Is Casework Dead? A Study of the Current Curriculum in Australia.

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Abstract
The current status of casework within the social work profession is said to have declined, given the recent shift to structural perspectives. This study surveys current social work and welfare courses in Australia in order to determine the validity of this claim, and at the same time to begin to establish the exact status of casework within the curriculum. Results suggest that casework still occupies a significant portion of the curriculum, but that the nature of the casework which is taught has changed. Much of the casework content which is now taught is comprised largely of interpersonal skills training, as opposed to the social and environmental skills of casework practice. The conclusion drawn is that it is this shift in focus, away from the essentially social nature of casework, which has contributed to its marginalised status within the profession. Casework is not dead, but a truly social casework may be dying.