This book offers an in-depth analysis of how the rapid advancement of digitalization is influencing and transforming the landscape of the social work field. Through comprehensive exploration and insightful discussions, the book delves into the intricate ways technology shapes the delivery of social services, ethical considerations, and the overall role of social workers in an increasingly technology-driven world. This topic is particularly relevant now, as new technologies are increasingly being adopted across sectors, including social services, to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Social workers are increasingly engaging with these changes, navigating how technology can support better decision-making, streamline interventions, and enhance outcomes for service users. 

The book's 14 chapters are organized in three parts. Part I examines how the profession has been adapting to Industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence (AI), exploring social transformations, digital vulnerabilities, and the transformative role of emerging technologies like AI in social work. This section sets the stage for understanding the intersection of technological change and social work practice. Part II addresses specific fields of intervention, exploring how digital technology is being applied in child protection, elderly care, rural mental health, and support for migrants and refugees, among others. This section highlights how technology can be leveraged to enhance social work interventions, focusing on improving care for vulnerable populations and addressing grand challenges in the field. The third and final part delves into emerging topics, discussing the ethical challenges, the role of interdisciplinarity in the digital age, the use of AI for data analysis in social interventions, professional training in a digitalized world, and pedagogical innovation in social work courses. This section points to future opportunities and challenges, emphasizing the importance of preparing social workers for a rapidly digitalizing world. 

Social Work in the 21st Century: The Challenges of a Digital World is a timely and important resource for social work professionals, students, educators, and academics keen to deepen their understanding of how technology transforms the field. The book also appeals to those with existing knowledge who wish to explore the impact of the digital in social intervention. 

Catarina Vieira da Silva is Assistant Professor at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Braga, Portugal. She holds a BA from the University of Coimbra, an MA from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, and a PhD in Social Work (an inter-university doctoral programme between the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and the University of Coimbra). She is a member of the Board of the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences and coordinates the undergraduate degree in Social Work and the Master’s in Applied Social Gerontology. She also serves as Coordinator of the Centro Social da Irmandade de S. Torcato, a non-governmental organisation focused on ageing. Her research and professional interests include poverty and social exclusion, the digital divide, gerontological social work, the use of new technologies in social work, innovative teaching methodologies in higher education, and the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda. She has participated in European-funded research projects, particularly on the digital divide among older adults and on the digital inclusion of migrant and refugee children and young people.

Ana Maria da Costa Oliveira is Assistant Professor of Social Work at the Faculty of Human Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) in Lisbon, Portugal, where she coordinates the scientific area of Social Sciences and Social Work and contributes to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programmes, including the Inter-University Doctoral Programme in Social Work. Her research and teaching focus on digitalisation in social work, ethical governance of technology, and professional judgement in hybrid and digitally mediated practice, grounded in a strengths-based and person-centred approach. She has published and coordinated applied research and evaluation projects at national and international levels, addressing areas such as ageing, homelessness, migration, community mental health, and social innovation. Her work consistently bridges theory and practice, combining critical engagement with digital transformation and a strong commitment to social justice, human rights, and the recognition of people’s capabilities, agency, and lived experience in contemporary welfare systems.