Social Work Education in Taiwan: Testing Development of Degree Theses, 1990-2003

• Main Authors: Chan-Yao Hsu, 許展耀
• Other Authors: Yeun-Wen Ku
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/03965358237895718192

碩士 === 國立暨南國際大學 === 社會政策與社會工作學系 === 93 === A growing concern about the picture and development of social work in Taiwan has been widely discussed and debated. Social work education as a mechanism reflecting and passing on the recognition and identification to social work profession shows the importance to have a further understanding its changes. In Taiwan, Most postgraduate programs were established in the 1990s and yet few of previous studies have tried to discuss the changing faces of social work, with a developmental view, after Yan-Yi Hwang’s study in 1988. These reasons induce our interesting in the development of social work education in Taiwan with a special reference to postgraduate degree theses during 1990-2003. This study aims to form indicators for the analysis of degree theses, in order to understand the nature and development of social work education in Taiwan. We believe that degree theses will be important things left by social work education in varied periods, and for this reason, the degree theses should be applicable to be index of social work education. The research design is objective and positive. The materials we used include 14 institutes of social work and its relatives with 1155 degree theses from the database of “Dissertation And Thesis Abstract System”. The method we adopt is secondary data analysis. Our analytic strategies consist of total analysis, different institutes, and varied years. According to previous formed three-dimensional ideal analytic framework of degree theses -- Population/Social Units/Core Methods -- and adopting the overall picture and dynamic analytic tactics, we find: 1. Overall Picture: (1) At the aspect of population groups, nonspecific population, children & teenagers, and the elders attracted more research concerns. (2) Social units were much focusing on individuals and formal organizations. (3) Core-method took the majority with social case work, social administration & social work management, program planning & evaluation, and social policy & analysis. (4) Studies on the aboriginal & minority, small groups, and research method were the less. (5) The comparison between social work institutes and social work related institutes seemed in harmony with the traditional impression of “direct”'' and “indirect” social work. 2. Dynamic change: (1) The major focus of degree theses over years was mostly with nonspecific population and children & teenagers, implying the personal aspect as main concern of social work. (2) However, the studies on formal organizations and community, at the aspect of social unit, have been growing remarkably. (3) The core-method has changed from social case work to social administration & social work management. (4) In the comparison of different kinds of institutes, social work institutes seem to change their studying focuses more frequently. (5) As regards to developmental trend, a convergent change appears between social work institutes and social work related institutes. In conclusion, at the aspect of overall picture, we have had a comprehensive understanding of social work education development during 1990-2003. About the research issues attracted less concerns, we should look into their further implication. The study also finds that there are some changes of social work education development in Taiwan. For the above findings, we suggest the importance of clarifying the core knowledge of social work in the future.