**2.4 Social work curriculum and student interests**

Adapted from the 2018 CSWE's report, **Table 2** presents glimpses of the social work specializations and internship foci as offered by colleges and universities in the

**85**

**3. Appealability of social work**

*The Appealability of the Social Work Profession in the United States: Possible Explanations*

**Intervention level Programs** Clinical practice 113 Non-clinical practice 134 **Fields of practice Programs** Children, youth, and families 64 Health/integrated health 51 Mental health 44 Aging/gerontology 41 School social work 33 Addictions 15 **Field Placements Students** Community mental health 9392 Health/mental health 7569 School social work 6769 Child welfare 6727 Family services 5725 Gerontology 1458

US in 2017. As seen in **Table 1**, social work schools in the US still provide students an opportunity to focus on micro practice, macro practice, or both. The clinical track allows students to provide direct practice to individuals, groups, and families. The macro tracks include areas such as advanced generalist practice, community practice, policy practice, program evaluation, and administration and management [7]. Many scholars—Butler and Coleman, 1997; Huber and Orlando, 1993; Hymans, 2000; Kasper and Wiegand, 1999; Miller, Tice, and Hall, 2008; Reisch, 2016; Wolk, Pray, Weismiller, and Dempsey, 1996—raised doubt about social work educators prioritizing the clinical track over the policy track in designing curricula [25–31]. This concern, however, seems not to show up in the overall social work curriculum in the US. Another concern deals with field practicum. Koerin, Reeves, and Rosenblum, Miller et al., Raber and Richter, and Sui claimed that social work students in a direct practice track are more likely to be being more suitable to micro practice. Existing field placements are more suitable to social work students with a direct practice track as opposed to those who prefer a nonclinical setting [29, 32–34]. This issue appears to be more in alignment with the information in **Table 1** where most students were placed in micro settings in 2017. Important topics such as poverty and social justice, advocacy and community organizing were basically not the focus of social work field practicum across the US in 2017.

*Levels of intervention, areas of practice specialization, and field placements for social work students in US* 

The existing literature contains several explanations for social work as a career choice. Among them are the following: genuine, intrinsic commitment to service (altruism) [35–37]; connection to social work identity (social work idealism) [35];

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91671*

*Source: Council on Social Work Education, 2018.*

**Table 2.**

*universities in 2017.*

*The Appealability of the Social Work Profession in the United States: Possible Explanations DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91671*


#### **Table 2.**

*Global Social Work - Cutting Edge Issues and Critical Reflections*

and other professions [17].

micro-level services.

environment.

behest of, their clients.

**2.4 Social work curriculum and student interests**

ers' actions.

1.*Mission/purpose*: According to NASW, "The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet basic and complex needs of all people, with a particular focus on those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty" [20]. Poverty and social justice have always been pivotal concepts in defining the mission of social work both in the US and abroad [17, 21]. Joseph argued that the strong emphasis on poverty and social justice within the social work community is the divider between social work

2.*Eclecticism*: Social work also embraces the generalist practice model, which consists in the application of a broad range of skills toward solving problems at the individual, family/group, organization, community, and society level [22]. The University of Missouri School of Social work put it best by asserting that "[social work's]…unique approach to problem-solving and interventions is evidenced in direct clinical practice, policy planning and administration; community-level and state-level services; private and public sectors; and teaching, research, and scholarship" [23]. The generalist practice model also offers social workers an opportunity to play many roles in working with clients. These include working as a case manager, negotiator, mediator, facilitator, educator, community organizer, evaluator, and public speaker. Furthermore, under this model, social workers work side by side with client throughout a seven-step process: engagement, assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, termination, and follow-up [22]. Many disciplines—nursing, medicine, psychology, counseling, etc.—apply some aspect of the generalist model, especially regarding the aforementioned steps. However, the level of intervention is narrower inside these disciplines. Indeed, nurses and physicians mostly provide

