Transnational social work: Challenging and crossing borders and boundaries

Abstract

Summary Interest in transnationality and borders has expanded considerably within several academic disciplines over the last decades. This paper explores the way this transnational perspective has been developed within social work. It then identifies a number of gaps in current transnational social work research and proposes four avenues for additional inquiry that allow for an unbounding of how social work is theorised and the development of a perspective that recognises social work’s role beyond a bounded national state. Findings Borders and cross-border processes and structures pose essential challenges to social work research and practice. State borders may be opening to certain cyber, social and economic functions, but are at the same time (re-)closing to other security and political functions. Moreover, more metaphorical and symbolic boundaries are also strengthening. A transnational turn in the educational, theoretical and practical field of social work requires a move away from the conventional local and sedentary conceptualisation of society and social life that is still omnipresent today, in order to develop a social work that recognises and explores, as well as challenges and crosses borders and boundaries. Applications Despite the increase of transnational lifestyles, social problems and social work practices, the body of knowledge in this domain is as yet rather limited and fragmented. The applications of this article concern a theoretical contribution to this body of knowledge, which can also be used in curricula for social work education. Moreover, it contributes to a move away from the ‘methodological nationalism’ at work in social work.