I teach psychology, social work, and public administration. It’s an interesting combination. Recently, I commented on an intro social work student’s assignment saying, “Honestly, I think social work expects more from us.” What did I mean?
Differences Between Disciplines
I’m not saying one discipline is better than the other. I’m not saying one is harder than the other. They’re similar but different and I love them all.
When it comes to the difference between the disciplines, I think there are a few key points and most of them stem from the social work code of ethics.
Code of Ethics
Many professions, including psychology and related fields, have codes of ethics. In fact, I just created a new course all about ethics for public service professionals. Uniquely, however, the social work code of ethics specifically states that it applies to social work students. Most codes of ethics don’t do that.
As an instructor, I love this. Not only does it help me create a safe and equitable class environment, but it also ensures that students who are out in the field—a hallmark of social work education—are behaving in ways that uphold social work values and standards.
Social work students, however, tend to be shocked. Why does the code of ethics apply to them already? Well… why not? As students of the discipline, a discipline that involves a lot of experiential learning, it’s reasonable to expect students to uphold its core ethics.
Beyond Employment and Education
The expectations don’t stop there. Within the social work code of ethics itself are standards like public participation and social and political action. In fact, there is an entire section titled Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to Broader Society. Yes, ethical expectations extend beyond social work employment, and education. What we do in our personal lives matters, too.
And it’s not about just not doing bad things. Several of these expectations focus on proactively improving the lives of others. In a way, this is a profession that acknowledges that there is always work to be done, in all contexts and environments.
Take Care of Yourself
Does that mean you can’t take care of yourself? Can’t take a break? I hear this all the time from students once they’ve fully reviewed their ethical responsibilities. “So I can’t ever stop working? I’m always a social worker and never just… me?” Absolutely not. In fact, the NASW added self-care to the code of ethics in 2021.
To do well—to meet these expectations—I tell my students that physical and Mental health is key. Social work does not expect you to do anything that causes you harm or to work 24/7. It understands that our best work is done when we’re experiencing health and well-being. That’s better for everyone, including those we serve, and involves things like taking time for ourselves.
Emotional Labor
That being said, by its very nature, this is a profession that can expose even students to intense direct practice work. This requires the emotional labor of managing personal reactions and the possibility of vicarious trauma. Anyone doing such work simply must strictly adhere to professional values and standards.
Self-awareness
Social work also requires a strong level of Self-awareness and reflection. Some of the disciplines most basic tenets, like cultural competence and humility, can only be achieved with an honest look at ourselves. Additionally, values like the dignity and worth of the person require that we genuinely explore our own biases.
Field Work
Social work also gets you out there. As I mentioned above, literally “doing the work” is a foundational and continuous element of social work education. Cynically, as a social work student, I used to joke that I was paying tuition to work for agencies. But that’s how I learned. As I tell students, there is nothing better than learning in the field. Social work gets that.
It’s a Good Thing
When reviewing the educational and licensing path to becoming a social worker, one social work student lamented to the class, “I don’t understand why we have to do all of this! I just want to help people.” Yes, and this is how we do it effectively and responsibility.
Social work is a discipline that does “expect more.” And what that means depends on each individual’s perspective and expectations. If it didn’t expect more, well, we wouldn’t need social workers.
Any profession with a core value of social justice should expect more—from anyone who is practicing it or who plans to practice it. That’s a good thing.
