Data Science: A Promising Field of Study for Social Workers?
by Shonda K. Lawrence, Ph.D., LMSW, MS
When I first heard that the Atlanta University Center (AUC) in Atlanta, Georgia, was holding a meeting for persons interested in incorporating data science in the curriculums of undergraduate students at Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College, I was intrigued. Although I had limited knowledge about data science, I had just learned that the job demand for data scientists would increase by 28% by 2020 (Columbus, 2017) and salaries ranged from $67,000 for data analysts to $137,000 for senior data scientists (Glassdoor, 2019). Because of the imbalance that exists between job market supply of trained data scientists and job market demand, these salaries are negotiable. I wanted to know how my students and social workers could benefit or, better yet, how we fit into this scenario as we continue to become an even more data driven society.
Not so strangely enough, I was one of two social workers in attendance at the meeting. When we introduced ourselves, you could almost feel the confusion in the air. The looks on the faces of the attendees seemed to question why we were there. It was apparent that this was a meeting for mathematicians, statisticians, and others - but not social workers.
My social work colleague decided not to participate in any further discussions, but my curiosity was not satisfied, so I stayed with it. In a subsequent meeting, we were asked to articulate our reasons for wanting to learn more about data science. My reasons were clear. As data science encompasses several analytic methods and data analysis methods show patterns of need that assist businesses and researchers in predicting or determining probabilities of human behavior, show relationships and trends in data related to human behavior, and classify variables that are useful in developing approaches or interventions to support or address identified issues related to goals and objectives of organizations, I believed these approaches could be beneficial to the future of the field of social work. In short, we already do this using different methods of analysis.
Data science, in my opinion, can be a revolutionary approach to how social workers collect and use data. Social workers in child welfare, mental health, substance abuse, social justice, economic justice, management, and so forth can enter this field with a greater understanding of human behavior than most other fields of study, in that at the foundation of social work education is the understanding of human behavior. Making sense of big data sets with consideration of theoretical frameworks that support behavioral analysis can benefit the populations we serve as we continue to identify best practices through predictive, correlational, and meta-analysis.
So, as we move forward in the field of social work, it is important to understand the potential importance of data science in all fields of study and their interconnectedness as they work together to address the needs of the communities we serve, regardless of discipline but specifically for social work.
References
Columbus, L. (May 13, 2017). IBM predicts demand for data scientists will soar 28% By 2020. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/05/13/ibm-predicts-demand-for-data-scientists-will-soar-28-by-2020/#2f7393bb7e3b
Glassdoor (August 31, 2019). Data scientist salaries. Retrieved from https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/data-scientist-salary-SRCH_KO0,14.htm
Dr. Shonda Lawrence is an Associate Professor in Social Work and currently serves as the Bachelor of Social Work Program Director at Clark Atlanta University. She completed her undergraduate degree in law enforcement administration at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. She received her first master’s degree from Chicago State University in corrections/criminal justice. After graduation, she worked for the Illinois House of Representatives as a research/appropriations analyst. She also spent several years as juvenile probation officer in Cook County, Illinois. She received her second master’s degree and Ph.D. in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work. While completing her Ph.D., she worked as the project coordinator for the Jane Addams Center for Social Policy and Research. Her research interests include child welfare, the impact of parental incarceration on children and families, and African American fatherhood. She teaches courses in research, social welfare policy, and cultural diversity. Dr. Lawrence serves as a Commissioner on the Membership and Professional Development Commission (CMPD) and Accreditation/Reaffirmation Site Visitor for the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).