Work in the Lives of Social Work Clients: Perspectives of Field Instructors

Abstract

Although employment is central to the lives of social work clients, it is seldom a focus in social work education. The authors conducted a survey of field instructors in a large MSW program to assess the importance of work-related issues in the lives of those they serve in their social service agencies. This experienced group of practitioners reported how work-related issues affect individual clients and their caseloads generally. Respondents were asked about low-wage employment, lack of skills, disabilities, work–family balance, and problems that clients experience on the job. The results document actual problems encountered in practice and highlight the need for more attention to work-related issues in social work education.

Keywords:

• social work education
• field instructors
• work
• employment
• poverty
• low wages
• work–family
• discrimination
• sexual harassment
• child care

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Professor Srinika Jayaratne for his valuable advice on the design of the questionnaire and Carrie Lynn Floyd for her expert and insightful research assistance. The authors are grateful to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for support provided through their Center for the Ethnography of Everyday Life at the University of Michigan.