This volume provides the long-awaited comprehensive introduction to social work, which today is not only seen as an indispensable practice and a connected profession but also as a scientific discipline and an established field of study. The presentation offers a solid insight into the practice of social work and the wide range of its fields of work and applications. It follows with a systematic introduction to the scientific foundations of social work. Furthermore, the book addresses the study of social work and outlines the fundamental principles of the profession. In this way, it not only enables a continuous development towards a reflective practice but also contributes to the formation of a public image that helps clarify the fundamental intentions of social work as intervention, prevention, and societal engagement.