Social Work & Society

People in the fields of social work and social policy have been fundamentally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020 as all other members of society. At the same time, users of social work services faced particular challenges: Services were significantly restricted in some cases, access was temporarily blocked, problems were aggravated, and public services unavailable for weeks. In addition, providers faced budget problems, staff shortages and confusing and difficult-to-control hygiene politics. As varied as Covid-19 policies were globally, the marginal consideration given to social impacts was evident everywhere. The different aspects of social work and social policy practices in the Covid 19 contexts have been the subject of research in recent years. Also, ethical and methodological issues in social work research in regard to Covid-19 have been discussed.

Six years after the pandemic outbreak of Covid-19 in Wuhan (China), Covid has become part of the everyday life in contemporary societies: Given the lower mortality rates, infection figures are now rarely reported in the media. This makes it all the more interesting to have a look back from a more global perspective: What were the implications for social work and social policy in different fields and in different contexts of social work and social policy? 

This question is explored in the articles of our new special issue of Social Work & Society. We are therefore delighted that we are able to present you this special issue.