Social work in Azerbaijan: Achievements and challenges of the profession

Abstract

The professional social work in Azerbaijan started in 2005 with the Master of Social Work degree and it rapidly evolved. The article presents the findings of the study that evaluated the situation of the social work profession since its establishment. The sample size was 39 respondents. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus groups. The study found rapid development, institutionalization, and acceptance of social work by public agencies as achievements, and the wrong image of social work, lack of jobs for social work graduates, uninformed selection of social work by students, and low salaries for social workers as challenges.