This book attempts to convey the outlines of the contemporary debates and issues in the field of social work. It is particularly detected at the students who are enrolling in the newly established tertiary education programs in Sri Lanka. Conscious of the paucity of printed materials in the English language for the Sri Lankan students and teachers, the book provides a snap shop of the multifaceted issues that confront the social worker. The discussion of theories and debates will hopefully assist the student to absorb the knowledge base and apply the same, for analysis evaluation and social practice. Social work as a discipline in Sri Lanka must be properly developed to compete with other sciences of the humanities to claim it is rightful place in the social policy and planing activities of the state. With this goal in mind this book may be a valuable source for both students and practitioners alike.