Digitalization permeates nearly every aspect of contemporary life and can, therefore, be seen as a defining feature of modern society. It not only fundamentally reshapes economic value creation but also transforms our daily way of life – both personally and professionally. When it comes to the world of work, we generally tend to speak of “Work 4.0”. From a sociological perspective, however, the concept of “digital life situations” offers a broader lens to understand the interplay between technological and social dynamics. The increasing interconnection of technological and social elements has led to processes of mediatization and datafication which have clearly become central topics in the social sciences by now. Social Work research has, until now, taken only cautious and isolated steps toward exploring this area. 

Digitalization is frequently limited to media usage only, and consequently examined primarily from the user’s perspective – focusing on technology use such as social media or data collection. As a result, it is often framed within the educational discourse of media pedagogization. The project Social Work 4.0 aims to go beyond this narrow view by exploring the social, political, and ethical dimensions emerging through a digitized world. It recognizes that concepts like algorithms and big data are no longer confined to computer science – they have become an integral part of the fabric of societies.
In addition, the project addresses these foundational questions within

Social Work, particularly concerning justice and participation. The research seeks to illuminate how digitalization intersects with social economics and how it influences – or ought to influence – the professionalization of Social Work.