2001/02/01 by Anne Westhues, J. Lafrance, Glen Schmidt · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Health Professions · #Social Work Education and Practice #Homelessness and Social Issues #Religion, Society, and Development #Social work #Public relations #Sociology #Social change #Political science
paper · doi:10.1080/02615470020028364
openalex publication_date 2001/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
This paper draws upon the research carried out for a study of human resource needs of social workers in Canada to make a SWOT analysis of social work education and the profession. Strengths that were identified included a holistic practice orientation; the linkage between theory and practice; regulation and certification; a generalist approach to practice; increased cultural relevance of social work education; high quality social work programs; a continued demand for social workers; and the values of the profession. Weaknesses included a lack of professional identification, or identity crisis; an inability to promote the profession; the diffuse knowledge base of the profession; conflict between the values of social action and social control; a lack of preparation to manage the stress of our work; insufficient aboriginal, visible minority and multicultural members of the profession; and for aboriginal people, that social work can be seen as a residual effect of colonization. Threats to the profession included a trend to neoliberalism; increasing identification of social workers with the bureaucracy; increasing managerialization; increased community responsibility for service delivery; and interdisciplinarity. Opportunities identified included design of cost effective programs which meet service user needs; exercise of responsibility for social advocacy; development of managerial competence in social workers; extension of job opportunities through privatization; and articulation of social work competencies.