Between the Demands of the Academy and Those of the Profession -- Education in Elder Care in Finland and Sweden

Finland & Sweden are the two Nordic countries where the academic status of social work is most pronounced. In Finland, a social worker has to have a Master's degree. In Sweden, qualification as a social worker (socionom) requires a lower university degree, with the option to take a Master's. In both countries, it is possible to gain a PhD in social work. The article compares education in the two countries, with the emphasis on elder care. The point of departure is that this education lies somewhere in between vocational training & theoretical education for professional work. The authors argue that education in social work & vocational tertiary education should be linked to research. Otherwise, there is a risk that the professions in elder care will get stuck in their forms of work. Elder care will remain a low-status field in social work, & the medicalization of old age will continue. 14 References. Adapted from the source document.