Skip to content Skip to search Skip to footer
Washington University in St. Louis

Brown School

Center for Social Development

Menu
  • About Us
    • Core Faculty & Staff
    • Faculty Directors
    • Faculty Associates
    • CSD Research Associates & Assistants
  • Research
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Thriving Communities
    • Social Justice
    • Child & Youth Well-being
    • Race, Inequality & Social Mobility
    • Environment & Social Development
    • Democracy & Civic Engagement
    • All Projects
  • Education & Practice
    • JPMC Doctoral Scholars Program
    • Data for Social Impact (DSI)
  • Publications
  • Partners
    • Grand Challenges for Social Work
    • Sister Centers for Social Development
    • Next Age Institute​: Partnership in Social Innovation
    • Washington University Partnerships
    • Funding Partners
  • News
    • CSD News
    • Media
    • Newsletter
  • Events
  • Contact
    • Join CSD Mailing List
  • The New CSD
Articles & Special Issues Democracy and Civic Engagement International Service

International Volunteer Service

By CSD • September 22, 2020October 1, 2021

This article provides a brief historical overview of international volunteer service, along with changes to traditional forms of international service. It presents a general typology for contemporary international-service programs and reviews how these forms differ in practice. Using the limited data available, it provides a demographic snapshot of the scale and prevalence of international volunteer service from the United States and globally. The article reviews critical intersections between international service and social work, and describes debates of particular concern to the social worker profession. Finally, the article outlines important areas for future social work research and practice.

Citation

Lough, B. J. (2020, June). International volunteer service. In C. Franklin et al. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.959

View Publication
2020Benjamin LoughEncyclopedia of Social Workinternational servicevolunteerism

Center for Social Development

Washington University in St. Louis

MSC 1196-251-46

One Brookings Drive

St. Louis, MO 63130

314-935-7433

csd@wustl.edu

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Media Contact

Lissa Johnson
CSD Associate Director
ejohnson@wustl.edu

Join CSD Mailing List

Center for Social Development

©2025 Washington University in St. Louis