Understanding Globalization through Short-Term International Field Experiences

Abstract

The process of globalization is contested terrain across the globe. Social work practice is affected by this process, since globalization has led to a widening of the gap between rich and poor and has increased the number of people living in poverty. Social workers must understand economic globalization in order to be able to contest its effects on our personal and professional lives. This article examines the process of economic globalization. It offers a case example of a short-term international field program, the Sin Fronteras Chile Project, which shows how social work education in the United States can help prepare social workers to be actors in a world affected by economic globalization. It also offers recommendations for strengthening undergraduate social work education, based on students' experiences with Sin Fronteras.