PURPOSE AND FRAMEWORK FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIAL WORK.

The article examines the purpose and framework for curriculum development in social work education. There is wide diversity among the aims and organizing principles for educational programs in social work. This paper proposes that the prevention and diminution of social problems are social work's overarching purpose and that the framework for curriculum development has at least four components, the persons of concern; extant or needed societal resources; the fields for intervention; and modes of intervention. The rationale for these proposals and the meanings of these terms has been discussed in this article. The general aim of social work education at any level might be described as the preparation of students in the acquisition, development and application of knowledge, values and skills useful in the amelioration or prevention of social problems. The practice of social work starts with assessment or analyses of situations which are considered problematical since they reduce, or threaten to reduce, the social well being of people; or where intervention is deemed desirable in order to prevent problems from arising and thus to enhance social well-being. Emerging from the analyses of problem situations are decisions as to who or what the intervention aims to change. Interventions likely to be most effective in any problem situation may be most thoughtfully planned and provided by social workers with an ever-growing understanding of the ramifications of a given problem area.