SOME ASPECTS OF FORMING GENDER COMPETENCE AMONG FUTURE SPECIALISTS OF THE SOCIAL WORK

Abstract

Given the establishment of humanistic values in democracies, which provide for the observance of social justice and equal conditions which allow realizing the rights and opportunities of all members of society, the importance of a gender approach in the professional activities of professionals in various fields is growing. Higher education institutions must provide a gender component in the training of specialists. Theoretical substantiation of the peculiarities of the formation of future social workers’ gender competence is the purpose of the article. Accordingly, to achieve it there were used general scientific methods of cognition. The article highlights the need for the formation of gender competence in future professionals in social work and the use of this integrated approach. Based on the analysis of the scientific literature, the content and structure of the concept of “Gender competence of a social worker” are clarified. Here is stated that a modern social worker must have gender sensitivity and gender loyalty. Moreover, in some professional situations, they must show the skills of gender transformation acting as an agent of social change. Here is substantiated the necessity of forming gender competence of future specialists in the social sphere using the introduction of a cross-gender approach to the educational process, in which an important place belongs to specialized disciplines that reveal the applied aspects of gender equality. The content of the training course “Gender aspects of social work”, taught at the Lviv State University of Life Safety, is revealed. This discipline gives social workers an understanding of gender as a social construct, provides the ability to notice and assess the situation of gender inequality in various spheres of life of clients. Future social workers will also be able to evaluate gender-discriminatory practices to avoid them in their professional activities; develop skills for constructive resolution of gender issues and potential conflicts which arise during the working process.