Social Groupwork in Doctoral Programs

Abstract

This study reports the findings of a survey undertaken to investigate the position of social groupwork in doctoral programs in North America. Low availability of social groupwork courses and low enrollment in them, as well as low priority status ascribed to social groupwork, was evident in the majority of the responding programs.

Possible reasons for this situation examined in this paper include the focus on the individual premise. It is suggested that the implications for the future of social groupwork are serious, since doctoral programs are where the teachers, researchers, and the knowledge builders of the future are prepared.

To conceptualize groupwork within an integrated framework, a seven level continuum of social groupwork education is outlined. Use of such a continuum would ensure the adequate preparation of social work practitioners, researchers and educators and might assist in a transition to structural/social models of practice.

Key Words:

• Curriculum
• social work education
• doctoral programs in social work
• integrated framework
• social group work
• quantitative study