Publication Date

2014

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department

School for Social Work

Keywords

Smith College. School for Social Work-Alumni and alumnae, Smith College. School for Social Work-Curricula, Culture competence, Intimate partner violence, Victims of violent crimes-Counseling of, African American women-Counseling of, Sexual abuse victims-Counseling of, Social work with African Americans, Oppression (Psychology), Historical trauma, Trauma of oppression

Abstract

This study was developed to review the Smith College School for Social Work (SCSSW) curriculum and to gauge whether or not alumni felt prepared to work with African-American women victims of interpersonal violence (IPV) post-graduation. Secondly, how do these clinicians incorporate cultural competency and the theory of historical trauma/trauma of oppression when working with African-American victims and survivors of IPV? An online questionnaire was sent to alumni of Smith College SSW who graduated no earlier than 2008. Seventy-one graduates were surveyed and asked to reflect on their coursework, field work and projects completed at Smith in terms of the level of preparedness for working with this population. These alumna were further questioned regarding their culturally sensitivity, implementation and knowledge of historical trauma/trauma of oppression within their work with African-American clients and other cultural populations. The findings of the study showed respondents to be divided in feeling Smith adequately prepared them for working with African-American victims or survivors of IPV and their mindfulness of cultural competency and historical trauma/trauma of oppression.

Language

English

Comments

1 volume (unpaged). Thesis (M.S.W.)-Smith College School for Social Work, 2014. Includes bibliographical references.

Limited Access until August 2019

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