What is social work and who are social workers? Based on a range of primary and secondary sources, this book argues that social work, seen as an occupation and an identity, reveals specific cultural and symbolic representations. It explores aspects of social work culture and cross-cultural representation, showing from an outsider’s perspective examples of how members of this occupational group see the world, and how their world views can affect their practices, suggesting implications of these practices for wider society. Analyzing these using an anthropological approach widens our insights into the impacts that these professionals have on society and vice versa. The book goes beyond simply describing social workers as a professional group, whether nationally or internationally to develop a reflexive, anthropological account.