A Study on the Social Workers' Attitude Toward Social Activism and Their Actual Behavior

사회복지사들의 사회행동에 대한 태도 및 행위 조사연구

  • 이태영 (한남대학교 사회복지학과)
  • Published : 2002.05.30

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the current state of social activist behavior of social workers, and to confirm the historic concern within social work that the continued striving to become more professionalized will decrease or destroy its commitment to social activism and to serve for the poor. Concerned with first question, this study, based on survey data, finds that social worker's activist orientation is not low, but their level of actual participation is not high, and they favor a consensus strategy rather than conflict one. In regard to the relationship between professionalization and social activism, it is found that professionalization variables are not a consistent predictor in explaining social workers' activist behavior. Rather social workers' socio-economic characteristics variables and the kinds of agency and client they are working for are found to be more important factors. So it cannot be said that professionalization is not compatible with social activism as far as this study is concerned.

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