ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a theoretical framework for considering the challenges of promoting social welfare and social inclusion in contemporary digital societies. It is divided into five sections. First, a brief introduction to situate the perspective of the analysis and the method. Second, a proposal to delimit what we understand by the notion of ‘digital societies' and information and communication technologies (ICTs). Third, the question of surveillance and ‘data capitalism' as structural, globalised and invasive elements is addressed. Fourth, in the light of the previous points, the tension between ICTs, social welfare and inclusion in times of COVID-19 is raised. Finally, fifth, some concluding remarks, which will form the basis for an ongoing research agenda. For this purpose, socio-cybernetics is used as a paradigm from which to address the preceding questions. This provides an approach and a methodology—which are deployed throughout the chapter—where digital social work, also known as e-social work, takes on an innovative and necessary dimension. © 2023 selection and editorial matter, Antonio López Peláez, Sang-Mok Suh and Sergei Zelenev;individual chapters, the contributors.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has sped up the pace of the digital transition process in which we have been immersed. In a context of generalized lock-down, our organizations have been forced to go digital and many of the activities social workers perform must now be done remotely. As a result, e-social work, or digital social work, has gone from being an emerging specialization to a critical specialty across organizations and activities. In this article, we examine some basic scientific and methodological foundations to develop a science of social work from the perspective of critical realism, with special attention to digitalization. Establishing the scientific foundations of digital social work is a preliminary step for its development as a field of specialization. © 2021, Western Michigan University. All rights reserved.