Teaching social work students the influence of explicit and implicit bias: promoting ethical reflection in practice

ABSTRACT

The profession of social work is deeply rooted in teaching Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students the impact of social injustice and the skills required to advocate for equity and equality. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) competencies embedded in social work curricula are specifically designed to assure students recognize that biases, explicit or implicit, by groups, government, or organizations might perpetuate social injustice. However, curricula might not prepare students to recognize effectively the negative influences and ethical consequences of their own biases. In this article, the authors explore the literature related to explicit and implicit biases and the implications for social work education and curricula.

KEYWORDS:

• Bias
• core competencies
• social justice
• BSW education
• ethics

Disclosure statement

None of the authors declared potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

None of the authors received financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes on contributors

Christine V. Rogerson

Christine V. Rogerson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Maine, completing a Ph.D degree in Social Work with Simmons University in May 2021. She is a field faculty member of the University of New England School of Social Work and has research interests in child welfare, ethics, and teaching.

Dana E. Prescott

Dana E. Prescott has been licensed to practice law in Maine and Massachusetts since 1983 and is a partner with Prescott, Jamieson, & Murphy Law Group LLC. Dr. Prescott was awarded an MSW from Boston College and PhD in social work from Simmons University. He is adjunct faculty in policy at the Boston College of Social Work, and a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Attorneys and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Heather G. Howard

Dr. Heather G. Howard research and clinical expertise focus on gender-specific and trauma-informed care for women that reduces stigma and encourages health empowerment. Her clinical expertise are the treatment of grief and loss, trauma,, and prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.