Caritas et veritas 2024, 14(2):6-7

35 Years of the Second History of Czech Social Work

Jan Kaňák

When we planned the thematic focus of this issue, we thought of it primarily in the context of a certain reflection on the modern history of social work in our geographical area. However, our historicising thinking was confronted, in a good sense, with what Pavla Kodymová, who worked at the first post-1989 social work department in our country, had already reflected on years ago. That is to say, rather than a turn to the historical perspective, one can assume an interest in describing and understanding the contemporary. However, you can find historical reflections in it after all, especially in the article The Social-pedagogical Aspect in the Works of John Amos Comenius and his Legacy to the Modern World (by Lenka Haburajová Illavská and Lýdia Lešková). From the title itself, it is evident that the article intersects the present and history. The authors point to the breadth of Comenius’ work, and specifically to its social dimension. The basic ideas of the text then relate to the claim that our whole life is a school and thus it would be good for the individual to be formed holistically. From this, the authors then draw possible inspirations for the present time. We also encounter a historicising perspective in the text by Andrej Marel and Andrea Pressova Krejčí, who focus on respect for diversity in professional ethics. They see social work as a value-driven discipline (both in the context of practice and in the context of the academic form of social work). They see respect for diversity as one of the central values of the field. The authors present this value in a historical context. The article may be particularly useful to those who wish to understand respect for diversity in more depth. Likewise for those interested in the genesis of the social work profession’s codes of ethics, which they see as rooted in the landmark publication Social Diagnosis.

Accepted: December 18, 2024; Published: January 25, 2025  Show citation