How Can the Literature on Phenomenology Inform the Teaching of Accurate Empathy in Social Work Practice?

Abstract

The ability to demonstrate empathy is identified as a key social work attribute by the professional regulator and other professional bodies as well as in government guidance and the relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Statement. Empathy is strongly linked to the ability to learn from experience and, as such, has relevance beyond social work to higher education in general. This paper will focus on how a phenomenological approach to theorising empathy might provide a framework for the development of the social work curriculum. I argue that representational accounts of interpersonal understanding offer a conception of empathy that is both limited and hubristic. From a representational perspective, empathy involves making informed guesses about the experiences of other people, often described using the overused metaphor of ‘walking in their shoes’ (Lathrop & Parish 1895). In contrast, an enactivist understanding of interpersonal relations, based on a phenomenological approach, provides a more hopeful and socially just basis for social work practice. It also has clear implications for teaching approaches and curriculum design in social work education including a focus on the student- teacher relationship, embodied practice, and more effective use of simulation.