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SOCIAL WORK AND PROFESSIONALIZATION: REVISITING FLEXNER’S INFLUENCE IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT

John M Anderson·Laura K. Johnson
Published 31 January 2025
Vol. 12, No. 1 (2024)
pp. 35-54
CC BY 4.0
  1. 1
    John M Anderson
    Department of Social Work, Texas A&M University – Central Texas, 1001 Leadership Pl., Killeen,
    US
  2. 2
    Laura K. Johnson
    Associate Professor and Social Work Director, Murray State University, Murray
    US

Abraham Flexner's pivotal address, "Is Social Work a Profession?" delivered in 1915, questioned the professional status of social work and raised doubts about its well-defined methods for education. His assessment, suggesting that social work was not yet a profession, had a lasting impact on the field. Despite being presented over a century ago, Flexner's speech continues to resonate in discussions about the professional identity of social work. This historical perspective on social work's professional development serves as a point of reference for contemporary evaluations of the field's progress. The influence of Flexner's message can still be observed in the modern literature on social welfare, social work, and their professional evolution. In 2016, the Journal of Social Work Education dedicated a supplementary issue to reflect on "Social Work 100 Years Post-Flexner" and assess the field's achievements and challenges. Flexner's speech remains a significant part of the ongoing discourse on the professionalization of social work.

JournalApplied Psychology, Sociology, and Social Policy Journal
ISSN2998-8411
Volume / IssueVol. 12, No. 1 (2024)
Pages35-54
Published31 January 2025
DOI10.5281/zenodo.14777850
Access Open Access
LicenseCC BY 4.0 — reuse with attribution
PublisherKeith Publications
Anderson , J., Johnson, L. (2025). SOCIAL WORK AND PROFESSIONALIZATION: REVISITING FLEXNER’S INFLUENCE IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT. Applied Psychology, Sociology, and Social Policy Journal, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 35-54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14777850

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