Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

12-2007

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph. D.

Cooperating University

University of Kentucky

Department

Social Work

Committee Chair

Lawson, Thomas Richard

Author's Keywords

Globalization; Social work education; International social work

Subject

Social work education--International cooperation; Social service--Cross-cultural studies

Abstract

With an increasing awareness of a global-local reality, social work research and theorizing on globalization is limited but growing. From a multinational perspective, the purpose of this dissertation was to contribute to the emerging professional discourse through (a) an examination of definitions and dimensions of globalization and (b) and an exploration of the impact of globalization on social work education. Perspectives on globalization were collected on a newly designed and translated survey from 46 social work educators from schools and social work in China, Germany, Russia, and the United States of America. Descriptive analysis and the coding of themes were used to develop a baseline of information about the social work educators' impressions and experiences with globalization. Although there were many differences in the personal demographics and professional characteristics of the sample, the findings indicated that the social work educators had similar definitions, attitudes, and responses to globalization and its impact on social work education. The implication of these results is that globalization is a common reality for social work educators regardless of location or individual background. Overall, the social work educators found globalization to be a relevant topic for curricula and an influence on the future of social work education. The social work educators were more ambivalent about the effects of globalization on their teaching methods and on their roles within academic institutions.

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