When Charity Became a Profession: Exploring Its Professional Evolution During the Foundation of Social Work Education in Thailand
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Abstract
This research article examines the historical context to understand the emergence of social work as an academic discipline and profession. The roots of social work education in the shifting political landscape under Phibun’s government are studied through historical documents and cross-verification of data. Social work education was launched in 1952 by Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram (Phibun) and his wife La-iat Phibunsongkhram. Results are that the United Nations significantly influenced social work training program development of the National Institute of Culture after the Second World War. Simultaneously, the Thai government introduced the social welfare policy to indicate progress for its societal goals and align policies with Western nations, where social work was synonymous with human rights and democracy. These findings on academic and professional social work context, as well as other social sciences, clarify the contributions of intellectual elites who helped establish social work education, define ambiguous terms, and explain the discrepancy between the official English name and the Thai name of Thammasat University’s Faculty of Social Administration.
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