Promoting Social Innovation and Solidarity Through Transformative Processes of Thought and Action

Against the background of current crises and fundamental social questions, this edited volume collects contributions that touch upon aspects of social innovation and eco-social transformation in the fields of social work, education, community development and social and solidarity economy. Their common thread and the volume’s overall focus is on transformative and transdisciplinary approaches to research and practice – ways Susanne Elsen has encouraged throughout her career – pointing out her forward-looking contribution not only to social work but far beyond. The volume addresses scholars, students, policy makers, and a broader readership interested in tackling current sustainability challenges by innovating solidarity systems and fostering bottom-up processes of eco-social transformation.

Social Work in a Border Region

This volume collects contributions to an international conference held on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the degree programme in Social Work at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. The conference aimed at the reflexive assessment of the challenges for social work education, practice, and research highlighting the importance of both context and cultural sensitivity as well as the outreach through dialogue, exchange, and learning in a comparative and European perspective. The contributions intend to foster such a dialogue as well as the development of a common and critical understanding of social work as a profession and discipline which engages with its historical and political contexts and keeps alive the debate about its scientific foundations, values, professional standards and criteria of appropriateness and accountability in different practice fields and in changing welfare arrangements.

Perspektiven der Sozialen Landwirtschaft unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Entwicklungen in Italien / Prospettive dell’Agricoltura Sociale con particolare riferimento agli sviluppi in Italia

Questo volume presenta l’attuale dibattito scientifico, progetti innovativi e approcci dell’Agricoltura Sociale in Italia e nell’area germanofona. Il lavoro si rivolge a professionisti dei servizi sociali, della sanità e dell’istruzione, a studenti delle scienze sociali e di economia agraria e ai responsabili delle politiche sociali, dello sviluppo regionale, dell’agricoltura biologica e della trasformazione eco-sociale.

Social Innovation, Participation and the Development of Society

Il cambiamento del clima, la svolta della crescita, i cambiamenti demografici, la crisi mondale economica e finanziaria nonché le esigenze di sostenibilità rendono necessari degli approcci di soluzione innovativi per problemi finora sconosciuti. Autori dalla Danimarca, Norvegia, Polonia, Germania, Svizzera, Austria e Italia si occupano in questo libro di democratizzazione, innovazione sociale e partecipazione, considerando particolarmente i gruppi svantaggiati. Questo sguardo internazionale analizza due regioni geograficamente e politicamente esplosive: i paesi islamici, il Kazachistan e la Georgia.

Gesellschaftlicher Aufbruch, reale Utopien und die Arbeit am Sozialen

Weltweit besinnen sich Menschen auf gesellschaftlich Verantwortbares und Wünschenswertes, auf neue Formen des Lebens und Zusammenlebens und des ökosozialen Wirtschaftens. Dieser Band widmet sich diesen realen Utopien: positiven, in eine bessere Zukunft gerichteten Vorstellungen und praktischen Ansätzen, welche die Ideen von einer lebenswerteren Gesellschaft mit konkreter Praxis verbinden.