Table Of ContentHuman Rights and Social Justice
in a Global Perspective
Human Rights and
Social Justice in a Global
Perspective
An Introduction to International
Social Work
Second Edition
Susan C. Mapp
1
1
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mapp, Susan C.
Human rights and social justice in a global perspective : an introduction
to international social work / Susan C. Mapp. — Second Edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978–0–19–998949–2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Social service—International
cooperation. 2. Human rights. I. Title.
HV41.M2796 2014
361.3—dc23
2013043627
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
Contents
Preface vii
1. International Social Development 1
2. Human Rights 15
3. Human Trafficking 27
4. International Child Welfare 55
5. War and Conflict 87
6. AIDS 121
7. Issues Particularly Affecting Women 153
8. Social Work and the Physical Environment 187
9. Millennium Development Goals and Beyond 204
10. A Call to Action 216
Appendix A: Universal Declaration of Human Rights 221
Appendix B: Opportunities in International Social Work 231
References 281
Index 341
Preface
The social work profession promotes social change, problem
solving in human relationships and the empowerment and
liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of
human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes
at the points where people interact with their environments.
Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental
to social work. (International Federation of Social Workers,
2000, ¶1)
As illustrated by this definition of social work, no matter where social
workers are or who their clients may be, the fundamental concepts of
social work remain grounded in social justice and human rights. We
believe that all humans have the right to access the same basic essentials
no matter what their status, and we work to help them achieve that right.
Social workers work most often on local issues—issues pertaining to their
clients who live by them, whether this work is on the micro, mezzo, or
macro level. However, in this new millennium, the boundaries of social
work are expanding as the boundaries of our world do. Issues that are
confronted on a local level in countries in the Global North are the same
issues faced by people struggling across the world, although they take a
different form depending on the cultural context.
While it is easier to prioritize the needs of those who are close to us
over those who are further away, this approach is damaging in the long
run. First, social work’s ethic of care requires that no distinction be drawn
between “our” poor and “their” poor. Second, with the globalization of our
world, social, economic, and political forces in one region of the world
can affect other regions of the world, and injustices experienced in local
communities can emanate from forces beyond national borders (Diaz,
viii Preface
Mama, & Lopez, 2006). Thus, the struggles of those who live half a world
away can affect us locally. For example, in Afghanistan and Colombia, the
stresses of poverty lure farmers to grow illegal drugs, while social workers
in the Global North combat the effects of drug abuse.
The term “international social work” is becoming more common and
encompasses several different concepts. This term can be used to refer to
working with immigrants from other nations in one’s home country, but
in this book it will be primarily used to refer to conducting social work to
help with social issues faced by citizens of other countries in their home
nations. One group of nations at high risk in regard to the social issues to
be considered are those nations formerly referred to as “Third World” or
“developing” nations. These two terms have now been largely discarded.
Although the term “Third World” was selected by these nations them-
selves, over the decades it has come to be associated with such terms as
“third class” and “third rate,” denoting a lower status. Likewise, the term
“developing” nation implied that the country was evolving to become like
the “developed” nations, an ethnocentric notion that has become out of
vogue. Therefore the term “Global South” will be used in this text, even
though not all of these countries are located in the Southern Hemisphere,
nor are all the countries in the Southern Hemisphere included in this term.
Issues pertaining to international social work have been gaining impor-
tance, and schools of social work are increasingly adding this context to
their classes to give their students the preparation they will need to be the
most effective practitioners possible. Even social workers who never leave
their country increasingly find themselves addressing these topics. For
example, social workers in domestic violence shelters are working with
clients who have immigration issues, and social workers in mental health
settings encounter clients who are traumatized from war and conflict.
We are also seeing the globalization of social issues. The role of social
workers is to help improve the human condition, regardless of the envi-
ronment, but the environment can have a major impact on the develop-
ment of an issue and thus on its resolution. As will be shown in this text,
issues that are faced by people all over the world vary from culture to
culture, depending on factors within that culture that inhibit or encour-
age development of the issue. The issues that are faced by clients in the
Global North are often the same issues faced by clients in the Global
South, although the cultural context may affect their development. For
instance, AIDS is a disease that knows no national boundaries, but who
Preface ix
is affected, why, and the impact of the infection vary between cultures.
Economic exploitation occurs across the globe, but who, why, and in what
form can vary.
This textbook will help introduce those in the Global North to social
problems as they occur in the Global South. There are both similarities
and differences to how these issues have developed in different regions
of the world due to issues of culture and access to resources. Each of
these issues is a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The human rights documents developed by the United Nations provide a
lens through which these issues will be viewed. Woven throughout each
chapter are descriptions and case studies from multiple countries in the
Global South to help illustrate their impact. At the end of each chapter is
a “Culture Box” which explores the issue in detail in one specific country
so that the reader can understand the impact of culture on the develop-
ment of a particular issue. The text is written from the orientation of a
person located in the United States but is intended to be useful to those
from other nations as well. It is aimed at all those who want to learn more
about the world around them, both those who have the formal label of
“student” and those who are simply seeking to educate themselves.
This edition is a thorough review of the first edition, updated where
needed. I have attempted to include more material on effective solutions
from around the world, because there is much progress to celebrate. The
book still begins with an introduction to international social work and
social development. To help illustrate how the way we think about the
world affects how we view problems and solutions, the impact of map
views and development theories is discussed. In Chapter 2, different
human rights documents and the human rights approach are discussed.
New material has been added on the role of the United Nations in pro-
moting human rights. Chapters 3 through 8 discuss different issues, and
readers of the first edition will notice the changes, and often improve-
ments, in conditions discussed in the first edition. For example, Chapter 6
on AIDS has been completely revamped in order to reflect the remark-
able progress made in fighting this epidemic. In Chapter 3, readers will
note the change in terminology and understanding of the definitions of
human trafficking and forced labor. Chapter 8 is brand new to this edi-
tion and represents the growing awareness in the profession of the linkage
between the physical environment and issues with which social workers
work. Chapter 9 discusses a potential path to developing solutions—the
