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Social Change and Social Work in Mongolia

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Community Practice and Social Development in Social Work

Part of the book series: Social Work ((SOWO))

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Abstract

Social work in Mongolia is a fledgling profession, with the first formal social work programs being offered within Mongolia in 1997. It has emerged during a period of rapid and far-reaching economic, social, and political change for Mongolia, one of the world’s youngest democracies. The withdrawal of Soviet interest in Mongolia, climatic events, and mining have been accompanied by mass internal migration with some 1.4 million people now living in the ger districts of Ulaanbaatar city in less regulated settlements. For governments, international donors, community organizations, and social work addressing the social exclusion of ger residents have developed as a major challenge.

This chapter explores the role of social work in facilitating bottom-up participatory community action in ger districts. It draws on interviews with social workers, survey data from ger residents, and interviews with community stakeholders. This research suggests that community development practice in Mongolia is occurring outside of and to some extent in spite of professional social work. In order to engage with social change and social justice, the professional of social work will need to be mindful of Mongolian collectivist nomadic traditions. The chapter advocates for a refocusing of social work education and practice in Mongolia toward working alongside civil society and those socially excluded informed by community development approaches. This chapter hopes to contribute to ongoing discussion and reflection on social work practice and education.

They [social workers] never offer to plant a tree with me

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology and Social Work, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

    Bayartsetseg Terbish

  2. School of Education & Social Work, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Margot Rawsthorne

Authors
  1. Bayartsetseg Terbish
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  2. Margot Rawsthorne
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Margot Rawsthorne .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Sarah Todd

  2. University of Calgary, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Julie Drolet

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Terbish, B., Rawsthorne, M. (2020). Social Change and Social Work in Mongolia. In: Todd, S., Drolet, J. (eds) Community Practice and Social Development in Social Work. Social Work. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1542-8_17-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1542-8_17-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-1542-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-1542-8

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