The problem of moral and psychological readiness of future specialists in social work to work with disabled people

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The article analyzes the issues of moral and psychological readiness of students-future professional social workers to work with the disabled. The article systematizes domestic and foreign approaches to the definition of the categories readiness, psychological readiness, moral and psychological readiness in relation to professional social work. Moral and psychological readiness is understood as an important and complex multicomponent category, a synthetic construct and a stable characteristic of the subject of educational and professional activity in its readiness for the successful implementation of the assigned professional functions and tasks. AIMS: Assessment of the moral and psychological readiness of future professional social workers to work with the disabled. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of the survey of 178 students studying in the direction of training Social work (bachelors and masters degrees) in three universities of Russia are presented. RESULTS: As a result of the conducted research, it was found out that despite the generally positive attitude of students towards disabled people, according to a subjective assessment, a fifth of students (22.5%) noted that they were not ready to work with such a category of people, which may be evidence of an imbalance in the theoretical and practical components of their training, as well as the moral and psychological unpreparedness of students for future professional social work. CONCLUSION: In this regard, in our opinion, special attention should be paid to the formation of the moral and psychological readiness of future professional social workers to work with people with severe forms of health disorders, including the disabled.