The subject of social work can be derived from its denomination: the subject of social work is the social aspect. However, there is still a lack of a scientifically established definition of the social. Bringfriede Scheu and Otger Autrata provide a determination and definition of the social. This establishes scientific social work as an independent discipline with the unique feature that it conducts fundamental research on the social. The focus on the social and social action as the subject must be continued in professional social work: Bringfriede Scheu and Otger Autrata explain that the promotion of social action is the connecting characteristic of professional social work across different fields of practice.