Timings for this UK/US webinar
International partnership
Understanding the dilemmas of social work practice today is often informed by unearthing the historical evolution of policy – locally, nationally and internationally. The origins and history of social work and social welfare is attracting growing interest, with increasing number of published articles, conference presentations and informal conversations. This first international seminar holds hands across the Atlantic to explore sources of evidence about this social history.
Hosted by the USA-based Social Welfare History Group and the UK-based Social Work History Network, the webinar will enable specialist archivists and active researchers to highlight the many and varied sources of evidence from historical sources.
Questions
The webinar will raise awareness of archives and historical sources, asking:
- Why is knowledge of archives important for social work and social welfare?
- How are archives and historical sources organised – what are the challenges and problems?
- How can we use them?
There will be reference to digital archives and comparative histories, discussion about whose history is recorded and who are ignored, and examination of archives of agency records.
Audience
The webinar will be of interest to practitioners, academics, students, researchers, historians and archivists.
Speakers
UK: Jessamy Carlson (Family and Local History Engagement Lead, UK National Archives) and Rachel MacGregor (Acting Head of Service, Warwick University Modern Records Centre)
USA: Linnea Anderson (Archivist, Social Welfare History Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries) and Alice Campbell (Digital Outreach & Special Projects Librarian, Virginia Commonwealth University).
Profiles of the speakers (PDF)
The webinar will be introduced by Stephen Monroe Tomczak (President, Social Welfare History Group; Professor of Social Welfare Policy & Community Organization, Southern Connecticut State University, Department of Social Work) and David N Jones (Chair, Social Work History Network).
Registration