Editorial

Against the backdrop of an increasingly unpredictable socio-economic and political landscape, the usual systemic and microlevel provocations faced by social workers intensify while new requirements arise each day. We have invited social work academics and practitioners to submit articles focusing on the daily work challenges of social workers in and their implications for education and research in the field. Thus, this issue of the Social Work Review brings to the fore research and theoretical papers that reveal social workers’ efforts to safeguard human rights and promote social justice in diverse professional settings: from probation services to education, from migration to old age social protection, from family to school settings, from mental health challenges to communication, culture, and human development.

The issue starts with an analysis of volunteering as a resource for addressing a multitude of current social challenges. The interesting findings of the recent study conducted by Doru Buzducea, Darie Cristea, Dragoș-Georgian Ilie, and Diana-Alexandra Dumitrescu offers valuable insights on the yet insufficiently tapped into potential of volunteering, showing that it is largely regarded as a driver of goodwill and civic participation by the Romanian public. The authors challenge the reader to reflect on the development and implications of volunteering practices in Romania, paving the way for further research on the subject. One of the many areas of interest to social work that would benefit from enhanced volunteering actions is the social protection of the elderly. Monica Luminița Alexandru’s article offers a comprehensive analysis of the role of social workers in the efficient management of active aging. As population aging starts to have a toll on social protection systems across European countries, the need to counteract ageist assumptions at the policy and societal levels grows incrementally.
Social work is grounded in various psychosocial and humanistic theoretical approaches which inform practice and shape educational and research efforts. Ionuț-Cosmin Militaru’s article applies a human development theoretical framework to the understanding of the particularities of adoptable children, contoured by the interactions with the environment that form the personality of future adults.

Effective and authentic communication both in the workplace and on the field is paramount to social work intervention. Mirela Anghel presents a compelling analysis of the interconnection between culture and communication, offering historical insights on their intertwined evolution over time, that has shaped our understanding of their meaning and purpose. Highlighting the importance of oratorical skills grounded in virtuosity and morality, Tomi Cristin’s paper provokes the reader to reconsider the power of public speaking and its reverberating effects on social interactions and contexts.
Giving voice to the professional concerns, opinions and needs of social workers, Loredana Florentina Bozariu’s article presents key findings from a study that has focused on the challenges and opportunities identified by practitioners in their daily work. Elisaveta Drăghici adds to this discussion by applying the concept of intellectual capital to social work through her research focused on partitioners’ involvement in research activities in the field.

The success of social work interventions is strongly linked to their effectiveness in providing accurate prevention and social protection in the area of mental health. Radu Simion’s article focuses on how social workers tackle the stigma associated with mental disorders and what needs to be improved to better equip them for addressing its consequences and for promoting more inclusive social policies. In their article, Mihaela Popa and Denisa Măjar delve into a particular aspect of mental health in social work with their thorough analysis of the triggering factors of postpartum depression. Prolonged exposure to the suffering of the people served can affect the productivity of social workers. Further on, Alexandra Daniela Țone’s paper sheds light on the manifestations and repercussions of vicarious traumatization among social service practitioners while Angelica Costea analyses the challenges faced by social workers in their efforts to promote the school inclusion of children with special educational needs.

Fostering strong social support networks with multiple relevant social actors is a long-time objective in social work with disadvantaged individuals and communities. Diana Geanovu and Ana Maria Ivanov’s article shows the important role of the support received by mothers in the postanal period from their extended families and partners. Also within the family setting, Alina Costin advocates for closeness and connection rooted in humanistic values in mitigating mother-daughter conflicts. As highlighted in George Marian Ichim’s article, one important facet of social support in probation is social workers’ ability to strike a balance between helping behaviour and punitive actions in their work as probation counsellors. The school setting needs also be an integral part of the social support networks of individuals, as highlighted in the article of Adelia Furdui, Patricia Runcan and Remus Runcan. The authors discuss the growing need for school social work and how it can improve educational outcomes. Further on, Emanuel-Adrian Sârbu and Anca-Georgiana Drăgan-Moldoveanu’s article brings to the fore the impact of spiritual support through religious services received by people during the Covid-19 pandemic. Alina Costin’s article on the intricacies of teenage challenges, analyses the crucial role of perceived parental support and non-aggressive parenting approaches on the wellbeing of adolescents. Remus Runcan’s article offers a snapshot of the current trends in return migration in Romania, challenging the reader to reflect on their implications for social work practice.

We conclude this issue with three reviews of new publications: (1) Social Work Education and the COVID-19 Pandemic: International Insights toward Innovation and Creativity (2024), edited by Yael Latzer and Liat Shklarski and reviewed by Georgiana-Cristina Rentea; (2) Research, development and intervention in social work [Cercetare, dezvoltare și intervenție în asistență socială] (2024), Tritonic, authored by Doru Buzducea and reviewed by Bianca-Daniela Parapeanu; and (3) Theory and practice in social work. Introductory elements [Teorie și practică în asistența socială. Elemente introductive] (2023), Tritonic, authored by Georgiana-Cristina Rentea and reviewed by Mihaela Popa.

The complexity and heterogeneity of this issue of the Social Work Review is an invitation to critical reflection on current social dynamics and on social work’s role in (re)imagining social solutions by fostering flexibility, adaptation and resilience.