Economic and Financial Well-Being in the Social Work Curriculum: Faculty Perspectives

ABSTRACT

Little is known about financial and economic content (FEC) in social work education, despite the importance of preparing students for practice with low- to moderate-income clients. Additionally, little knowledge exists about faculty perspectives on teaching FEC. This article reports on a qualitative study that examines the perspectives of social work faculty on (1) current coverage and range of FEC in social work education; (2) the degree to which they are receptive to and interested in expanding FEC in the social work curriculum; and (3) the barriers to and their recommendations for expanding FEC in social work education. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 social work faculty from programs across the United States engaged in curriculum decisions. Findings show FEC is intentionally taught in various courses, such as social welfare policy, and FEC issues also emerge in an unplanned way in class discussions. Faculty believe FEC is important and relevant for social work practice; however, barriers to including FEC—such as lack of curricular space, time related to program requirements, and lack of faculty preparation—inhibit including additional FEC content. Overall, respondents are cautious but positive about better preparing social workers with additional FEC.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sally A. Hageman

Sally A. Hageman, PhD, MSW, is an Assistant Professor of Social Work with the Sociology, Social Work and Criminology Department at Idaho State University.

Margaret Sherraden

Margaret Sherraden, PhD, is a Research Professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Julie M. Birkenmaier

Julie M. Birkenmaier, PhD, MSW, LCSW is a Professor of Social Work at Saint Louis University.

Vernon Loke

Vernon Loke, PhD, is an Associate Dean at Eastern Washington University.