Anti-racist Social Work Research Articles

Dialogic Pedagogy as a Framework for Anti-Racist Social Work Education

ABSTRACT Social work education is at a crossroads with the release of the 2022 Educational Policy Administration Standards (EPAS, 2022), which emphasize anti-racist practice. To teach anti-racist social work one must be prepared to use anti-racist pedagogical practices and be supported to do so institutionally. Freire (2020) proposes that education be a tool of liberation through the use of dialogue and attention to power dynamics. To this end, instructional making about the use of dialogue can help create liberatory classrooms. The concept of dialogic pedagogy (Alexander, 2018; Alexander, 2020) is used in education to support the development of language and critical thinking in students. Although it has yet to be applied extensively to higher education and the social work classroom, dialogic pedagogy has clear connections to social work and the potential to better prepare students for anti-racist practice. In a dialogic classroom, language between students and instructors is carefully attended to based on the following principles; purpose, cumulation, support, collectivity, deliberation, and reciprocality (Alexander, 2018; Alexander, 2020). This paper describes and endorses dialogic pedagogy as a framework to support anti-racist social work pedagogy and discusses the implementation of this framework in terms of faculty support and training.

Anti-Racist Social Work Education: “Ready or Not, Here I Come, You Can’t Hide...”

ABSTRACT The 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) definitively identifies anti-racism as a necessary component of social work education. This change supports an effort to ensure that coming generations of social workers are more than culturally competent, but rather actively anti-racist in their practice across the micro, mezzo, and macro spectrum. While some social work programs have already embraced anti-racist education, many still have significant work to do. The fact remains that every accredited school will be required to make this shift to stay in compliance with CSWE accreditation once the newly ratified EPAS comes into effect. Although changes are expected of social work schools/programs, guidance on how to make such changes has been scarce. This paper provides an overview of what is meant by anti-racist social work education and why it is important, inclusive of emphasizing the difference between rhetoric and praxis. Based on a narrative review of the literature related to social work schools/programs in the U.S. and Canada that began incorporating anti-racism prior to EPAS 2022, suggestions for encouraging strategies within both the implicit and explicit curricula that align with anti-racist social work education are offered.

Will Social Work Ever Be Truly Antiracist? Reflections on Furthering Antiracist Social Work Education

ABSTRACT Assertions that the social work profession is racist and has failed to fulfill its mission to advance racial justice are not new. Despite efforts to pursue racial justice as a profession, it appears very little progress has been made, resulting in renewed and more vigorous attention to examination of what it will take for social work to become truly antiracist. This paper presents the perspective of a black social work educator, who asserts that for the profession to become truly antiracist so that it dismantles racism, we must first deconstruct social work education. What we fail to achieve in practice is rooted in how we educate social workers. The paper identifies how social work education must be changed and reconceptualized in order to advance antiracist social work practice.

Developing Antiracist Social Work Practice at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The combination of the ongoing violence perpetuated against Black, Brown, and Asian people, and the increased incidence of death of Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, elicited an important response from the field of social work across the nation. This article describes the efforts undertaken by a Social Work Department at a comprehensive cancer center in response to a call to develop antiracist practice. This article recounts the process of creating educational opportunities for oncology social workers to help them identify bias and racism in themselves and throughout the healthcare system, to embrace intentional antiracist practice, and to better advocate for BIPOC/AAPI patients and colleagues. The strategies included the development of an antiracism committee, the use of a social location exercise to influence and disrupt white supremacy, the creation of community guidelines for engaging in conversations about race, and the formulation of a new departmental policy ensuring a commitment to antiracist social work practice. In addition, a forum using multimedia was created to explore racial dynamics and to highlight the narratives of BIPOC and AAPI people. Further, a monthly Antiracist Clinical Case Conference was implemented to explore their role in the context of working with the interdisciplinary team in an oncology setting. This article concludes with recommendations for ongoing antiracist social work practice development that may be applied in various healthcare settings.

