Using Language, Fiction, and Story in Social Work Education

This book provides an accessible, research-informed text for social work educators, students, and practitioners interested in the use of story to engender the connection of human experiences with ideas, theories, and skills. A broad lens is also taken to the ways in which fiction has been used as a teaching tool in other degrees, ranging from medicine to engineering to philosophy and economics. Although the research explored is social work specific, this text has applicability for any educator looking for creative methods to teach complex theories, skills, and concepts.

Showing how fiction can be used in social work education, it explains why story matters to social work and how fiction can emulate these stories, as well as the capacity of fiction to evoke empathy. Ways in which educators can enlist fiction to create a ‘safe space’ for the exploration of complex emotional terrain are explored, as are the ways in which a community of practice can be created through fiction.

Woven within the end of every chapter are some practice examples and author conversations which work to locate the research into a practice context. The text concludes with examples of how fiction has been effectively utilised by the authors, in order to provide a starting point for those interested in exploring this pedagogical approach further.

Dara Sampson, PhD, is a senior research fellow in the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle. She has worked as both a social worker and senior leader in Commonwealth government and taught social work at the University of Newcastle and University of Sydney. Her PhD topic was an exploration of the use of fiction in social work education, bringing together her commitment to social work and her love of words.

Amanda Howard, Professor, is part of the Social Work and Policy Studies team at the University of Sydney and is the director of Undergraduate Programs. Areas of research include community development, disasters and climate change, inclusion, and participatory action research.