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The Curriculum Policy Statement Of The Council On Social Work

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Problem Statement, Background, and Research Interest The Curriculum Policy Statement of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE, 2001), the accrediting body of all bachelor 's and master 's social work degree programs in the United States, requires all social work programs to teach students how to promote economic and social justice. The revised Code of Ethics (1996) of the National Association of Social Workers proclaims the pursuit of social justice one of the profession 's core values and establishes as an ethical imperative, “Social workers challenge social injustice” (NASW, 1996, p. 5). At first glance, these statements give the appearance of a trade which has retained its professional identity regardless of the opposition demonstrated by the current trends in social, political, and economic policy; however, upon closer inspection these phrases seem archaic, even patronizing as they assume that social workers work for rather than with people. Then what do these statements really signify? For nearly four decades, pundits have consistently proclaimed the bankruptcy of socialist ideas, the fascist evils lurking in communism, the triumph of the free market and liberal democracy... the so-called end of history (Fukuyama, 1992). Proposals to privatize Social Security, the cornerstone of what 's left of the U.S. welfare state, have gained credibility and popularity, even a sense of inevitability. The working class has learned to consistently vote against its

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