Educating Social Workers in Europe Dr. Elizabeth Frost
Comparative project 24 European Countries All areas of the EU Impressionistic accounts
Themes Histories and institutional locations (e.g. role of the church) Philosophy and ethos, Curriculum Status ‘Europeanisation’
Location Public and private sectors (Poland and Lithuania have social work education in both) universities – Italy, specialist colleges - Norway, and both of these - England, Sweden religious foundations – Hungary
Philosophy and ethos Christianity (Ireland) Medicine (Denmark) Community engagement (Poland) Secular humanism ( France)
Curriculum Content Usually social policy, sociology, psychology, law social work methods. However also variations: Religious studies (Lithuania, (Cyprus) Hungary) Psychoanalysis and psychodynamics (Greece ‘the clinical social worker’) Philosophy and ethics (Czech Republic) Civil rights
Curriculum (cont.) English language teaching (Austria) Computer technology/IT skills (Norway)
Status Connected to location of the course (University higher status than technical colleges – but ‘internal’ measures of status in universities) Length of the course Autonomy of the training State sponsorship/recognition (maybe laws) Professional recognition
Status (cont) Research Publication Links between social work education and social work practice Presence on government and policy making bodies
Initiatives towards ‘Europeanisation’ Joint programmes Student and staff exchange Common definitions of social work Mobility of workers