Emerging Social Work Traditions, Profession Building, and Curriculum Policy Statements.

This paper develops the concepts "great traditions'' and "`little traditions" and describes their role in the evolution of the social structures we know as professions. This analysis is to facilitate collective understanding of social work as a profession and the evolutionary nature of its development. More specifically, the article will analyze aspects of the recently approved Curriculum Policy Statement in relation to social work traditions and the shared roles of the Council on Social Work Education, as an accrediting body, and specific schools of social work, in the development and transmission of social work traditions. Its purpose is to enrich the dialogue which accompanies the development and operationalization of a new social work educational policy statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]