Social work in the period of Abdülhamit II

The modernization moves which were initiated in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century before the reign of Abdülhamit II were continued during the reign of Abdülhamit II, which was one of the most difficult periods of the Ottoman Empire in terms of social, economic and political terms. Social work institutions and practices, which are the focus of the research, were also affected by this change. The subject of this research is the process of change and transformation that took place in the modern and continuous social work institutions and practices in the Abdülhamit II period. The wars, migrations and poverty experienced during the reign of Abdülhamit II caused an increase in the number of disadvantaged groups in the society and important state-supported modern social work institutions were needed for the solution of this social problem. This research is important in terms of examining the process of change and transformation in the social work institutions and practices in the period of Abdülhamit II, which were carried out in a state-centered manner and without abandoning the traditional. The research aims to reveal that the change and transformation in institutions and practices for children, women, elderly and disabled individuals, which are the focus of social work, were carried out by considering the structure of the society and the infrastructure for the transition to modern social work was created.Archival documents were used as the primary source on the subject and qualitative research method was used the research method. The research concluded that social work institutions and practices which were brought in order to ensure the social inclusion of disadvantaged individuals in the society during the Abdülhamit II period, are effective in today's social work institutions and practices as continuous social innovations. Keywords: Social Work, Abdülhamit II, Traditional Social Work, Modern Social Work Institutions and Practices, Social State.