Social work educators and social policy: a cross-professional perspective. Issue 1 (2nd January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Weiss-Gal, Idit; Gal, John
• Is Part Of: European journal of social work. Volume 22:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 145
• Page End: 157
• Publication Date: 2019-01-02
• Subjects: Social work education -- social policy -- Israel -- cross-professional comparison; אנשי אקדמיה -- עבודה סוציאלית -- חינוך -- מקצועות בריאות -- מדיניות חברתית -- ישראל; Social service -- Europe -- Periodicals; Social service -- Vocational guidance -- Europe -- Periodicals; 361.3209405
• DOI: 10.1080/13691457.2017.1357026
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1369-1457

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article seeks to contribute to the ongoing debate within European social work on the role of social work educators in influencing social policy. It reports on a study that examined the role of social work educators in furthering social policy by comparing Israeli social work educators' engagement in policy with faculty members in professional schools with strong ties to social policy, namely education and healthcare. While the findings show some similarities between the three groups of educators, they also underscore marked differences between educators in social work and the other professions. In particular, social work educators are more involved in, and more committed to, social policy engagement than faculty members of other professional schools are. These divergences are attributed to the greater focus upon policy practice in social work and its prevalence in teaching programmes, as well as to the profession's focus on disenfranchised clients, who are especially impacted by social policies.