Social Justice Emphases on MSW Program Websites and in Their Curricula: A Mixed-Methods Study

ABSTRACT

This mixed methods study examined the extent of social justice emphases on master’s of social work (MSW) program websites. A triangulated content analysis of the websites of all Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited MSW programs was followed by semistructured telephone interviews with faculty members from programs with apparent discrepancies between their website emphasis on social justice and the extent to which social justice or related terms were incorporated in course titles. We concluded that much of the social justice content pervades the implicit curriculum and is infused throughout the explicit curriculum, including in clinical courses. Implications are drawn for future inquiry regarding different models of social justice clinical practice and the extent to which the more ideologically based models comport well with evidence-informed practice.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Allen Rubin

Allen Rubin, PhD, is the Kantambu Latting College Professorship for Leadership and Change at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Caitlyn Mytelka, MSSW, is a doctoral student and graduate research assistant at the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston.