures and functions.

A researcher is conducting a survey among employees of a large multinational corporation. The terms of the contract stipulate that the study participants will receive compensation for completing both the multiple-choice questionnaire and the open-ended questions. During the analysis of the results, the researcher observed that numerous participants responded to the questions hastily and without adequate reflection. Consequently, she convened a meeting with a randomly selected group of participants to address their behavior. The three economic enlightenment theories offer distinct perspectives from which she can argue that the participants ought to have approached the test with greater attentiveness despite the absence of such stipulation in the contract. Notably, the participants may invoke these three perspectives to rationalize (or self-condemn) their actions.

Introduction

Around 117,000 social workers are formally registered with the four statutory regulators in the United Kingdom (UK). Social workers are employed in local government, national government, voluntary, non- profit and charitable sectors, and in some private (for profit) organizations. A small number of social workers are self- employed providing training, consultancy, and personal counselling. Local authority children's departments are the largest employers, with social workers involved in areas including safeguarding and risk assessments. There are fewer social workers in local authority adult services departments, again with work including support, safeguarding, and other assessments in respect of older people, people with disabilities, and people with mental health problems, among others. The largest single employer of social workers is the Child and Family Courts Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS), an independent, national service operating in England and Wales, advising the Family Courts about the welfare of children involved in court proceedings and what is in their best interests.

The last 50 years have seen a progressive devolution of government functions to the four nations of the UK. England includes the majority of the UK population at about 55 million people (83.5 per cent), followed by Scotland (8 per cent), Wales (4.5 per cent), and Northern Ireland (3 per cent) (Office for National Statistics 2022). Since 2000, regulation of social work has been devolved to statutory regulators in each country. Over the subsequent period, while common principles and approaches have remained, significant differences in policies and practice have evolved.

Introduction

Social Work Professional Organizations (SWPOs) play a crucial role in the social work field, providing a collective voice, establishing professional standards, and advocating for policies that support social workers and their clients. Despite their importance, the literature on SWPOs seems scarce and unsystematic.

As a contribution to fill this gap, this chapter explains why SWPOs deserve more attention and moves some initial steps towards an approach to study them. In the first section, I will briefly account for the weaknesses of literature on professional organizations in social work. In the second section, I will use contributions from sociology, social policy and social work to argue why SWPOs deserve today more attention. In the third section, I will illustrate some crucial features for a possible research framework, also in the perspective to shape the national or cross- country analyses presented in the following book chapters. In the same perspective, in the conclusion of this chapter I will mention some research questions which seem urgent to address.

Professional organizations in social work: a literature gap

While there is an extensive body of literature on professional organizations, the field lacks a unified definition. Some studies bypass defining these organizations entirely, while others provide minimal or vague descriptions. For example, Bucher and Stelling (1969) refer to them as ‘organizations dominated by professionals’, a definition that is open to interpretation. Similarly, Merton's (1958) well- known description of a professional association as a ‘voluntary association of practitioners who judge one another as professionally competent and who have banded together to perform social functions which they cannot perform in their separate capacity as individuals’ is thorough but appears at some extent outdated due to its functionalist perspective.

Introduction

In this chapter, we conduct an exploratory analysis of social work professional organizations (SWPOs) in Italy and Spain. This comparative study identifies the main SWPOs in both countries, and explores their key public communication activities and the inter- organizational collaborations through which the principal SWPOs aim to influence national public policies. Additionally, it analyses crucial aspects of social workers’ participation in the regional branches of the primary SWPOs in Tuscany and Madrid.

This chapter builds upon the proposals outlined in Chapter 1. We pay attention to the historical context of social work in Italy and Spain, as well as to the regulatory frameworks governing social work in these countries. SWPOs are viewed as both highly dependent on their specific institutional contexts and as vital collective agents for influencing social work and public policies in alignment with social work principles and values. SWPOs are also recognized as complex entities facing multiple challenges, including contextual constraints, limited resources, and the need for active social worker participation.

The chapter contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by SWPOs. It ultimately seeks to assess how these organizations impact social work and social policies in Italy and Spain, while identifying the key limitations to their actions. In sections 1 and 2, we present the fundamental characteristics of social work and provide an overview of the SWPO landscape in both countries. In section 3, we present the findings from a quali- quantitative analysis of the public communication outputs used by the major SWPOs to influence national policies. In section 4, we illustrate the results of two concurrent surveys aimed at understanding key aspects of social workers’ participation in the regional branches of the main Italian and Spanish SWPOs in Tuscany and Madrid.

Volkswagen (VW) was founded in Germany in 1937 under the Nazi regime by the labor unions with the help of Ferdinand Porsche, the inventor of the Beetle (the people’s car). Tasked with making a car that was affordable for all consumers, VW’s flagship car, the compact and iconic Beetle, first rolled off the manufacturing floor in 1945, and by 1949, half of all passenger cars produced in West Germany were built by VW. By 2014, VW was one of the biggest firms in the world. It had factories in thirty-one countries, employing almost 600,000 people worldwide. In 2014, it sold 10.2 million vehicles, with a total profit of over 11 billion euros.

