Satisfaction with the Profession and Career Status among BSW Social Workers

Authors

James G. McCullagh, University of Northern Iowa

Abstract

This study replicates "a measurement of social workers' professional satisfaction" and expands the findings to include career status among BSW graduates. It was hypothesized that (1) graduates of BSW programs who practice social work were more satisfied with selected "symbolic rewards" than those who did not remain in the profession, and that (2) MSW's will express more professional satisfaction than BSW's. A 50 percent random sample of the 538 graduates from a midwestern university for the period 1971-1980 was surveyed. A total of 172 graduates participated, representing a 68 percent response rate. BSW graduates who remain in the profession were significantly more satisfied with selected "symbolic rewards" than those who left the social work profession. MSW's are significanlty more satisfied with their professional choice, their work performance, and find the monetary rewards to be more satisfying than BSW practitioners.

Recommended Citation

McCullagh, James G. (1985) "Satisfaction with the Profession and Career Status among BSW Social Workers," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 12: Iss. 1, Article 10.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.1695
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol12/iss1/10