A Review of Foundation MSW Human Behavior Courses

Abstract

This research study reviewed the content and theoretical constructs of MSW human behavior foundation course outlines that were offered at 61 schools of social work during the 1998-1999 academic year. Results indicated that 70 percent of the schools of social work used a “life span,” “ecological perspective,” “bio-psychosocial,” or “social systems” approach as the primary theoretical focus. In comparison, only 20 percent of the schools focused on “diversity,” “vulnerable populations,” or “oppression” issues. Only three percent of the course outlines included a major theoretical focus on “disorder,” “dysfunctional behavior,” or “abnormal behavior.” With so much different content being offered in the Human Behavior and the Social Environment foundation sequence, it is evident that schools of social work and the social work profession need to rethink what human behavior content is essential for the practice of social work.

Key Words:

• MSW foundation courses
• human behavior and the social environment
• schools of social work