The Perception of Poverty and Social Welfare Policies among Undergraduate and Graduate Social Work Students in the United States

Abstract

Despite the primary mission of the social work profession to help meet the basic human needs of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty, numerous scholars have found that social work students are distancing themselves from working with and on behalf of poor populations. Given this, this study examined undergraduate and graduate social work students' perceptions toward impoverished populations and social welfare policies in the United States. The findings suggest that social work students' gender, race and ethnicity, educational status, living and traveling abroad, and socioeconomic status impact their perceptions of poverty and social welfare policies in the United States. Policy, practice, and research implications are addressed.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work
• students
• poverty
• social welfare policy

Notes

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⁺ p < .10

* p < .05

** p < .01

*** p < .001.