This was a study of traits associated with the choice of social work as a career. Two samples of people from the metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon, who had shown an interest in social work, were studied, together with the factors that influenced this interest. The traits and factors considered were substantially those examined by Arnulf M. Pins in Who Chooses Social Work, When and Why? Traits measured by the Pins study of individuals who had gone on to graduate education in social work were held indicative of individuals most likely to become professional social workers. The Pins’ questionnaire was slightly modified for appropriate application to the sample population of 150 taken from the files of Social Work Careers in Oregon, Incorporated, (SWC) and the sample of twenty two Oregon Public Welfare employees attending the Oregon City Orientation Center (OC) in June 1967. Examination of these traits and factors was undertaken to provide information for a more thorough understanding and an evaluation of characteristics associated with consideration of social service as a career, the future evaluation of policy direction and practice for recruitment efforts, the evaluation of potential students by schools of social work, the selection of agency personnel, and the contribution of knowledge in the field of social work about career patterns of nonprofessional and professional social workers. Two general hypotheses guided the comparison of the Oregon samples with the Pins’ findings: the traits of the Oregon samples (SWC and OC) are not significantly different from the Pins' sample, there is no significant difference between the OC and SWC samples with respect to independent variables influencing the time that a career in social work is chosen. Descriptive and statistical inferential tests were used to analyze the data. No significant differences in the OC group and the Pins’ sample of first year graduate students were revealed in the specific traits analyzed, i.e., undergraduate major of social science; previous work experience; time of awareness, consideration, and decision of choice of social work as a career; and the conception of the most important functions of social work. The statistically significant differences between the SWC and the OC/Pins' groups were: 1) a larger number in the SWC group decided earlier on social work as a career, 2) fewer in the SWC group took psychology courses, 3) a greater proportion of the SWC sample chose as their major reasons for considering social work "liking to work with people" and “the important contribution social work makes to individuals and society", 4) the SWC sample was not as predominantly committed to the casework method. Both hypotheses were rejected as a whole, but with important distinctions drawn. It was found that the SWC sample and Pins' sample were significantly different, but that the OC sample and Pins' sample were not significantly different. The conclusions were that the people who contacted SWC appeared to be good prospects for entry into the field of social service at the bachelor's level and the OC sample at the master’s leve1. Generalizations about the social work community or those considering employment in the social work community should be cautiously drawn both because of the complexity of the association of traits and the limited size of the populations studied. The major factors influencing individuals to enter the field of social work were direct work or volunteer experience in social work, college courses or instructors, and acquaintance with social workers. The study would have been enhanced by inclusion of more questions in the questionnaire that measured values and personality traits and by an examination of traits of a sample drawn from the general population.

