'Caring as a Female Concern': Social Work Students' Choices within the Boundaries of care

This article examines the misalignment of social justice aspirations inherent to the social work profession and the current Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)-mandated field placement requirements. Our research methodology comprises examining the lived experiences of female social work students who juggled 1,000 h of lengthy block unpaid placements with caring and other life responsibilities. Building on existing calls for change, we argue that reduced placement choices resulting from gendered expectations to prioritise caring responsibilities, while also juggling paid employment and unpaid placement, is inequitable and disadvantageous to female students. We contend that the AASW should change the placement requirements to accommodate the evolving demographics of the 'modern student' and align social work placement models with the values of social justice and equity to which the profession is ethically committed. Australian social work university cohorts are increasingly made up of female, mature-aged students. The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) mandates a requirement of 1,000 h of unpaid field education across two placements, with full-time attendance as the norm. There is a growing body of research that suggests students experience financial, social, emotional and psychological stress during lengthy unpaid field placements. Yet little is currently known about the impacts specific to female students who have caring responsibilities at the time of their placement. In response, this initial Honours research conducted by a student with this lived experience explored the experiences of fifteen female social work students who had caring responsibilities at the time of their field placements. The analysis was situated in a feminist paradigm and generated five themes from the student responses, and this article focuses on one theme, 'caring as a female concern'. The findings suggest that mature aged female students who juggle caring responsibilities, unpaid placement and other life responsibilities are particularly disadvantaged at the time of field placement, to the detriment of their own and their families' financial, social, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. It calls for urgent changes to the AASW accreditation standards.