3.*Theoretical guidance*: According to NASW, "Social work is different from other professions, because we focus both on the person and their environment. Social workers deal with the external factors that impact a person's situation and outlook" [20]. Other professions such as psychiatry and mental health embrace primarily the medical model where the focus is on issues that are intrinsic to patients. Social work is the leading profession vis-à-vis understanding complex social problems and human behavior in the social

4.*Advocacy*: Social advocacy is another feature of the social work profession. In fact, it is not incumbent upon other fields of study to represent clients at the macro level. The California State University Bakersfield wrote that "The profession of social work is grounded in a commitment to serving vulnerable and oppressed populations and advocating for public policies that promote social justice" [24]. Social workers are ethically bound to advocate with, and at the

5.*Code of ethics*: Many professions develop codes of ethics; however, the NASW Code of Ethics is sui generis. It is the official document that guides social work-

Adapted from the 2018 CSWE's report, **Table 2** presents glimpses of the social work specializations and internship foci as offered by colleges and universities in the

**84**

*Levels of intervention, areas of practice specialization, and field placements for social work students in US universities in 2017.*

US in 2017. As seen in **Table 1**, social work schools in the US still provide students an opportunity to focus on micro practice, macro practice, or both. The clinical track allows students to provide direct practice to individuals, groups, and families. The macro tracks include areas such as advanced generalist practice, community practice, policy practice, program evaluation, and administration and management [7].

Many scholars—Butler and Coleman, 1997; Huber and Orlando, 1993; Hymans, 2000; Kasper and Wiegand, 1999; Miller, Tice, and Hall, 2008; Reisch, 2016; Wolk, Pray, Weismiller, and Dempsey, 1996—raised doubt about social work educators prioritizing the clinical track over the policy track in designing curricula [25–31]. This concern, however, seems not to show up in the overall social work curriculum in the US. Another concern deals with field practicum. Koerin, Reeves, and Rosenblum, Miller et al., Raber and Richter, and Sui claimed that social work students in a direct practice track are more likely to be being more suitable to micro practice. Existing field placements are more suitable to social work students with a direct practice track as opposed to those who prefer a nonclinical setting [29, 32–34]. This issue appears to be more in alignment with the information in **Table 1** where most students were placed in micro settings in 2017. Important topics such as poverty and social justice, advocacy and community organizing were basically not the focus of social work field practicum across the US in 2017.

#### **3. Appealability of social work**

The existing literature contains several explanations for social work as a career choice. Among them are the following: genuine, intrinsic commitment to service (altruism) [35–37]; connection to social work identity (social work idealism) [35]; adverse life experiences including trauma, addictions, and family illness [38–40]; versatility of social work with respect to employment and upward mobility [41]; and previous work/volunteer experience [37]. It is worth noting, however, that most of these studies were conducted decades ago [35, 38, 40, 41] and thus may not accurately reflect the reasons why students enter the field of social work. Another limitation is the fact that the majority of these studies were primarily designed to explore the choice of a social work career primarily at the individual (micro) level [35–41].

In a distant attempt to address the two limitations above, Colby and Dziegielewski [42] posited that the appealability of social work is due to the profession's proven ability to address challenges facing communities across the globe [2]. This chapter builds on Colby and Dziegielewski's [42] work by attributing antecedents to choice of a social work career mostly to macro issues. More specifically, this conceptual chapter contends that the appealability of social work in the twenty-first century can be linked to factors such as (a) a quest for social justice, (b) a pragmatic path toward direct practice, (c) a commitment for social services delivery, and (d) a passion for empowerment. Each of these factors is described below.

#### **3.1 A quest for social justice (macro practice)**

Most prospective social work students may develop disdain for the sociopolitical and economic system in which they and their loved ones live. As a result, these students may want to learn how to become an advocate not only for their own behalf but also for those who cannot represent themselves. Social work is the perfect destination for such students. Macro social work issues such as income inequality, poverty, homelessness, and institutional racism and discrimination can become a magnet for applicants, especially those with minority backgrounds. Indeed, the average full-time students from historically underrepresented groups accounted for 46.4% of the combined undergraduate and graduate enrollment in 2017 [7]. This percentage does not reflect the general population in the US where minority racial groups together represent less than 40%. However, it is hardly surprising to see disadvantaged people edge toward social work. In fact, the profession of social work has always been a refuge for minority students, including black, immigrant, women and Asian students.