Engaging Antiracism Through Interdisciplinary Teaching

ABSTRACT This article examines the role of interdisciplinarity in strengthening social work’s commitments to antiracism at the macro level. We describe our experiences of designing and implementing an interdisciplinary workshop for undergraduate students focused on the use of public policy to aid in the dismantling of white supremacy. Engaging sociological theories of race and racism supported student learning about the systemic nature of racial inequality and the need to accompany individual-level interventions with structural change. The dialogic benefits of interdisciplinarity are discussed in terms of strengthening macro social work education and forwarding a robust and clearly defined antiracist social work epistemology and praxis. Implications for social work education and practice are discussed.

Centering Anti-Racism in Social Work Education: Integration of Critical Race Theory Across an MSW Curriculum

Ranging from a multicultural approach to models of cultural sensitivity and cultural competency, social work education has historically avoided challenging the power of racism in shaping inequity in the United States. We argue that integrating critical race theory (CRT) in social work education decenters whiteness, counters color-evasive racism in education, and centers anti-racist ideas and practices. CRT provides social work educators with a framework that explicitly addresses race and racism while challenging social work students to self-reflect critically on their own experiences with privilege and oppression. Further, it enables social work students and practitioners to analyze race and other systems of oppression structurally. This manuscript offers an overview of how CRT is integrated across an MSW curriculum to better prepare social work students to engage in anti-racist social work practice. We describe specific examples of how CRT is infused into the curriculum in theory and practice courses. We conclude with an acknowledgment that CRT is not without limitations and call for more empirical research that assesses the effectiveness of CRT’s application to social work praxis.

Integrating Critical, Engaged, and Abolitionist Pedagogies to Advance Antiracist Social Work Education

The intersecting coronavirus, racism, and economic pandemics electrified U.S. social work organizations into creating long overdue antiracism initiatives. This necessary shift includes the Council on Social Work Education specifying that curriculums must consist of frameworks and practices that eliminate racism. Social work educators will need to incorporate antiracism into their teaching. We argue that critical, engaged, and abolitionist pedagogies contain frameworks and practices that align with antiracism. One of our fundamental assumptions is that liberation, which is a collective state of freedom from racism and other intersecting structures of domination, is the end goal of antiracism. We integrate concepts developed by critical pedagogy scholars, Black feminists, and abolitionist activists with our experiences to share ten lessons we learned through decades of collective praxis as social justice educators committed to liberation.

“We started talking about race and racism after George Floyd”: insights from research into practitioner preparedness for anti-racist social work practice in England

The events of 2020, notably, the murder of George Floyd and the global COVID-19 pandemic, brought issues of race and racism into sharp focus in social work education, research and practice. In the UK, the Black Lives Matter movement contributed to raising awareness of the existence and effects of racism, and the need for anti-racist practice in all areas of social work; yet, surprisingly, some social workers alleged to have first heard the term ‘anti-racist practice’ after the murder of George Floyd, while others claimed a basic understanding of what it meant in practice. This article reports the findings from a qualitative study with 67 social workers about their preparedness for anti-racist practice with service users at the point of qualification and after their assessed and supported year in employment. A proposal for race intentionality as opposed to race evasiveness is made.

Moving from dialogue to demonstration: assessing anti-racist practice in social work education utilizing simulation

ABSTRACT The stark racial health disparities associated with the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the apparent rise of white supremacy in the United States (U.S.) supports the necessity of anti-racist social work education and practice. Anti-racist practice is particularly salient given the significant numbers of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) served by social workers across the country. This paper highlights ways in which racism continues to permeate the country and the implications for social work practice and education, and how assessment of anti-racist practice has historically and continues to be absent in social work education. After reviewing the coming changes to the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Educational and Policy Accreditation Standards (EPAS) associated with centering anti-racism in social work education, the paper then offers a rationale for utilizing simulation in student assessment of anti-racist practice behaviors. In order to ensure that social work students are meeting the mandate associated with practicing through an anti-racist lens and are ready to effectively collaborate with BIPOC communities, social work students must be adequately assessed while engaged in their educational training.

Challenging Anti-Black Racism across the Curriculum: Situating the Social Work Legacy and Moving Forward

ABSTRACT As an introduction for a special journal volume on Challenging Anti-Black Racism across the Social Work Curriculum, this paper situates the volume’s contributions within a larger anti-racist tradition in social work including the often overlooked legacy of the profession’s Black leaders. It discusses multiple strands of anti-racist social work scholarship that provide scaffolding to support current and future anti-racist practices and thought. These include the paradigm shift from cultural competence to critical race theory; interpersonal and behavioral science approaches; Afrocentric perspectives; and decolonization theory. The article previews the volume’s contributions which both reflect these traditions and move beyond them. We argue that the endemic nature of anti-Black racism in the U.S. demands special attention in the social work curriculum.