M.A. (Social Work) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The overall aim of this study was to research the status of social work in South Africa by examining what factors contribute towards social workers in South Africa leaving their country to seek employment in the UK. Further, current frustrations, problems and needs of social workers in South Africa and those working in the UK were investigated. The benefit of the study therefore was to evaluate the status of the social work profession at present, and to expand future professional services. The study utilised both the qualitative and quantitative research methods. The research was undertaken in two phases utilising three different sample groups. The two phases were: (1) Phase One - in which the researcher quantitatively researched social workers frustrations, problems and needs in South Africa and (2) Phase Two - in which the researcher qualitatively explored the difficulties, experiences and accomplishments of South African social workers who have relocated to the UK. In sample group 1 in Phase One of the study, eighty social workers who had applied to work in the UK were selected. While, in sample group 2, in Phase One of the study, eighty social workers who were remaining in South Africa, were randomly selected. In sample group 3, in Phase Two of the study, thirty social workers were derived from the social work relocation list of a known Recruitment Agency. The research tool was a mailed questionnaire for the two sample groups in Phase One of the study. Reasons to relocate or remain were asked of both sample groups, along with their suggestions for improving the image of social work in South Africa and contributing to its survival. In Phase Two of the study the researcher chose the qualitative method of data collection, namely focus group interviews. Within the focus group interviews social workers in the UK were able to share their experiences of relocation. Focus group thematic questions guided the group discussions to generate a rich understanding of the social workers' experiences and beliefs. In this study, research evidence was provided on the concerns plaguing the profession such as safety and security, service conditions, poor salaries, staff turnover, lack of supervision and support from agencies, ineffective graduates/educators, curriculum change, and continuing education. Alongside this research results also indicated that culture, family, social ties and climate were significant factors preventing social workers from leaving the country. Recommendations were made by social workers to improve the image of social work as a way of contributing to its survival. These recommendations included a unifying role to be played by the Council of Social Service Professions to tackle cogent issues such as service conditions; staff development/training in accord with the need for continuous professional development; relevancy of training curricula to the new developmental paradigm; competent educators; research, and using auxiliary workers in service delivery. These recommendations need to be incorporated into policy/plans set up to address relevancy, image and survival issues facing the profession. Other general recommendations for the profession to survive, was the need for a partnership to be established between employers, workers and educators working together to create new supportive structures and develop knowledge and skills on an on-going basis. A further component to consider in addressing the exodus of social workers was for policy-makers, employers, educators and the South African Council of Social Service Professions (SACSSP) to prevent any further under-valuing of the profession and its practitioners. Social workers need to be presented as valued and crucial role players in our newly developed democracy. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Durban-Westville, 2004

Since the accreditation of undergraduate social work programs in 1974, there has been an increasing emphasis and focus on undergraduate education and especially on the content of the curriculum. The fieldwork course has been described by undergraduate students as the most important and useful component of the curriculum. In order to determine the factors that contribute to student satisfaction in field placement, a pilot study was undertaken at George Mason University in 1978. In 1979, the pilot instrument was revised and pre-tested. The Student Practicum Satisfaction Questionnaire (SPSQ) was subsequently developed and utilized in the present study. The SPSQ consists of 27 demographic variables, 73 Likert-type satisfaction items plus three items which provided additional information. One hundred and seventy students responded to the student questionnaire. The program Frequencies was used to address three research questions (1, 3 and 5) which dealt with the demographic characteristics of the Virginia students, their field instructors and placement agencies. The t-test and Multiple Regression Analysis were utilized to address the three research questions (2, 4 and 6) which looked at the relationship between the demographic characteristics and student satisfaction. Pearson correlation was employed to explore the relationship between the expressed explanations of the student perceptions and level of satisfaction. The last research question (8) was addressed through the program Factor Analysis and the factors which made the greatest contribution to the variance of Overall Student Satisfaction were identified. The study results showed that the demographic variable Block Placement made the greatest contribution to student satisfaction. Other demographic variables which were found to be significantly associated with student satisfaction were: GPA (inverse), remuneration, degree of field instructor (inverse), social work (inverse), urban agency, prior training of graduate social work students, of undergraduate social work students (inverse) and variety of tasks. The factor which made the greatest contribution (59.3 percent) to student satisfaction was New Learning or ability to achieve fieldwork objectives. / Ed. D.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The purpose of this project was to trace the developments which led to the utilization of para-profess iona1 persons as service aides in public welfare departments and to examine, in particular, the developments in Oregon at the state and county levels. The establishment of such programs was mandated in the Social Security Amendments of 1967. A review of the 1967 legislation showed the legislative intent to be inconsistent with the stated purposes of the program. This inconsistency, it was found, has been reflected in Oregon’s aide program. The theoretical origins underlying the aide concept were also examined in order to provide a fuller understanding of the means which were finally selected in Oregon to meet the legislative requirements. The aide program which evolved in Oregon has been marked by confusion in two major areas, the establishment of goals and the definition of roles. Specific problems which emerged within these two areas were analyzed in detail with special attention being given to the progress which has been made. To conclude, a theoretical model for the utilization of aides was proposed. While limited by its generality, the model does delineate the objectives which are considered essential to the establishment of an aide program based upon the research which was done in conjunction with this study.

