Towards standardization of field work practicum: experiential reflections from Delhi, India

ABSTRACT

Field work is the signature pedagogy of social work. As a central form of instruction, it enables the course of learning by enabling the students to perform the role of practitioner. Field work contains pedagogical norms with which students learn to connect and integrate theory and practice. The current paper delineates the pedagogy of field work practicum in the Indian context and attempts to explore the challenges in transaction of field work curriculum with respect to placement agencies, at the levels of supervisor and supervisee and the ever evolving and dynamic relationship between the two. Based on authors’ experiential accounts, the paper recommends few strategies for enhancing the scope of professional growth and learning within the broad realms of field work placement.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work education
• field work
• supervision
• India

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Meenu Anand

Dr. Meenu Anand works as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi. She has been actively involved in working on issues related to gender and mental health for more than two decades. She has led several national and international projects focussing on multifaceted developmental issues and has been actively conducting capacity building and gender sensitization workshops for various stakeholders. Dr. Anand has published two books and various research papers in both national and international journals that seek to highlight issues related to gender and development within interdisciplinary frameworks.

Malathi Adusumalli

Dr.  Malathi Adusumalli is currently with the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi as Associate Professor with 2 decades of teaching experience. Prior to this she has grassroots experience  of working with civil society groups engaged in working with disaster affected communities, besides working  in the areas of Jogin Reformation and Rehabilitation in the state of Andhra Pradesh. She had endearing faith in anti-oppressive practice and has been associated with the Atheist and Humanist movements of the world. Her current research interests are working with mountain communities for sustainable development in the light of climate crisis, improving gender relations and disaster response. She has published three books and edited two and has contributed to knowledge volumes in social work within India.