Challenges for social work and welfare education in the 21st century: A contextual analysis

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Research and Development in Higher Education Vol. 28: Higher education in a changing world

July, 2005, 639 pages
Published by
Angela Brew and Christine Asmar
ISBN
0 908557 62 0
Abstract 

The social work and welfare profession has experienced change and challenge from a number of sources in the late 20th century. In Western countries, changing government ideology and policy about welfare provision has fundamentally altered the landscape in which social and welfare workers are employed. The role and purpose of the social welfare profession has been interrogated, with a resulting perceived ‘crisis’ for the profession. Government policies have also affected the provision of education for students, and this, too, has had an impact on the shape and structure of courses, and the work of academics. In addition, broader changes in society have also created a challenging environment, for example, there is a general distrust of professionals together with the speaking out by marginalised groups about their place and treatment within society and by professional groups such as social welfare. Such a context affects the profession, and recruitment of students. Within this milieu, social work and welfare education must equip graduates to work effectively in a changing and sometimes hostile world. This paper broadly examines the context effecting provision of education for social work and education in the 21st century. These issues are similar across Western countries, and effect many other professional groups.

Keywords: social work, welfare, education