Use of Self in Field Placement - The Work of a Social Worker - Essay Example

There are scientific interventions like value education, the perception of these interventions would again depend on the experience through which a person has come through.Walters (2010), in his article on ‘An Introduction to Use of Self in Field Placement’, has cited the case of a social work student who was able to produce remarkably superior quality field reports. The reason that the author cites for this is that the poorer socioeconomic situation of the student which helped him to draw experiences from himself and apply himself while preparing the reports.

Further, Dewane (2006) has emphasised on the need for integrating knowledge, values, and skills with life experiences for being an effective social worker. Thus the personal experience of a social worker will add genuineness and authenticity to social work practice. A social worker will be able to connect oneself more to the social issue with added personal experience. In general, experiences will influence one's world view. However, a social worker must be able to analyse a social issue from different perspectives.

It must also be ensured that personal experiences do not lead to views which are biased.