#### **3.2 A desire for clinical/direct practice (micro practice)**

Compared to psychology, marriage and family therapy, mental health, and counseling, social work offers a more pragmatic path toward become a licensed professional. The advanced standing option in the master's program is shorter and thus more cost-effective. Psychologists need a doctoral degree and many years of clinical experience to secure licensure. The road to licensure is much more straightforward for social workers who potentially can become a licensed professional in as little as 3 years beyond a baccalaureate degree. It is a different story for psychology.

#### **3.3 A commitment for social services delivery/administration**

Another group of students may be fed up with the phenomenon of red tape in the social welfare system. These students may want to bring about change into the system by tearing down the bureaucratic wall that prevents their clients from accessing social services. Such students are extremely passionate about social service delivery and may have been themselves victims of the social service system in the past. Social workers are generally thought of as people who

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*The Appealability of the Social Work Profession in the United States: Possible Explanations*

commit to authentic acts of service to others. Service is one of the six core values

Another group of students may conclude that the best way to help clients is to empower them. Social workers who embrace empowerment are knowledgeable about community resources and value linking clients to these resources. In effect, a large chunk of social workers' daily professional activities has to do with case management. Undergraduate social workers are passionate individuals whose purpose is

This chapter overviewed the profession of social work in the US and formulates possible hypotheses for the appealability of the discipline in the twenty-first century. Although not intended to extend the literature empirically, this chapter conceptually contributes to the debate on the reasons why students choose social work above other professions. This chapter raises the bar to new heights by adding a macro perspective to the discussion, something that has vastly evaded previous work. Based on the current nature of the profession of social work in the US (as previously described), this chapter concludes that the appealability of social work in the twenty-first century is driven by many possibilities, including social justice issues, direct practice, service delivery, and empowerment. Other possibilities from the literature include a genuine desire to help others, professional idealism, personal

and family life events, career outlook, and previous social work experience. Social work is bound to become even more appealing over time as online/ distance education continues to rise. In other words, the suitability for distance learning may play a preponderant role in increasing the popularity of social work across the globe. As things stand, the CSWE has accredited 28 full-time and/or part-time programs at the baccalaureate level and 85 programs at the master's level. These programs are also offered by some renowned schools, including University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Buffalo, University of Alabama, Michigan State University, Arizona State University, Columbia University, and many universities in the California state system [44]. In 2017, there were 21 baccalaureate programs and 44 mater's programs operating fully online, and 409 international students graduated with a master's

It is therefore important for social work educators to assess what social work students expect from the curriculum that will enable them to meet their own, unique intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for pursuing an education and career in social work in the first place. One way to do so is to look at students' personal statements that elucidate their primary motivation for social work. That is, application materials could inform schools of social work of the unique composition and interests of each entering cohort. Such data could help social work programs design their curricula in a way that is as relevant as possible to the needs of students. This would also help inform field directors of the need to assess the adequacy of their current field placements or explore the potential for new ones. In addition, the information can help make social work programs become more responsive to students' personal and professional learning needs, and better prepare them for their intended areas of practice. Furthermore, new data could help keep social work curricula dynamic and ready to deal with contemporary social changes not only in the US but also across

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91671*

to help clients become masters of their own lives.

degree in social work in the same year [7].

of the social work profession [43].

**3.4 A passion for empowerment**

**4. Conclusions**

commit to authentic acts of service to others. Service is one of the six core values of the social work profession [43].

## **3.4 A passion for empowerment**

Another group of students may conclude that the best way to help clients is to empower them. Social workers who embrace empowerment are knowledgeable about community resources and value linking clients to these resources. In effect, a large chunk of social workers' daily professional activities has to do with case management. Undergraduate social workers are passionate individuals whose purpose is to help clients become masters of their own lives.
