Religious Discrimination in Social Work Academic Programs: Whither Social Justice?

Abstract

Recent reports in the media have suggested that social work students are being discriminated against within BSW and MSW programs due to their religious beliefs. We review the substance of these public allegations and provide some further examples of religious discrimination occurring within the classroom, in faculty evaluations of students, and in being unfairly dismissed from social work programs. These individual stories, combined with contemporary empirical research on the topic, lend credence to the charge that religious discrimination within academic social work remains an ongoing problem. This reflects a failure on the part of the profession to promote social justice. Religious bigotry deserves the same attention by social workers as do instances of discrimination on the basis of race, gender, and sexual orientation. Some specific steps to remedy religious discrimination within social work academic programs are presented.