This research may facilitate a discussion concerning the most efficient way of instilling social work values and ethics into the personal value systems of graduate social work students.

The National Association of Social Workers and the Council on Social Work Education are concerned with the eradication of racism within the social work profession and the nation at large. Graduate schools throughout the country are presently attempting to come to grips with this elusive and pervasive problem. The School of Social Work at Portland State University is among these schools. In early 1972, the Portland State University School of Social Work formalized and adopted a specific policy regarding recruitment, education, and issues concerning non-white students and communities. In doing so, this school became the first School of Social Work in the Northwest, perhaps in the nation, to have a specific, examinable policy covering its position of graduate education for non-whites. However, the genesis of this policy had extended back to 1971 when the need for a specific, consistent policy regarding non-whites and the School was being realized. It was during the subsequent task of developing this policy that the necessity for research in this area was keenly felt. The School of Social Work draws the majority of its students from the State of Oregon, specifically from the metropolitan area in and around Portland. The majority of its graduates choose to remain in Oregon to work. However, it was learned that little or no systematic information was available concerning the needs and programs of the practice community for non-white social service personnel. Since the School is committed both to education and to the service of the community, it became obvious that descriptive and concrete data were necessary. This research practicum is an attempt to examine this heretofore unexplored area in the State of Oregon.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Every year, more than 200 schools of social work graduate thousands of Master of Social Work (MSW) students. These graduates enter the world of work and continue on their journey toward becoming professional social workers. Surprisingly, very little is known in social work about the transition from student to professional, especially for MSW graduates. Related literature in nursing and education is reviewed in order to have a foundational knowledge of the transition process for similar professionals. The research questions for this study were: (a) What is the process of transition from student to employee like for new MSW graduates? (b) What are the factors that influence this transition during the first 18 months for MSW graduates? and (c) Are there critical junctures in the processes of transitioning from being a student through the first 18 months of MSW employment that are related to satisfaction and/or professional growth? This dissertation used qualitative, constructivist grounded theory methodology in order to study this relatively unknown subject. The conceptual model that emerged in this study is called Riding the Waves, and illustrates the transition process for new graduates learning to become a professional social worker. There are five stages of this model: Testing the Waters, Jumping In, Sinking or Swimming, Treading Water, and Riding the Waves. In Testing the Waters, critical issues of finding a job, negotiating a salary and licensure are salient. In Jumping In, new graduates experience orientation, examine preparedness from school and encounter the real world of work as opposed to their expectations. In Sinking or Swimming, new graduates negotiate not knowing, supervision, dealing with emotions and difficult work situations. In Treading Water, new graduates explore finding a balance between self-care and compassion fatigue and articulate job and compassion satisfaction. In the last stage, Riding the Waves, new graduates are more stable, gain confidence, find their voice and discuss what is ahead for them. Implications for social work students, educators, and employers are discussed including better preparing students for the transition, improving orientation and supervision, and providing the support that these new professionals require and deserve.

The purpose of this study is to describe trauma in the lives of social work students studying at Unisa South Africa. It explores how they describe trauma, what traumatic experiences they have gone through, the effect these experiences had on them, what they did to cope and how these experiences impacted their work as aspiring social workers. A case study was conducted with fourth-level students at Unisa South Africa. The theoretical framework adopted for the research was the person-centred approach. The research involved both focus group interviews and a survey. Both quantitative and qualitative data were generated. Descriptive statistics were used to create a profile of the participants. Qualitative data were analysed using a hermeneutic method. The perceptions of the participants were re-told by the researcher in the form of specific themes that emerged from the data. These themes were discussed and compared with the literature. Implications for the students’ work as social workers were discussed. The study accessed unique aspects of trauma that are grounded in the South African context. The description of trauma that emerged from the research created a new definition of the meaning of trauma. The research discusses the effects of trauma on the emerging professional self of the social work student. Recommendations are made that could be valuable to social work educators wishing to further the personal and professional growth of social work students. The research is also of value to those working with traumatised people. / Social Work / D .Litt. et Phil. (Social Work)