Working from the premises that fashion designers ought to enjoy some form of intellectual property protection over their creations and that they benefit from such protection, this chapter explores the problems that fashion designers are likely to face when seeking to enforce their rights in the United Kingdom. Like other commentators, we conclude that designs law in the United Kingdom is a mess and is in need of reform. We also argue that Brexit has made the problems faced by designers worse, without necessarily creating the policy space for meaningful national reform. One consequence may be that designers are likely to rely even more heavily on the copyright system, but this merely shifts the tensions of Brexit from the legislative and political realms to the judicial realm.

Introduction

It has not always been obvious why there is a need for SWPOs in Botswana. The trajectory of SWPOs play a crucial role in supporting the social welfare system in many countries, including Botswana. In addition, these organizations not only provide essential support to social workers but also play a crucial role in promoting social justice, advocating for policy changes, and fostering community development.

Botswana is a country known for its rich cultural diversity and unique social challenges, where collaboration between social work professionals and their organizations plays a vital role in driving positive change. For the longest Botswana has been hailed as the beacon of Africa because of its progressive social policies and commitment to human rights. This has helped the country to have made significant strides in improving the well- being of its citizens. Botswana is currently ranked as upper- middle- income country and the aspiration is to have Botswana as the high- income country by the year 2036 (Vision 2036).

However, the nation still faces numerous social issues such as poverty, unemployment, and health disparities. The emergence of SWPOs play a crucial role in supporting social workers through functions such as advocacy, networking, professional development, standards and ethics, and research. Their presence can enhance social welfare services and improve the well- being of communities.

Understanding the trajectory of social work in Botswana and across Africa is key to recognizing how SWPOs in Botswana, emphasizing their importance to the social work profession and the livelihoods of the country's people.

The conclusion addresses how to broaden the framework of the three economic enlightenments by examining overlooked or unresolved matters, like the initial conditions of the exchange participants and the role of third parties. Furthermore, it will demonstrate how these three economic enlightenments may face challenges from alternative frameworks rooted in non-Western, Marxist, or feminist perspectives.

The transformation of the sneaker from functional sportswear to a coveted symbol of high-end fashion, represents one of the most significant sartorial shifts in recent history. As demand for sneakers has surged—driven in large part by a renewed interest in fashion among men—competition within the market has intensified. In response, designers have increasingly sought new ways to protect the distinctive appearance of their products. This chapter shows that empirically, the sneaker revolution has increased demand for Australian 3D shape trademarks rather than for registered design rights. This chapter discusses this trend as a cautionary tale for those who might call for a sui generis design right for fashion. This study contends that the lack of demand for Australian design rights arises from a failure to consider aspects of culture, commerce, and the matrix of related rights, particularly trademark rights.

This chapter will present the initial fictional case study. A contractor has been engaged to renovate the façade of a residence. The contract with her clients stipulates that work must be suspended in the event of rain. The contractor utilizes uncertain weather forecasts to postpone the work by one week. Consequently, the clients convene a meeting to challenge the decision to delay the work. The three economic enlightenments offer three distinct responses to the inquiries posed by both the contractor and the clients prior to the meeting: how ought I to approach the discussion? What is the appropriate principle that should guide my decisions and actions?

Aims, objectives, and strategy of the book

The primary aim of this book is to explore the landscape of Social Work Professional Organizations (SWPOs). SWPOs, defined here as both formal and informal organizations predominantly governed by social workers and not offering direct services to citizens, are essential to the field of social work and may also play a key role in shaping social policy. Despite their relevance – which, as a matter of fact, is easily recognizable to social workers in many parts of the world – it is surprising that SWPOs have been largely overlooked in social work research, with few systematic studies examining their roles, characteristics, and impact.

Without aiming for exhaustive coverage, this volume has three main objectives. First, it seeks to illuminate the multifaceted characteristics and roles of SWPOs. These organizations are key players in shaping the professional identity of social workers, establishing professional and educational standards, advocating for social justice, and influencing policy at both national and international levels. SWPOs act as collective agents, helping social workers navigate their professional landscape and fulfil their mission within complex welfare systems. They operate within the often-intricate realms of social work and social policy and can be quite complex themselves. This book will delve deeply into the characteristics of SWPOs in different countries, examining how these organizations function, their strategic goals, and their potential impact on both the profession and social policies. Second, the book offers a first comparative analysis of SWPOs across different countries and contexts. By examining the evolution and operations of SWPOs in 15 diverse national contexts, the book presents a rare opportunity to compare these organizations across different welfare regimes, professional cultures, and institutional frameworks.

This chapter introduces the topic of Moral Imagination with reference to the 1999 volume “Moral Imagination and Management Decision Making.” It opens with context setting and some cases of interest to the topic. These cases include McDonald’s in Russia, the Boeing Company and its problems with the 737 MAX; British Petroleum and the Deepwater Horizon Well disaster. Within this discussion the contents of the rest of the book are summarized in advance of reading.