Patrick Oehler connects the concept of democracy with the profession of social work. He draws on a tradition established by the pioneers of pragmatic sociology and social work who were active in Chicago around the turn of the 19th to 20th century. According to the author’s main thesis, social work should orient itself towards a model of democratic professionalism in a democratic society. Against this backdrop, he explores how democratic and professional actions can be reconciled in the practice of social work, and reconstructs a notion of democratic professionalism from the engagement with professional and democratic theoretical references as well as the historical contributions of social work theory and practice.