Vol. 13 No. 2 (2015): Drugs – Drug Use(r) – Drug Market(s)

„Drugs – Drug Use(r) – Drug Market(s). Reflections and Perspectives for Social Services”. A New SW&S Special Issue

SW&S Special Issue

To identify social work clients as “drug abusers” has traditionally been a typical behavioral pattern. The use of drugs has also been seen as a social problem in the traditional welfare state of the so called western world. This is right and wrong at the same time: On the one side the current (welfare) state has become a new agency of repression – not at least against public drug use, illegal as well as legalized drugs, in bigger cities; on the other side the neo-liberal agenda allows public debates about the liberalization of drug distribution by calling the individual subject a responsible customer.

On that background the question of drugs, drug use(rs) and drug markets can still be seen as a main issue of social work and social policy in welfare states. At the same time they represent a field of change, where the transformations of welfare can be witnessed.

Therefore Social Work & Society is very grateful to present our readers the new Special Issue on “Drugs – Drug Use(r)- Drug Market(s)”: Michelle Pelans paper on Re-visioning Drug Use is opening the SW&S Special Issue by discussing the question of its transformation Away From Criminal Justice and Abstinence-based Approaches. In its Cross-National Comparative Study Matteo Di Placido is Comparing Social Service’s Networks for Underage Drug Users, followed by Lis Bodil Karlssons, Ulla Rantakeisus and Kirsti Kuuselas paper using A Narrative Approach to reflect the Recovery Process from Addiction and Abuse. Wes Abercrombie and Mitchell Mackinem are concluding the SW&S Special Issue by reflecting the exploration of Community Based Responses and the Natural History of a Drug Market”.

SW&S Forum

Beside the Special Issue the new issue involves also fascinating papers in the SW&S Forum on Ageing and Care of Older Persons in Southern Africa by Jotham Dhemba & Bennadate Dhemba; on Acquiring Life Skills Whilst in Residential Care in Ghana by Esmeranda Manful, Harriet Takyi & Eunice Gambrah; on Axel Honneth’s Recognition Model for Social Work by Stanley Houston; and last, but not least on The Epistemological Difference between “Lifeworld” and “Life Conditions” by Björn Kraus.

Information from the Co-Ordinating Office

At the end of the 13^th year of Social Work & Society our well known online journal has been restructured. From now on the publication policy of SW&S will be focused on the Special Issue section and a general article section, the SW&S Forum. The SW&S Special Issues will mostly be edited by guest editors (see the Call for Special Issues: http://www.socwork.net/sws). The former SW&S sections “Research & PhD Notes”, “Essays”, “Historical Portraits” and “Book Reviews” have been closed.

Another change concerns the double blind peer review process. This will be coordinated and controlled by the Co-Ordinating Office for all SW&S sections from now on.

Enjoy our new issue of Social Work & Society.

The SW&S Co-Ordinating Office