Colorblind Attitudes, Empathy, and Shame: Preparing White Students for Anti-Racist Social Work Practice

ABSTRACT This study examined the relationships between racial knowledge and emotions as predictors of anti-racist behaviors. We analyzed responses of 135 White MSW students from a cross-sectional survey conducted in May 2018. Regression was used to analyze the relationships between colorblind attitudes, empathy, guilt, shame, and anti-racist behaviors. Results indicated that colorblind attitudes and White shame, after controlling for other factors, were correlated with fewer anti-racist behaviors; empathy and having taken an ethnic studies course were related to more anti-racist behaviors. These results provide evidence that racial emotions affect anti-racist behaviors, above and beyond what is accounted for by knowledge about racism. The results encourage educators preparing students for anti-racist practice to develop interventions that target racial emotions among White students.

From social justice to abolition: living up to social work’s grand challenge of eliminating racism

ABSTRACT How can social work live up to the 13th Grand Challenge of Eliminating Racism? In this article we argue for the replacement of the predominant social justice paradigm with a framework for anti-racist social work praxis informed by abolitionist principles. The primary aim of anti-racist social work praxis needs to be the building of power in Black, Indigenous, or Brown and poor communities. We define additional praxis principles, including engaging with critical theories, advancing macro-approaches, targeting racism at the source, and developing interventions to eliminate and address the effects of racism. We end by sharing concrete anti-racist praxis tools.

Dual pandemics or a syndemic? Racism, COVID-19, and opportunities for antiracist social work

ABSTRACT In this article, we critically engage the “dual pandemics” framing of this special issue. We first consider the key assumptions of this popular frame, specifically the conceptualization of racism as a pandemic, and examine limitations of medicalizing racism. We follow with an introduction of the term syndemic, coined by public health scholar Merrill Singer, and discuss how the language of syndemics might accurately characterize the synergism and interconnectedness of racism and COVID-19. We conclude by applying syndemic theory to offer insights and opportunities for social work research, practice, and policy from a racial justice lens.

“Their husbands were sneaking around in the bushes”The need for anti-racist social work in Swedish activation programmes

ABSTRACT This paper aims to provide an analysis of a project-based activation programme, called the Vista project, under the authority of the social services and run in a local community in Sweden. Research has shown that people with a migrant background, in all age groups and especially women, are overrepresented in unemployment rates. The argument presented in the paper is that an anti-racist framework is of great relevance for these provisions and would provide a strong theoretical foundation with clear implications for practice. The Vista project’s main objective was to find new matching strategies to increase labour market integration and to increase the number of people engaged in a full-time activity, such as employment, education or field practices. The findings show that the flexibility that characterizes this kind of organization has a negative impact on clearly defining its identity and work processes, something that could undermine its legitimacy. This study exemplifies how the flexibility leads to ambiguity and struggles in mediating a clear picture of the purpose of the project. Some core values of anti-racist practice are included in the foundation of the Vista project, for example, the resources addressed to a so-called disadvantaged group. Projects such as the Vista contribute to racial oppression, just as other more traditional social work organizations do. However, the form of the post-bureaucracy may create possibilities to both make such structures visible and find ways to give the participants exposed to the program greater influence on its design and to define their own needs.

Interracial Team Teaching in Social Work Education

This article aims to explore anti-racist social work education through interracial team teaching, where one instructor is White, and the other is Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC). This pedagogical approach is presented as an emerging conceptual model to consider in anti-racist social work education. As an anti-racist approach to teaching, this model aims to engage students and faculty in a more active and accountable role in dismantling systemic racism and White supremacy through social work education. A close examination of published articles on interracial team teaching revealed an absence of theoretical frameworks to guide this teaching method. Critical Race Theory (CRT) emerged as a compatible theoretical framework for teaching anti-racism within an interracial team-taught model. Five CRT tenets from Sólorzano et al. (2005) align with previous studies to support this emerging pedagogical approach as a viable option. Findings suggest that anti-racist education requires explicitly naming terms like White supremacy, racism, and colonization within the social work curriculum. Interracial team teaching necessitates shared power and authority between instructors and calls for White educators to examine their White identity and resist performing allyship. Academic institution hiring practices need a greater representation of BIPOC faculty to reduce overburdening faculty of color.

