As our first editorial of 2024 was addressed by our dear colleague Siniša Zrinščak, we would like to take this opportunity to finally wish all of you the best for 2024. Also this year, we will continue our efforts to promote social work as a scientific discipline by presenting you with fine pieces of academic work. In the end, the academic dimension of social work plays a pivotal role in fostering the profession.
Therefore, the European Journal of Social Work will continue advocating for the significance of academic social work as a crucial force in shaping social welfare policies, influencing practice, and contributing to the development of a socially just society. Academic social work, inherently interdisciplinary, bridges theory and practice, drawing upon insights from other disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach enriches the understanding of complex social issues, enabling professionals to devise holistic and critical practices.
As the world faces unprecedented social challenges, including but not limited to economic inequality, migration, mental health crises, and the impact of global pandemics, it's our understanding that the role of academic social work becomes increasingly critical. Academics are therefore encouraged to take the lead in addressing these challenges by fostering research that provides insights into these complex issues and informs practice and policy.
As such, academic social work may serve as a powerful advocate for social justice, challenging systemic inequalities and promoting policies that uphold human rights and dignity. By nurturing a framework of social work scholars and practitioners committed to social justice principles, we aim to contribute to the development of a profession that actively works towards dismantling oppressive structures and advocating for the well-being of marginalised and vulnerable populations by strengthening the ties between academia and practice.
We start in doing so by presenting papers from various countries on topics such as migration, COVID-19, partner violence and substance (mis)use.