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The Social Work World Congress in Melbourne in 2014 will discuss a new internationally agreed definition of social work. The present definition, passed by the International Federation of Social Work in 2000 and the International Association of Schools of Social Work in 2001, is being reviewed because of its strong commitment to social justice. In this article I argue that this commitment is vital and that, furthermore, it has enabled practitioners to act in ways that are ethical and supportive of marginalised and oppressed groups in the face of assault from political parties, media and the state.
The debate over a new international definition of social work reveals the conflictual and contested nature of social work – as a practice that is necessarily 'political' within oppressive and class-divided societies. A failure to acknowledge this has, in the past, led some social work organisations and practitioners to act in ways that are oppressive and supportive of existing power relations at the expense of poor and marginalised people. The debate about the international definition of social work, therefore, is vital for our understanding of the nature and role of social work in the present world.

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine the relationship of a network of social support for midlife women with their attitudes toward work‐family balance and work outcomes, including job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and career accomplishment.Design/methodology/approachA total of 1,089 women between the ages of 35 and 50 across three organizations were surveyed and then 72 of them interviewed.FindingsResults indicate that the women generally received more personal social support than work‐based social support and more instrumental than expressive support from all sources. Work‐based social support was positively associated with job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and career accomplishment; personal social support was also associated with job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Work‐family balance may partially mediate the relationship between social support and work outcomes.Originality/valueMuch of what is known about work‐life issues centers on the work‐family conflicts of younger women with children. Perceptions are explored of work‐life balance among women at midlife, an understudied population with significant work and personal responsibilities. This study contributes to research by examining the relationships among the full network of social support, work‐family balance, and work‐related outcomes, as well as the nature of this support for working women. The combination of quantitative and qualitative methods provides substantive insights into the complexity of these relationships for women at midlife.

The first book to fully explore the multiple ways in which body work features in health and social care and the meanings of this work both for those employed to do it and those on whose bodies they work.Explores the commonalities between different sectors of work, including those outside health and social careContributions come from an international range of expertsDraws on perspectives from across the medical, therapeutic, and care fieldsIncorporates a variety of methodological approaches, from life history analysis to ethnographic studies and first person accounts Julia Twiggis Professor of Social Policy and Sociology at University of Kent and a specialist in old age, care and embodiment. Her books include The Body in Health and Social Care(2006).Carol Wolkowitzis Reader in Sociology at University of Warwick and has written widely on gender and the sociology of work and employment. Her books include Bodies at Work(2006).Rachel Lara Cohenis Lecturer at the University of Surrey, and a specialist in sociology of work and employment. Her books include Feminism Counts: Quantitative Methods and Researching Gender(with C Hughes, 2011).Sarah Nettletonis a Reader in the Department of Sociology at the University of York and has researched and published on a range of health-related topics, all with a focus on the sociology of the body and embodiment. Her books include Sociology of Health and Illness(2006).