The Clothesline Project

Abstract

Social workers participate with many different populations including perpetrators, victims, and survivors of domestic violence. It is crucial that students in the social work field are educated in the arena of domestic violence. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of intimate exposure to this population through an experiential learning project, the Clothesline Project, as an enhancement to field experience and classroom instruction for MSW students. Participants included 31 female, social work graduate students. As part of a class assignment, students were given the opportunity to participate in the Clothesline Project, a project for victims of domestic violence. After completing the project, students were invited to participate in a focus group to discuss their experiences. Thematic analysis of the transcripts indicated a positive learning experience for both clinical and management students involved in the project. Findings also indicated that students were affected by the size, structure, cohesiveness, and physical setting of the groups. The use of experiential learning with MSW students provides an effective alternative to traditional classroom instruction.