UNMASKING FLEXNER: REEVALUATING THE HISTORY OF SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION

Abstract

In a pivotal address on May 17, 1915, Abraham Flexner fundamentally shaped the discourse surrounding the professional standing of social work. Speaking before the National Conference of Charities and Correction, Flexner's inquiry, "Is Social Work a Profession? reverberated within the Mount Vernon Place Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland. His resolute conclusion contended that social work had not yet attained the status of a profession, primarily due to its inadequately defined methodologies for instructional dissemination. Instead, Flexner perceived the role of social work as that of a mediator between client and agency, stopping short of designating it a full-fledged profession. This assessment, though undoubtedly unsettling for an audience anticipating a more affirming declaration, resonated profoundly, given Flexner's renowned expertise in evaluating educational frameworks. His seminal work in restructuring medical education in the United States and Canada (Flexner, 1910) had earned him national acclaim, rendering his perspectives on social work especially significant and thought-provoking.