Contemporary Issues in Sociology and Social Work: An Africanist Perspective

Social Work and Sociology are organically intersected in the same way Social Work intertwines
other disciplines within and outside the Social Sciences. They are, however, differ in outlook and
approach. Although, both Social Work and Sociology are concerned with the subject matters of
human social problems, they differ a great deal in how these problems are evaluated, studied and
acted upon. While Sociology is theoretically-based, Social Work is practically-based. Therefore,
a Sociologist is not a Social Worker except if trained as a social worker and gets certified, and vice
versa. However, an individual can be both sociologist and social worker if trained in both
disciplines. Therefore, this book intends to demystify and deconstruct some narratives and notions
in some parts of Africa, particularly in Nigeria, that both Sociology and Social Work are the same
simply because Social Work carries the word ‘social’.

In this book, the writers have advanced constructive and enduring global narrative, with particular
emphasis on Africa, about the core issues and concerns in both Sociology and Social Work that
are devoid of mischief and corruption. This book is timely as more and more departments of Social
Work are being mounted across Africa, particularly, in Nigeria. The book is written with the aim
of making researchers, academics and other stakeholders, including students, in the field of human
behavioural sciences who are interested in the subject matters of Sociology and Social Work to
become familiar with salient issues relating to the subjects of discourse. It is further intended to
familiarise the readers of the text with important and cogent contemporary topical issues as related
to the society at large. The book is particularly targeted at researchers, academics and students who
are members of the Faculty of the Social Sciences or ancillary faculties that are interested in
understanding human behaviours and lend helping hand to different clients that come across their
paths in the process of carrying out their duties. The structure of the book is centred on the principle
of human behaviour and humanitarian assistance in the context of different environmental
situations in which the reader finds him/herself. The serialisation of the 39 chapters shows three
sections with contributions in core Sociology, core Social Work and the inter-twin of both subjects.