Research Note—Equity and Justice in the Social Work Explicit Curriculum

ABSTRACT

In the context of the current sociopolitical climate, schools of social work’s expressed commitment to equity and justice is of paramount relevance. Utilizing course descriptions and syllabi posted online, we used content analysis to identify equity and justice-related content within the explicit curricula of 19 master of social work programs in the United States. We searched for content related to differences, diversity, disparities, and inclusion, as well as the mention of specific demographic and social identity groups. Findings indicate that, although social work courses are embedded with equity and justice-related content, the explicit curriculum may be strengthened by allocating greater attention to disparities and inclusion. Consideration of disparities and inclusion is critical in clinical courses, as part of a person-in-the-environment approach, and in macro social work courses that aim to equip future social workers to make broad changes that promote equity and justice in society and institutions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bongki Woo

Bongki Woo is an assistant professor at University of South Carolina.

Manuel Cano is an assistant professor at University of Texas at San Antonio.

Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes is a professor at Boston College.