The interdependency of global social work thinking and local education: how personal experiences of social work educators influences their teaching

Abstract

ABSTRACT The paper focuses on the question of how personal experiences of social work educators in the context of global and international social work influence their understanding of local social work and in consequence their teaching. The article seeks to answer this question with reference to six interviews with social work professors and educators from six countries on three continents. The research´s underlying hypothesis is that since it is their task to educate students of social work these professors are making a difference by positioning themselves in the debate about global and local social work. The interviews were conducted as problem-centered interviews (PCI) and were subjected to content analysis. The results show a clear connection between the personal international experiences of the participants and their teaching in local contexts.