Pariah Profession, Debased Discipline? An Analysis of Social Work's Low Academic Status and the Possibilities for Change

Abstract

This article analyses one important issue facing contemporary social work and social work education, that is social work's subordinated academic status and its associated, poor professional credibility. This is linked to social work's historical and socio‐political positioning. It is acknowledged that the issues associated with SW's poor intellectual standing are multifaceted and complex, but attempts are made to differentiate between the different tenets, whilst at the same time illustrating their linkages and interconnections. Although the conclusion points somewhat tenuously towards how some of the difficulties might be addressed, the article clearly demonstrates how entrenched many of the problems are and how the situation is in many ways worsening, rather than improving.

Keywords:

• Professionalisation
• Academic Prestige
• Multidisciplinarity
• Public Image

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Susan Ferris, Julie Withers and the two anonymous peer reviewers for taking the time to read an earlier draft of this article and for their subsequent, helpful and constructive suggestions.