Teaching and Practicing Social Responsibility through Social Work in Saudi Arabia

Background: The role of social work education in promoting social responsibility cannot be understated. Social work is inherently aligned with the principles of social justice and community welfare, but the extent to which social work education effectively teaches and promotes the practice of social responsibility remains underexplored. Aim of the Study: This study aimed to investigate the role of social work in teaching and practicing social responsibility from the perspective of faculty members and students in social work departments in Saudi Universities. Methodology: The research adopted a descriptive analytical approach and collected data using a social survey method. The survey relied on questionnaires sent to a random sample of faculty members and students (n = 520), all drawn from social work departments across seven universities in the Kingdom. Results: The results revealed that there was a significant lack of conceptual clarity on the concept of social responsibility. A majority of the respondents rated their understanding of social responsibility and its links to social work as “Not Clear.” Students and faculty also viewed social work departments as largely ineffective in training for social responsibility. “Scarcely” was the most common response in reference to the availability of training opportunities, skill development, and perceptions of job market readiness.