Hocbigg - Social Work
Contents
Summary
The Social Work curriculum is a complete education in Social Work using online materials.
Organization
This repository is organized into three main components:
- Core Curriculum (this page): the foundational knowledge of the field;
- Advanced Topics: focused study in specific areas;
- Projects: support learning through practical application throughout the curriculum.
Process: Learners may work through the curriculum independently or collaboratively, and either sequentially or selectively.
- For simplicity, courses in the Core Curriculum are ordered according to their prerequisites.
- The Core Curriculum provides a shared foundation and is intended to be completed in full.
- Advanced Topics are optional; learners are encouraged to select one area of focus and complete all courses within that topic.
Practical work is integrated through the Projects section and may be undertaken alongside coursework.
Note: When there are courses or books that don't fit into the curriculum but are otherwise of high quality, they belong in extras/courses or extras/readings.
Communities
- Forums:
- Subreddits:
- You can also interact through GitHub issues. If there is a problem with a course, or a change needs to be made to the curriculum, this is the place to start the conversation. Read more here.
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Join our Discord server (for discussions around this and other curricula):
Curriculum
Intro
| Subject | Why study? | Book | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Social Work | Provides foundational knowledge of the profession's history, values, and role in addressing social issues. | Introduction to Social Work: An Advocacy-Based Profession by Karen K. Kirst-Ashman & Grafton H. Hull (or similar recent edition) | Introduction to Social Work (Coursera) |
| Social Work Values and Ethics | Establishes the ethical foundation, core values, and decision-making framework of the profession from the start. | Social Work Values and Ethics by Frederic G. Reamer | Ethics in Social Work (edX) |
| Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Lifespan Development | Explains how individuals develop across the lifespan, informing interventions for diverse populations. | Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Shifting Paradigms in Essential Knowledge for Social Work Practice by Joe M. Schriver | Human Development Across the Lifespan (edX) |
| Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Social Work | Builds awareness of diversity, difference, oppression, and social justice to support anti-oppressive practice. | Social Work and Social Welfare: An Introduction by Marla Berg-Weger | [Diversity and Social Justice in Social Work (various platforms)] |
| Academic and Professional Writing | Enhances skills for clear communication in reports, grants, and policy briefs. | The Social Work Portfolio by Lee Ann Bartoshesky | Academic English: Writing Specialization (Coursera) |
| Critical Thinking and Evidence-Informed Practice | Equips practitioners to evaluate research and apply best practices ethically. | Critical Thinking for Social Work by Keith Brown and Sarah Sohrab | Critical Thinking Skills for University Success (Coursera) |
Core
| Subject | Why study? | Book | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Theories | Offers frameworks to understand behavior in context, guiding holistic assessments. | Human Behavior in the Social Environment (open textbook or Elizabeth Hutchison series) | Social Psychology (Coursera) |
| Social Welfare Policy: History and Frameworks | Contextualizes policies shaping social services, enabling informed advocacy. | Social Welfare Policy and Advocacy by Bruce S. Jansson | American Government (edX) |
| Research Methods in Social Work | Builds skills for ethical, rigorous evaluation of interventions and programs. | Research Methods for Social Work by Allen Rubin and Earl R. Babbie | Understanding Research Methods (Coursera) |
| Social Welfare Policy: Analysis and Advocacy | Empowers policy critique and change efforts for equitable systems. | The Policy-Based Profession by Philip Popple and Leslie Leighninger | Public Policy Challenges (edX) |
| Generalist Social Work Practice: Overview | Introduces integrated, multi-level generalist framework before method-specific practice. | Generalist Social Work Practice (standard text e.g. Kirst-Ashman series) | Social Work Practice (Coursera) |
| Generalist Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families | Develops versatile skills for direct intervention across diverse settings. | The Skills of Helping Individuals, Families, Groups, and Communities by Felix Biestek | Social Work Practice (Coursera) |