Social work education and disability: a multicase study of approaches to disability in core and specialized curricula in three Bachelor of Social Work programs

• Main Author: Dupre, Marilyn E.
• Other Authors: Frankel, Sid (Social Work)
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: progressive social work; critical disability perspectives
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/22183

The purpose of this study was to examine ideas about disability within social work education within three Bachelor of Social Work programs in Canada, and to identify and describe major perspectives and themes of disability. One important aspect of the study was to determine the extent to which critical disability studies perspectives were presented, explained, and discussed in the classroom within core social work theory courses, and specialized courses addressing disability. Three Bachelor of Social Work programs; St. Thomas University School of Social Work in New Brunswick, the Dalhousie School of Social Work in Nova Scotia, and the University of Manitoba Faculty of Social Work, Fort Garry Campus, were purposefully chosen for this multicase study based on a theoretical replication logic that predicted that social work education on disability within each of the schools would represent different points on a range of disability perspectives, as developed from the disability studies literature. Data collection and analysis included multiple methods, including a manifest content analysis of texts, a modified inductive analysis of transcriptions from interviews with key informants, and a critical discourse analysis of transcriptions from an audio-taped session of classes addressing disability in each case. Findings from the multicase study indicate that the original research suppositions were not supported. Based on the analysis of texts and interviews, the approach to disability followed by each Bachelor of Social Work program was found to incorporate a broad range of disability theory, particularly social pathology and critical disability perspectives. However, there was little evidence of classroom discussion and use of social work practice approaches supporting these perspectives. It was argued in the literature review to the study that anti-oppressive social work approaches, such as structural social work, were congruent with critical disability perspectives, but that there is also a need for an “infused” approach to integrating disability content into core curriculum. In conclusion, I also suggest that the Canadian Association for Social Work Education has an important leadership role to play in providing specific recommendations for disability inclusion in social work education.