Is Social Work a Profession? The Canadian Response

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of social work in Canada regarding Flexner’s perception of our professional status. It presents an overview of the content of social work practice, highlighting the uniqueness of Canada’s social welfare system. It argues that Canadian social welfare has characteristics that distinguish it from social welfare in its U.S. neighbor to the south and that such features need to be understood and identified prior to considering the professional or semiprofessional status of social work in Canada.