Considerations for Marginalized Fathers in Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) Courses: Insights for Social Work Educators and Students

Abstract

Despite the important role fathers play in the lives of their children, social workers report that they do not feel prepared to work with fathers. It is ethically imperative that social workers are equipped to effectively serve diverse groups of fathers in practice, especially those who are marginalized within society. Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) courses provide an optimal opportunity for the incorporation of fatherhood content in social work education. Based on reflections on our own teaching experiences, research expertise, and existing literature, we recommend father-specific content for inclusion in HBSE courses. We also draw on person-in-environment and intersectionality to describe the lived experiences of specific marginalized father groups. Finally, we provide Council on Social Work Education competency-based course objectives and assignments that can be used by social work educators to incorporate fatherhood content in their respective HBSE courses, along with strategies that social work students can apply in their work with the father groups highlighted in this article.

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