“It Takes A Decent Amount of Courage”: The State of Civics Education in Social Work Programs in Germany

There is an ongoing debate in German Social Work theory about whether Social Work is, can be, or should be a political profession. There are three opinions among scholars that answer either with a wholehearted “yes,” a skeptic “yes, but…,” and a resounding “no.” And even when the answer is yes, political activity of Social Workers is often described as “Einmischung,” which can be translated as “interference” or “meddling,” thus undermining the crucial role that Social Workers play in the welfare state. This debate affects not only academic discourse but also the education of Social Workers throughout Germany. There seem to be as many different approaches as there are schools of Social Work to teaching — or not teaching — civics and political skills to Social Work students — thus, political knowledge and interest, practical skills, preparation, and the ability to speak politically can differ dramatically among Social Workers — which, in turn, influences the ability and willingness for political action. This is also reflected in the low numbers of German Social Workers that are organized in unions. For my doctoral thesis, I have compared ten different Social Work curricula at as many Schools of Social Work in Germany. My goal was to find out whether and how future Social Workers are receiving — or are at least able to receive — training for political situations and political work, and whether the skills taught are those needed in practice. In the course of working on my dissertation, I let students of Social Work and Social Workers discuss my findings about “their” study program in focus groups and at the same time asked if the skills taught on paper are also the ones taught in reality — and whether they are the ones needed in practice. I wish to present my findings in this article.