Call For Papers-SPECIAL ISSUE-Disaster Social Work in International Contexts

2026-07-09

Summer 2027 Special Issue: Disaster Social Work in International Contexts

Guest Editors

  • Dr. Melanie Gall, Associate Professor, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AR, US
  • Dr. Lauri Goldkind, Professor, Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University, NY, NY, US
  • Dr. Pia Ruth Hollenbach, Senior researcher, University of Applied Sciences, Konstanz, Germany
  • Dr. Caroline Schmitt, Professor of ecosocial work and care, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Germany

The proposed issue seeks to advance knowledge and practice at the intersection of social work, disaster preparedness, response, and recovery across diverse cultural and geopolitical settings.

Scope and Themes: Disasters—whether natural, technological, or human-made—pose urgent challenges that test the resilience of communities and the capacity of social workers. As the climate crisis intensifies, conflicts proliferate, and public health emergencies persist, social work’s role in disaster contexts becomes increasingly critical. This special issue will highlight innovative practices, case study examples as well as theoretical contributions, and comparative insights that address these challenges.

Disaster social work has emerged as a vital field at the intersection of humanitarian response, climate change adaptation, and social justice. Disasters—whether natural, technological, or human-made—exacerbate existing inequalities and disproportionately impact marginalized communities, requiring social workers to address not only immediate needs but also long-term recovery and resilience ( Dominelli, 2023). Globally, frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 emphasize inclusive, community-centered approaches to preparedness and recovery, highlighting the essential role of social workers in protecting vulnerable populations (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [UNDRR], 2015). Social workers contribute by providing psychosocial support, facilitating access to resources, advocating for human rights, and ensuring that disaster responses are culturally sensitive and equitable (Rowlands & Tan, 2017). Case studies from Japan, Haiti, and the Philippines demonstrate how social workers help rebuild social fabrics after earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons, underscoring the need for culturally grounded interventions and interdisciplinary collaboration. International standards, such as the Sphere Handbook and IFRC guidelines (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2022), also call for psychosocial and community-based interventions that align closely with social work values. As the climate crisis intensifies and humanitarian emergencies proliferate, disaster social work provides an indispensable framework for increasing preparedness, mitigating harm, fostering resilience, and advancing global equity.

We welcome manuscripts that engage with (but are not limited to) the following themes:

  • Cross-national comparisons of disaster social work practice and policy
  • Culturally grounded interventions in disaster contexts
  • Disaster preparedness and resilience-building in vulnerable populations
  • Ethical, legal, and human rights issues in disaster response
  • Collaboration between social workers, governments, NGOs, and international agencies
  • The role of technology and digital platforms in disaster social work
  • Training, education, and capacity-building for social workers in disaster contexts
  • Lived experiences of affected populations and community-based responses
  • Inter-disciplinary and inter-sectoral learning experiences on DRR

Types of Submission

  • Manuscripts submitted could be commentaries, brief reports, empirical research manuscripts, conceptual papers, theoretical and/or policy analyses, narratives, or knowledge translation studies/activities.
  • Submissions may include original research articles, conceptual papers, case studies, and commentaries.

Submission Guidelines

  • Authors should follow the guidelines for writing articles for Advances in Social Work.
  • Manuscripts should be original and not under consideration by any other publication.
  • Submissions should adhere to the APA 7th edition style guide.
  • Manuscripts should be between 5,000 and 8,000 words, including references.
  • Submit your manuscript online through the Advances in Social Work submission portal.
  • All manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Authors should submit a full manuscript by September 30, 2026. Submitted manuscripts will be anonymously peer-reviewed. This issue is scheduled to appear in August 2027.

Deadline for manuscripts: Sept 30, 2026

For more information, please contact the Guest Editors through Lauri Goldkind: goldkind@fordham.edu or Carol Hostetter, Editor, Advances in Social Work: chostett@indiana.edu

References