Exploring the intersections of LGBTQ experience and social work education: a scoping review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) issues, experiences, and theorizing have had limited representation within social work education. In recent years there has been an increase in the scholarly discourse regarding queer and trans issues and social work education, but little is known about the landscape of this body of published work. In this scoping review, we explored peer-reviewed literature regarding the intersections of social work education and queer and trans experience, issues, and theorizing. Utilizing major academic databases, we identified 54 articles published in social work literature from 2010 to 2020 that met inclusion criteria. Topical areas of study included: classroom experiences of queer and trans students/faculty, student/faculty attitudes toward LGBTQ people, integration of gender and sexuality content within social work curriculum, and pedagogical strategies. In addition, we analyzed rationales for the research presented, theoretical frameworks employed, representation of identities, engagement with race, authors’ identity disclosure, and recommendations for social work education. We suggest that more scholarship is needed within social work education that centers the lived experiences of queer and trans people; asks a range of questions rooted in varied theories and epistemologies; and decenters whiteness and focuses on intersectionality within queer and trans communities.