A Gay Social Work Student's Learning Experiences in Taiwan

Abstract

In this article, I describe the reasons to study in the social work field, the learning experience I had in my social work program, and some difficulties and disappointments I encountered in the process. Overall, I did receive sufficient academic and practice training about what social work values or skills are, and received emotional support in an open and friendly learning environment. However, being a gay social work student in Taiwan, the lack of academic courses in my areas of special interest, and my personal coming‐out experiences in my school make me reflect on the problems of the lack of training in specific issues in social work education.

Keywords:

• Social Work Education
• Taiwan
• Gay Social Work Student
• Learning Experience
• Coming‐Out Experience
• HIV/AIDS

Acknowledgements

I thank L. L. Mo, I. Taylor, and P. Bryant who gave valuable encouragement and comments on drafts of this essay.