About the Journal
The journal Sociální práce / Sociálna práca / Czech and Slovak Social Work is published six times per year (four times a year in Czech and twice a year in English). It publishes the broadest possible range of articles that are relevant to social work. Articles may focus on any aspect of practice, research, theory, or education.
Journal structure:
- Editorial
- Academic articles
- Book reviews
- News / Research notes
The journal is published in printed and electronic versions and is assigned the following ISSN:
- ISSN 1213-6204 (Print)
- ISSN 1805-885X (Online)
The registration number of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic is: MK ČR E 13795.
Our view of social work
Social work is a theoretical as well as practical discipline derived from many branches of science. It draws on the knowledge and findings of psychology, sociology, economics, law, pedagogy, medicine, and other sciences. Due to this “multi-paradigm” nature, social work has not been unambiguously defined yet. In spite of its broad coverage, the goal of social work is clearly determinable: an effort to professionally handle the problems of people who found themselves in challenging circumstances. What distinguishes social work from other helping professions is that it perceives these circumstances in the context of social reality. This perspective enables social work to perceive the problems of an individual as something exceeding certain limits and thereby impacting not only the very individual but their entire social environment too.
Different groups of people suffer from distress and straits. Social workers’ clients are not only limited to the homeless, drug addicts, mentally ill, or people with learning difficulties; they also include battered wives or children, the unemployed or refugees seeking asylum. In an effort to help, the social worker deals with the entire situation of the client. Thus, the worker takes account of social factors as well as the psychological, biological, and/or spiritual ones. This approach allows the establishment of a social diagnosis on the basis of which social therapy will be applied. In other words, people’s problems which have a social nature may spring from other than (just purely) social dimensions, and these dimensions need to be identified so that the client may receive aid either from a social worker or other specialized staff, for example a psychologist.
Our mission is:
- to support the ability of Czech and Slovak societies as well as wider European societies to tackle the problems of people’s lives through social work
- to support the quality of social work and the professionalization of social work practice
- to contribute to the development of social work as a science and to the improvement of education in social work
- to support the interests of the social services providers and users
To achieve its mission, the journal will – within the community of social workers and associated and assisting staff of other branches and professions – support the following:
- attitudes which consider both expertise and humane approaches as equal criteria for assessing the quality of social work
- attitudes which emphasize the link between the theoretical justification of social work procedures and their practical orientation to the clients’ problems and their real opportunities
- the cohesion of all who are involved and engaged in the process of tackling the clients’ problems through social work
- open, difference-conscious, informed, and reasoned discussion within the community of social workers
- the willingness of social workers to see themselves through the eyes of others
Professor Libor Musil on launching the journal:
„In my opinion, there were more reasons to launch the journal. In relation to the society, it is important to earn recognition to a profession which, in the eyes of the society, was reduced to a mere execution of official duties and to a layman helping activity that requires qualification. In relation to our colleagues, I would be glad to see there is a new space emerging for the exchange of ideas, experience, and for discussion as well. The existence of the journal forms a base for a professional community able to formulate and pursue the same goals and interests. I consider it necessary for theorists/men of letters, practitioners with theoretical background, and practitioners who are hardly bothered about theory to be involved in an open communication process. All three categories may enrich one another and discover some ideas which otherwise may not come into existence. Researchers need to publish their findings and results somewhere, and they are eager to subject these to a wider discussion. The journal will hopefully offer such an opportunity.”