Introduction: Rurality and Rural Social Work

This chapter by the editors introduces the reader to the concept of the book: the rediscovery of rural social work and its place in a social work practice fit for the future. Describing rurality and definitions of rural social work practice from the literature, it moves onto an outline of the book’s content and the reasons for breaking the contributions into three themes: stigma, environment and community. The last is premised as an overarching principle of the book—a suggestion that conscious rural social work is different from the use of models and practices that are offered elsewhere as universal because of their focus on the individual regardless of their place.