Although Social Work principally is organized according to the particular national social security systems there have been various international contacts and co-operations since the beginning of the professionalization process. The first international conferences took place in the 19th century. During the 20th century they were continued in steadily increasing numbers and quite regularly – with interruptions due to the first and second world war. Fields of interest were the general organization of welfare as well as topics like protection for expectant mothers or abolitionism (campaign against the state regulation of prostitution). An early example of a comparative study is Alice Salomons book, published in 1937: "Education for Social Work. A Sociological Interpretation based on an International Survey".

Nowadays questions of Europeanization and the social consequences of Globalization are highly topical. In August 2006 the Conference of the IFSW (International Federation of Social Workers) will take place in Munich.

In response to these developments the general topic might be accessed or approached through a variety of aspects:

• Organizations such as the International Council of Social Welfare, the International Federation of Social Workers, the International Association of Schools of Social Work or the International Federation of Abolitionists;
• International conferences or congresses of Social Work;
• Internationally discussed topics such as child labor, legal protection for children and young persons, public welfare, settlements, white slave trade, prostitution, violence in families, prohibition or abolitionist movements, also theories, methods or education in Social Work;
• Female Social Workers or social politicians whose activities were relevant in a german and international context such as Alice Salomon, Jane Addams, Emma Steiger, Ilse Arlt or Siddy Wronsky;
• The breaking off or new formation of connections due to the migration of German female Social Workers;
• Influences of international developments (or developments in other countries) for German Social Work and vice versa;
• The meaning of Gender in Social Work in an international comparison (e.g. "spiritual motherliness" as German or international phenomenon);
• On any other topic that might be of interest in this context.

If you are interested in contributing an article please send us a detailed proposal (approximately 1 page). The compilation of the issue will be decided on the basis of the proposals received. Please do send ideas that may seem to be at the margin of the topic, as the focus of the volume may well shift in response to the proposals received. Proposals (and later articles) can be submitted in German and/or English. Owing to financial limitations we are not able to translate any other language. We are planning to publish the issue in German and English (if funding for an English translation can be found).
Deadline for proposals: 13 May 2005
Copy deadline: 30 November 2005
Date of publication: May 2006