Bridging the Gaps among Social Justice, Research, and Practice

Abstract

As workers, we are charged with carrying out the ethical promotion of justice as well as partnering with underserved and oppressed populations to create change. These populations are largely excluded from major spheres of public and economic life (Strier, 2006). Social justice is, in essence, an organizing value for our work that distinguishes us from other professions. Researchers and practitioners must work together to ensure that our efforts are informed by the core value of Social work researchers need to collaborate with practitioners in pursuit of the professions' mutual goal of dismantling inequitable access to systems and societal structures. Social work practitioners are vital partners in the justice and research process. Researchers need these partnerships to understand issues and factors that affect disproportionate health and mental health outcomes and how societal and organizational structures affect interactions with clients' use (or lack of use) of services. Micro- and macro-level work practitioners are critical resources in data-collection efforts because they are on the frontlines of service and have relationships with consumers and communities. Enhanced opportunities exist to involve individuals and communities affected by oppression in an active and genuine role in the research process. It goes without saying that much work remains to be done in the area of Our efforts as a profession should focus on cultivating greater participation between work researchers and practitioners in conducting meaningful, translatable research that bridges the gaps among justice, research, and practice. Many scholars have noted that justice is a much needed goal; however, its conceptual formulation and application are often vague and abstruse. Operationally, there is often no singular definition of the term social justice. Rather, the conceptualization is vague and open to various interpretations. A working definition of injustice, provided by Strier (2006), refers to the systemic subordination of specific groups through the institutionalized use of unjust power and authority (p. 860). In addition to what is often viewed as an ambiguous delineation of justice, there is often sparse information about how to translate justice concepts into action. When Hong and Hodge (2009) asked work professors to define justice, the responses revealed pronounced obscurity regarding conceptualization of the term. Still, several colleagues have made headway in introducing frameworks that assist the profession in methodological approaches and strategies to move us toward a just society (Dempsey, 2008; Fin J Sakamoto & Pitner, 2005; Salas, Sen, & Segal, 2010; Vodde & Gallant, 2002). Because the conception of justice can differ on the basis of level of practice, the meaning of this term may change depending on whether one is working directly with clients or in an administrative position. Some researchers have referred to this schism as a work dichotomy (Salas et al., 2010; Vodde & Gallant, 2002). Some have argued that distinctions between micro and macro practice should be eliminated, that without such unification the path to justice may be unattainable. In our view, regardless of roles, work researchers and practitioners must work together to dismantle the systems and structures that function to preserve inequity. Critical theory is an important operating framework that encourages workers to critically analyze and reflect systematically and contextually about oppression. From this process, a new awareness evolves that must convert reflection into action. Social work researchers can play a unique role in the translation of research to practice by engaging practitioners in the careful analysis of study results and identifying how the implementation of the evidence can dismantle systematic oppression. …