Introduction: 21st-Century Conceptualizations of Empathy: Implications for Social Work Practice and Research

ABSTRACT

The articles in this special section seek to better define empathy, discuss how it can be cultivated, and highlight how empathy can strengthen families and empower adolescents. The authors encourage a greater understanding and application of the concept and offer implications regarding how empathy can create insights that help practitioners develop services and policies and further research efforts that are socially and economically just, sensitive to clients’ needs, and based on the reality of their experiences. The introduction to the section discusses the underlying motivation for the focus on empathy and provides an overview of each of the five articles.