Poor Rigor and Political Obduracy: which is the Horse and which is the Cart in Social Work Education?

Abstract

Stoesz and Karger contend that the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accreditation has poorly served the profession by perpetuating an environment of low standards epitomized by the very leaders responsible for the credibility of social work as an academic discipline. Graduates are “ill-prepared” and what qualifies as scholarship in the field amounts to “the substitution of ideology for academic rigor.” This author contends that Stoesz and Karger have accurately detailed relevant evidence, but have mislabeled the cause as effect. Rather, ideological directives within the CSWE standards result in lackluster scholarship. Whether or not deans and editors are the “best” the discipline has to offer, they do not view themselves as academic leaders furthering inquiry, but style themselves as military officers training recruits to accomplish objectives already established. Thus, schools of social work are implicitly constructed to attract clones for vocational indoctrination, not seriously thoughtful individuals. Racial quotas for employees further limit available high achievers.

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