Social Work Educators as White Allies?

White educators represent the majority of social work faculty. Current research suggests that many White social work educators are not prepared to address racism in classroom discussions and model antiracist behavior. An integrative literature review was conducted by the co-authors—a White man and Black woman, both social work educators—to examine how recent literature characterizes the “White ally” educator and explore concepts designed to prepare White faculty for purposive action to dismantle White Supremacy. Integrative review is a methodology used to summarize empirical/theoretical literature to provide a comprehensive understanding of a phenomenon. Twenty-two articles met inclusion criteria for this review. The analysis involved two steps: First, a synthesis and integrative model of the literature on educators as White allies. Second, an application of the critical race theory concepts interest convergence and anti-essentialism. The integrative model of the White ally educator suggests a White identity process; necessitating critical self-reflection and multi-level, antiracist action. Critical examination of the literature troubles the concept of “White ally,” pointing to the potential re-centering of Whiteness. Further research is needed to help social work educators recognize racism in their work and prepare future social workers to engage in antiracist social work practice.

Assessing Antiracism as a Learning Outcome in Social Work Education

The current political climate and reversals of gains made during the Civil Rights Movement underscore the urgent need for preparing emerging social workers to effectively address white supremacy in social work practice. Antiracism education in social work aims to ensure competent antiracist social work practice towards the goal of eradicating white supremacy in all its forms. Given the widening racial disparities evident in income, health and educational outcomes, it is essential to examine the degree to which social work education adequately prepares emerging social work practitioners to engage in antiracist social work practice. This paper presents findings of a systematic review of social work research assessing antiracism as a learning outcome. After reviewing more than 150 studies published between 2008 and 2018, none of them focused on assessing antiracism as a learning outcome. Our review demonstrates that despite the importance of antiracist social work practice, published research on assessment of antiracism as a learning outcome is sparse and is not antiracism-focused as much as it is antiracism-inclusive. More attention to identifying and disseminating best practices for assessing student competence in antiracism practice is required to defeat white supremacy.

“Theory’s Cool, But Theory With No Practice Ain’t Shit…”

As it stands today, social work education falls short in providing critical theories and frameworks that reflect the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Such insufficiencies maintain racism and other forms of oppression that plague both social work pedagogy and praxis. To challenge and dismantle hegemonic curricula, social work education needs to do more to provide the knowledge and tools necessary for anti-racist social work. The purpose of this article is to present five critical theories and frameworks written by Indigenous and People of Color scholars that social work educators, researchers, and practitioners can integrate into their teaching and practice to raise the critical consciousness of social work students. These five postulations are Compa Love, Racial Triangulation Theory, Breath of Life Theory, kapwa, and cultural wealth. The article will also discuss implications for social work education and practice. Centering the voices of under-represented scholars whose epistemologies are rooted in the lived experiences and communities that the field of social work traverses provides a pathway for social work education and practice to be tailored towards self-determination for all.

Book Review: Gurnham Singh and Shepard Masocha (ed.) Anti-Racist Social Work: International Perspectives

Book Review: Gurnham Singh and Shepard Masocha (ed.) <i>Anti-Racist Social Work: International Perspectives</i>

“Did you get placed with all white ladies in your group?”: reflections on co-creating an anti-racist social work (virtual) classroom

ABSTRACT As a white social work instructor and therapist committed to anti-racist practice, I reflect on my experiences teaching group work virtually during a pandemic. I provide an example of how I inadvertently perpetuated white supremacy through a mistake I made in creating groups that isolated students of color. I discuss how I addressed this mistake with the class and worked with the students to co-create an anti-racist and anti-oppressive classroom setting through our group process. I offer strategies for how I will continue to deepen group processes centered in anti-racist practices, such as building trust through transparency, acknowledging mistakes, including opportunities for race caucuses, and creating continual optional check-ins with students of color in order to maximize and center their learning in my courses.