Should There Be Mentoring Efforts to Help Retain and Recruit More Males Into Baccalaureate and Master's Social Work Programs?

Abstract

Social work programs need to actively set mechanisms in place to attract more men into a predominately female academic major through mentoring, recruitment, and retention efforts. This article conducts a review of the literature to examine whether mentoring efforts should be directed at male social work students. It is inconsistent for the social work profession to embrace the concept of providing culturally competent practices to clients but fail to address and combat a significant gender gap in the delivery of services to male clients.

Keywords:

• Male social work students
• social work students
• recruiting male social work students
• motivations and experiences
• academic major selection