Comparing East and West – a flashback on the history of comparative research in social work

ABSTRACT

The development of social work in different European countries in the nineteenth and early twentieth century followed sooner or later a rather similar path. Nevertheless, we find everywhere particular characteristics. Only if we compare certain economic standards, cultural habits, religious codes and the balance of public and private activities, the characteristics of welfare development in each country become visual. If we want to know something about our country, we have to look at others. Therefore, we have to compare social work and its history, because only then the question of similarities and differences cannot be avoided and become crucial elements of our studies.

KEYWORDS:

• International welfare history
• comparative research
• social work in Eastern Europe

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Sabine Hering is professor for welfare history, gender and socialpedagogic at the University of Siegen (retired since 2012). The author’s most important fields of research include history of feminist movement in Germany, international welfare history considering mainly Jewish welfare history and the development of social work in Eastern Europe from 1900–1945 and 1945–1990; history of childhood in total institutions; development of plans for an international virtual museum of welfare history.

Notes

1. The initiator of this international conference was Dr René Sand, a Belgian expert of social medicine who was advisor of the League of Red Cross Societies in Paris.

2. Among many others Mary Richmond (Director of the Russell Sage Foundation), Grace Abbott (Director of the Children's Bureau, Washington) and Jane Addams (Founder of Hull House, Chicago) belonged to the participants of this conference.

3. International Council of Social Work, International Association of Social Work Schools; International Organization of Social Worker.

4. The minutes of all sections still exist in three languages.

5. Emil Münsterberg (1855–1911) was a well-known scholar in the field of welfare research; since 1898 he leaded as ‘Stadtrat’ the ‘Armendirection’ in Berlin.

6. The founders were among others: Gisela Hauss, Sabine Hering, Elena Iarskova-Smirnova, Mirja Satka, Dagmar Schulte, Caroline Skehill, Berteke Waaldijk, Walter Lorenz, Darja Zavirsek.

7. This project was financed by the Volkswagen Stiftung and included the countries Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia and Slovenia.