“WALK THE WALK”: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATORS’ PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS FOR RACIAL JUSTICE

Author

Jessica R. Williams

Graduation Semester and Year

2023

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work

Department

Social Work

First Advisor

Regina Praetorius

Abstract

The profession of social work has a long-standing history of social movement contribution, including in recent times. The May 2020 murder of George Floyd was an international flashpoint for global protests demanding racial justice, including within the US criminal justice system. Using Narrative Inquiry, the present study explored the stories of social work educators’ participation in current social movements for racial justice. Results from this study indicate that contemporary social work educators value a variety of social movement contributions, including protesting, community organizing, and incorporation of anti-racism in social work education. The participants of this study highlighted the importance of embarking on a personal journey toward anti-racism praxis including transparent critical-self-reflection, continued community engagement, and constant learning. Implications from this study include the incorporation of social action, utilization of anti-racist pedagogy, and disruption of systems that perpetuate oppression.

Keywords

Social movements, Social work, Anti-racism

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social Work

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

Recommended Citation

Williams, Jessica R., "“WALK THE WALK”: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATORS’ PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS FOR RACIAL JUSTICE" (2023). Social Work Dissertations. 169.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/socialwork_dissertations/169