Longwood is different from many schools in a variety of respects, one of them being a predominately female institution, the current ratio being male to female is 40 to 60, according to College Factual. Naturally with the ratio there are bound to be some predominately female majors, but what is required of these majors? One of these majors being the social work major, is explained by Ian Danielsen and Theresa Clark from the social work department.
“It is a female dominated profession but this should not be over simplified, professions such as social work, nursing, teach, and any serving of society work,” said Danielsen.
Social work majors are given a variety of options after graduation, some will go straight to their careers, as they are able to with a bachelor’s degree. Others will go on to graduate school, and some of the classes taken at Longwood can help them already have taken general educational course or be able to take a speed course through material in graduate school, said Clarke.
Danielsen explained that it was something a person had to earn, just as one could only be called a doctor through having a Ph.D.; a person needs specific training to be a person working in social health. Social work is the biggest contributors to mental health care; Danielsen currently practices and helps with mental health, Clarke has given her time to academics for the past 30 years, before she practiced and provided in mental health as well.
“The two years I’ve been in (social work major), people still think it’s ‘get a kid from the home’ but it is so much more,” said social work junior Nathan Everson. “Social workers are the middle man.”
Everson is looking into specialties including domestic abuse, family counseling, and general counseling. His first experience with a social worker was in elementary school, his guidance counselor, after being helped by his counselor he wanted to work and help children as well.
Danielsen and Clarke agreed that usually they would see 1-3 males in their classrooms each semester, and all female classes weren’t unusual. Everson came to Longwood as an elementary education major before switching into social work, the female to male ration didn’t bother him he said.
“Working with people to help them out, social work can help find housing for a child or adult with disabilities,” said Everson. “No intervention is the same, it’s being creative with interventions.”
In the social work major, one of the enduring lessons is to not find a band-aid solution, it is finding insight to oneself and getting to know who they are. It is a classroom that deals with real life problems in order to be prepared for their career. Clarke said they teach from a very broad spectrum, but junior year is critical because it will be the first time a student with work with an agency. It will be senior year that students will spend 40 hours a week for a semester working with an agency.
“Just as social workers help clients through empowering them, it is what we help to do for our students, to empower them.” Said Danielsen.
