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Utilization of Contemporary Literature in Human Behavior and Social Justice Coursework

Social work educators on both the undergraduate and graduate levels are constantly challenged with the need to convey general knowledge and theoretical frameworks concerning social justice and human behavior to students, while helping them to develop empathy and understanding of individuals in specific situations. Although textbooks adequately convey the general and theoretical, they often do not provide comprehensive discussion of the individual situation making it difficult for students to acquire empathy for, and an understanding of, individuals in diverse situations. Thus, educators must find creative methods of engendering not only the necessary breadth of theoretical knowledge, but also an adequate depth of understanding of the individual in his or her unique situation. One innovate educational method of particular relevance to social work educators is the incorporation of contemporary fiction and non-fiction literature into social justice and human behavior courses. The use of contemporary literature facilitates student understanding of the general and theoretical by bringing both to life in the stories told.