A Memorandum on Research into Social Work Education

Abstract

Because HB &; SE courses are charged with being “the foundation on which the remainder of the curriculum must be based,” their chaotic development over several decades may be the best indicator of our incomplete and conflicted search for a common theoretical orientation. An analysis of 481 graduate HB &; SE courses representing the offerings of 66 graduate schools indicates that formal guidelines have been minimally implemented, particularly in regard to achieving an interdisciplinary approach. Expectations of HB &; SE content may be unrealistic until some preconditions for the development of social work theory are attained, and until progress in this development is realized.