Is my work racist? Critical thinking and critical discourse in social work research

Abstract

The United States is once again experiencing a window of time wherein there is a heightened acknowledgement and understanding of our history as a racist society. Many researchers are discussing the impact of their work in this new light. Researchers are in a unique position that holds power to chart new directions and paths forward, or to reinforce the status quo. Drawing on Critical Discourse Analysis and Dual Process Theory, we examine our own research, looking at language as action. We suggest that researchers are not objective observers but active participants, and as such, must struggle to understand how our worldviews shape our work. We illustrate how critical thinking shapes our understanding of society, and how that understanding underpins our research from the framing of our questions to the interpretation of results. We explain how the discourse of research serves to not only capture but drive dominant ideologies. We offer suggestions for considering research in the context of social justice.