This article presents results of a qualitative study of values development in U.S. and Scottish social work students who participated in a study-abroad program. Six themes emerged: opening the mind to new ways of thinking; awareness and insight into one's own values and beliefs; social awareness and challenges to societal values and beliefs; appreciation of difference, cultural sensitivity, and anti-discriminatory practice; social justice; and professional identity development. Implications for social work study-abroad programs and future research are discussed.

/pdf/study-abroad-and-values-development-in-social-work-students-1x6itd1bq7.pdf

Study abroad and values development in social work students

There has been a longstanding tension between the domains of micro and macro practice in social work practice and academic programs. A set of structural and interpersonal tensions can be identified as interfering with accurate perceptions of the underlying continuity of social work practice that is reflected in the mission of the profession. This analysis addresses this tension by defining the elements needed for the integration of micro and macro practice in the form of community-centered clinical practice. A set of cross-over skills are identified along with recommendations for improved agency operations and professional education related to the integration of micro and macro social work practice.

Community-Centered Clinical Practice: Is the Integration of Micro and Macro Social Work Practice Possible?

The divisions between ‘micro practice’ and ‘macro practice’ are often traced to historical splits between the originating strands of the social work profession. These splits have been reified in social work education and in institutional settings that largely focus on particular aspects of practice. We argue that this split has been overly polarized and, more importantly, disregards the science and ethics of social work—what we call the sense and sensibility of the profession. Science requires that we recognize the complexity of human activity; ethics require that we alleviate individual suffering and work to attack its root causes. Social work sense and sensibility interweave expectations that practice, policy, theory and research understandings must all be informed by, and inform, ethical social work practice. This bridging framework can help educators respond to calls for connecting all levels and types of social work practice.

Social Work Sense and Sensibility: A Framework for Teaching an Integrated Perspective

The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes older Chinese adults have about engaging in counseling-based services as measured by a fear of intimacy with helping professionals scale. Data were collected from 150 older adults living in Chongqing, China. Information from this study will be helpful in developing effective strategies for the provision of social work services in China. In contrast with previous research, attitudes about intimacy with helping professionals varied and were normally distributed. Significant predictors of fear of intimacy were level of trust, mental health stigma, family support and friend support. Surprisingly, family and friend support had opposite associations with fear of intimacy. Family support was related to higher fear and friend support to lower fear. The cultural implications of these findings for researchers and social workers working with elderly Chinese clients are discussed.

Older Chinese Adults' Fear of Intimacy with Helping Professionals

This article explores the role of human relations in the process of curriculum change in social work education. Social capital, the theoretical framework that underpins this research, explains how social resources are made available to social work faculty and groups for their own benefit. Using data from 88 surveys completed by social work educators, the findings are significant. In an age of technological advancements, human connections remain an important factor in influencing curriculum development in aging. This study also presents implications for social work faculty and administrators and discusses how best to organize social work conferences to promote curriculum change.

Building social capital among social work educators: a strategy for curriculum development

An enormous challenge faces social work educators as we prepare for the twenty-first century. Most significant is the scramble to understand and respond to contemporary challenges, notably managed health care and welfare reform. The authors present the conceptualization and implementation of an advanced generalist concentration curriculum. Teaching strategies and assignments in a MSW academic and field curriculum are used to illustrate the integration of knowledge necessary to a three-tiered model of practice at the micro, mezzo and macro levels. Finally, results of an alumni survey are presented that lend credence to our contention that graduates are well-prepared to function effectively in today's practice environment.

Ann W. Roy

Papers

Advanced Generalist Practice

A Comparative Cross-Cultural Study of Depression and Help-Seeking Behavior Among Older Chinese Adults in Boston and Guangzhou, China