The Content of Introductory Sociology Courses for Prospective Social Workers

Abstract

T | aHE first question that arises on consideration of this topic is, Why should sociologists discuss the relation of their introductory course to social work? Economists, political scientists, psychologists, and other social scientists do not specifically take social work into account in planning their introductory courses. Why should sociologists? This discussion is not an attempt to 'sell sociology to sales-resistant social workers. Neither is it an application by maladjusted sociologists, who have been unable to agree regarding the content of their introductory course, to charitably-minded social workers for aid. The sociologists do not appear here either as salesmen or clients. When this program was started it was expected that the conference would be confined to teachers of sociology. As an after-thought and at the suggestion of a social worker it became a combined conference of social workers and sociologists. This provides a part of the answer to the questioni. This cooperate effort to consider the content of the introductory course is a continuation of the discussions of previous years regarding the relation of sociology and social work. For that reason I wish to summarize briefly the results of the previous investigations and discussions of this relationship. First, historically sociology and social work had independent origins. Second, they are tending in recent years to converge on certain common problems of research, namely the problems of human behavior in a cultural situation. Third, the concepts of sociology have not been of great value to social workers, partly because they have not been verified and been made sufficiently specific for application, partly because social workers have not had enough training in sociology to appreciate and use the concepts. Fourth, the sociologists have secured much assistance from the records of social agencies and from the generalizations which social workers have derived from their experience. On the other hand many sociologists have been disappointed in these records because the records contain so little information regarding the processes and mechanisms of human behavior and also because the data have been conceptualized by social workers and their reliability thereby reduced. Fifth, social work is not merely applied sociology. Social work is dependent upon all sciences, and sociology may be applied in various fields. Sociology is thus coordinate with other sciences rather than being the fount of knowledge fromii which social work is sustained. Sixth, some members of each group scoff at the other group. Some social workers assert that students who have had no sociology are better prospects than those who have had sociology. Perhaps theywould say the same thing regarding economics, political science, psychology, psychiatry, biology, college work in general, and perhaps high school work in general. The specific contribution of any one of these disciplines cannot easily be isolated. On the other hand, some sociologists scoff at social work as relatively futile, and are equally contemptuous of the other applications of social knowledge. Seventh, most sociologists and most social workers agree regarding the potential value of the other procedure, find some value in it now, and are willing