Social Work Student Perceptions of Racism, Implicit Bias, and Other Forms of Discrimination: A Racial Justice Climate Survey

Main Article Content

Stacey Barker
DeVonne Allen
Kessy Moreau
Nicolette Soverall

Keywords

racial justice, social work education, faith-based

Abstract

This article discusses the findings of a racial justice climate survey using a mixed-methods design conducted to learn more about the areas of strength and areas of improvement related to racial justice in one faith-based School of Social Work. The framework for organizing the findings focuses on the three pillars of social work education: the explicit curriculum, the implicit curriculum, and field education. While the overall findings indicate that student experiences in our BSW and MSW programs related to racial justice are primarily positive, some of the data indicate otherwise. Findings suggest that the efforts being made in the explicit curriculum should continue and expand, while several recommendations for improvements should focus on the implicit curriculum. These findings will help our social work programs move towards more racially just pedagogy, policies, and practices, which could serve as a model for other programs within the College and for social work programs in other colleges and universities. 

Abstract 190 |

References

Benner, K., Loeffler, D., & Buchanan, S. (2019). Understanding social justice engagement in social work curriculum. Journal of

Baccalaureate Social Work, 24(1), 321-337. https://doi.org/10.18084/1084-7219.24.1.321

Bhuyan, R., Bejan, R., & Jeyapal, D. (2017). Social workers’ perspectives on social justice in social work education: When mainstreaming social justice masks structural inequalities. Social Work Education, 36(4), 373-390. doi:10.1080/02615479.2017.1298741.

Brown, S. L., Johnson, Z., & Miller, S. E. (2019). Racial microaggressions and black social work students: A call to social work educators for proactive models informed by social justice. Social Work Education, 38(5), 618-630. doi:10.1080/02615479.2019.1594754.

Copeland, P., & Ross, A. (2021). Assessing antiracism as a learning outcome in social work education: A systematic review. Advances in Social Work, 21(2/3), 766-778. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/44288

Council on Social Work Education. (2015). Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Retrieved from https://www.cswe.org/getmedia/94471c42-13b8-493b-9041-b30f48533d64/2022-EPAS.pdf

Curiel, L. O. (2021). Interracial team teaching in social work education: A pedagogical approach to dismantling white supremacy. Advances in Social Work, 21(2/3), 730-749. https://doi.org/10.18060/24176

Davis, A. (2019). Historical knowledge of oppression and racial attitudes of social work students. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(1) 160–175. doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2018.1498419

Hamilton-Mason, J. & Schneider, S. (2018). Antiracism expanding social work education: A qualitative analysis of the Undoing Racism Workshop experience. Journal of Social Work Education, 54(2), 337–348. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2017.1404518

Johnson, N., Archibald, P., Estreet, A., & Morgan, A. (2021). The cost of being black in social work practicum. Advances in Social Work, 21(2/3), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.18060/24115

Lilly, F. R. W., Owens, J., Bailey, T. C., Ramirez, A., Brown, W., Clawson, C., & Vidal, C. (2018). The influence of racial microaggressions and social rank on risk for depression among minority graduate and professional students. College Student Journal, 52(1), 86–104.

Maglalang, D. D. & Rao, S. (2021). “Theory’s cool, but theory with no practice ain’t shit…”: Critical theories and frameworks to dismantle racism in social work education and practice. Advances in Social Work, 21(2/3), 672-689. https://doi.org/10.18060/24145

Nyack College (2020, Fall). Fact Book. Retrieved from
https://www.nyack.edu/site/download/nyack-factbook-2020/?wpdmdl=164233&refresh=632c9f31a0d301663868721

Nyack College (2021a). Who We Are. Retrieved from
https://www.nyack.edu/site/who-we-are/

Nyack College (2021b). Bachelor of Science in Social Work.
Retrieved from https://www.nyack.edu/site/bsw/

Nyack College (2021c). Master of Social Work. Retrieved
from https://www.nyack.edu/site/msw/

Perez, E. N. (2021). Faculty as a barrier to dismantling
racism in social work education. Advances in Social
Work, 21(2/3), 500-521. https://doi.org/10.18060/24178

Racial Equity Tools (2020). Racial Equity Tools Glossary. Retrieved from https://www.racialequitytools.org/glossary

Robinson-Perez, A., Marzell, M., & Han, W. (2020). Racial microaggressions and psychological distress among undergraduate college students of color: Implications for social work practice. Clinical Social Work Journal, 48(4), 343–350. DOI:10.1007/s10615-019-00711-5

Rodenborg, N. A., & Boisen, L. A. (2013). Aversive racism and intergroup contact theories: Cultural competence in a segregated world. Journal of Social Work Education, 49(4), 564–579. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2013.812463

Wright, K. C., Carr, K. A., & Akin, B. A. (2021). The whitewashing of social work history: How dismantling racism in social work education begins with an equitable history of the profession. Advances in Social Work, 21 (2/3), 274-297. https://doi.org/10.18060/23946