Organizers: The Department of Social Work, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, the University of Bucharest in collaboration with the Association of Schools of Social Work in Romania (ASSWR)

Conference theme: Riding the Shock Wave: Social Work challenges during and after COVID-19

Conference dates: November 3^rd – 4^th, 2022

Conference venue: Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, the University of Bucharest (90 Panduri Street,
Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania) or online

Conference language: English

Conference website:  www.swicub.com

 

The Social Work Department of the University of Bucharest is pleased to invite submissions for presentations at the 6^th edition of the Social Work International Conference (SWIC) to be held between November 3^rd – 4^th, 2022.

 

When the science fiction of the 1970s meets the real world and begins to be confused with it only half a century later, we start to wonder what kind of world we built, what we could do better and how we respond to the challenges that emerge on the horizon. In the 1970s, Alvin Toffler in his iconic book Future Shock drew attention to the fact that we face certain psychological states of individuals and entire societies, more precisely “too much change in too short a period of time”. The title of the SWIC 6th edition is a mixture between the title of two SF novels: The Shockwave Rider (1975) by John Brunner and The 5th Wave (2013) by Rick Yancey. Both main heroes of the two novels have to face brutal world changes, adapt to the new social arrangements and, at the same time, resist inherent mechanisms of oppression. This is exactly what the COVID-19 crisis caused – a myriad of changes in response to the shock. We can look at these changes from two diametrically opposed perspectives: the disorganization and chaos created – the breakdown of the system in the terms of R.K. Merton, on the one hand, and the potential for development through crisis – the search for answers, resources, solutions, adaptation and resilience, on the other hand.

In this context, as other socio-economic turbulences caused by situations and events also with global impact emerge, such as the recent escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war, social work has had to activate crisis intervention mechanisms and re-think its strategies for assisting the most disadvantaged populations. Social work, through its resilience and capacity for innovation, can contribute not only to diminishing the psycho-socio-economic consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and other widespread phenomena but also to shaping a better and more equitable world.

We invite researchers and practitioners from the field of social work as well as other connected social science fields to join us in reflecting on the dynamic and adaptative character of social interventions, looking past the “shock wave”. What have been the lessons learned for social work from the recent challenges with world-wide effects? What innovative approaches to practice, research and/or social work education took effect or became necessary as a consequence of facing these challenges? What needs to be done in order to better leverage the innovative possibilities of social work for improved social protection strategies?

 

We welcome scientifically sound and original contributions from researchers, educators, practitioners, and students from social science in the areas listed below. Submissions can be empirical, theoretical or practice-based. We accept submissions from both experienced researchers/practitioners and students.

 

Conference sub-themes

The streams of the conference are divided based on the 3 main areas:

1. Answers to the COVID-19 Shock and future challenges for Social Work education
2. Answers to the COVID-19 Shock and future challenges for Social Work research
3. Answers to the COVID-19 Shock and future challenges for Social Work practice

 

Types of Conference Participation

The SWIC 2022 Organizing Committee aims at holding this year’s event in a face-to-face (in-person) format in Bucharest. However, due to the current circumstances, we can provide online access to most of the conference sessions and keynote presentations to the participants that cannot attend the conference in person. The fees for the two types of conference participation can be found here.

Please let us know in advance in what format you plan on attending the conference (in-person or online) by answering the designated question in the Abstract Submission Form by August 10th, 2022.

Please note that should the requests for online participation outweigh the on-site participation, we might have to hold the conference entirely online. We will inform you of any such decision as soon as possible after the abstract submission deadline. Please see the key dates here.

 

Abstract submission – instructions for authors

Presentation types include individual or co-authored papers, poster presentations, and organized workshops. The papers will be selected based on criteria such as compliance with the conference theme, relevance, and actuality of the subject.

Abstract submissions should include the following:

• Title of the presentation
• Name and affiliation of the author(s)
• 3-5 keywords

The abstract body should have 300 words or less (maximum 3000 characters) and it is recommended that to follow as much as possible the below structure:

• Background/Context
• Research objective
• Methodology
• Main results and/or implications for social work education, practice and/or research
• General conclusion

We are now receiving abstract submissions! To apply please fill out the Abstract Submission Form.

The abstract submission deadline is August 10^th, 2022

Please see the important dates here.

The full Call for Abstracts is available here.