Academic-social climate in social work departments. The case of Israel

This study focuses on the academic and social climate of departments or schools of social work in academic institutions in Israel. The study examined the affect of student attributes (individual demographic and academic variables) on the academic and social climate in social work departments in four academic institutions in Israel. There is great significance in studying the academic and social climate in social work departments that are characterized by a unique organizational structure, and provide practical training to students. The present study also examined which of the variables under investigation constitute criteria for discriminating between the academic institutions. On a whole, do the academic and social climates in these departments, which are a function of student profiles, reflect a binary system of higher education characterized by a clear division of labour between the various institutions that target different audiences, or do the data on academic and social climates point to a monistic system characterized by a similarity between academic institutions?