Transgender Issues and BSW Programs: Exploring Faculty Perceptions, Practices, and Attitudes

Abstract

A sample of BSW faculty members (n=113) responded to a survey asking about perceptions of institutional accommodations and supports for transgender and gender-variant students, about transgender content in social work courses, and about attitudes toward transgender individuals. The respondents also reported whether their program was housed in a religiously affiliated institution, a factor that was subsequently described and analyzed relative to the study's other findings. The results of this exploratory research suggest, at least with respect to its sample, generally positive attitudes on the part of faculty members, a willingness to discuss gender variance in social work classes, and teaching practices that include the use of transgender course material. However, the findings also seem to indicate a lack of training about trans inclusivity in the classroom and a need for greater awareness regarding the overall educational environment for transgender and gender-variant social work students.