The Use of Emotions in Social Work Education

Abstract

The role of emotions, although central to social work practice, has been relatively neglected in the process of teaching and learning social work. This article explores how social work educators can incorporate an understanding of the role of emotions in both the teaching and practice of social work. Attention is drawn toward evolutionary and developmental perspectives, emotional regulation, and the current treatment of emotions in the educational context. Further, the article explores the role of optimal emotional arousal in the learning and retention of social work curriculum and its concurrent relational implications for practice.

KEYWORDS:

• emotions
• social work education
• teaching–learning relationships

Notes

¹ A discussion of the neurobiological processes of how emotions enhance memory formation involving the amygdala, hippocampus, and stress hormones such as glucocorticoids is far beyond the scope of this piece. Suggested reading for excellent overviews of these processes include Sapolsky (2004), McGaugh (2003), and McGaugh and Roozendaal (2002).