Transformation of society, social policy and social work in Slovakia

Authors focus on development of society, social policy and social work after groundbreaking democratic changes in 1989 in Slovakia at different fields of social affairs. Transformation processes in all fields were different, but based on the same fundamentals. These were the move from socialism to democracy, from centrally planned to market economy, from paternalism to individual responsibility, participation etc. The changes in society as a whole determinate the changes in social policy and these affect the process of re-establishing of social work as a professional and scientific discipline. Particularities of these causal relationships are discussed in this paper as well as main steps of transformation processes in each field.