Pedagogical approaches for social justice and diversity in Canadian social work education

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to explore social justice and diversity education in Canadian schools of social work. Using an online survey, we invited faculty members to share their teaching experiences in social justice and diversity courses. Participants included 24 faculty members who have taught either undergraduate or graduate students in accredited social work schools across Canada. Using descriptive synthesis and content analysis, the findings revealed various characteristics of social justice and diversity courses, as well as several categories around challenges and supports in teaching social justice and diversity courses. Three challenges are noted: (1) insufficient time to cover social justice and diversity topics with enough breadth and depth; (2) addressing students’ affects and preconceived ideas; and (3) increased burden for faculty members identifying as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) teaching social justice focused courses. Participants described three areas that need to be strengthened to teach social justice and diversity courses including (1) integrating social justice content across all micro and macro courses, as well as practicum; (2) creating a space and culture of community of practice (CoP) for social justice education and ongoing faculty training; and (3) institutionalizing social justice education for the professional accreditation of social work education.

KEYWORDS:

• Pedagogical approaches
• social work education
• social justice and diversity
• Canadian social work schools
• social work competencies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This paper is supported by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Institutional Grant [2020-2021] (PI: Eunjung Lee).

Notes on contributors

Eunjung Lee

Eunjung Lee, PhD, MSW, RSW is a Professor and Endowed Chair in Mental Health & Health at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. Using critical theories in language, discourse and power, her research focuses on everyday interactions in clinical practice and simulation-based learning in social work education. Analyzing praxis of cross-cultural practice, social policy and regulations, her research interrogates how everyday practice, policies, and their underlying politics construct dominant discourses that impact immigrants and refugees in a global neoliberal era and theorize Canadian multiculturalism and welfare state.

Toula Kourgiantakis

Toula Kourgiantakis, PhD, RSW, CCFT is an Associate Professor, École de travail social et de criminologie, Université Laval. Her research interests include youth mental health and addictions, equitable access to mental health services, family-centred practices in mental health, social work education and clinical practice. Dr. Kourgiantakis is a Registered Social Worker and Certified Couple and Family Therapist with over 25 years of clinical experience that informs her teaching and research.

Ran Hu

Ran Hu is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of British Columbia, Center for Gender and Sexual Health Equity. Her scholarship is situated in the field of gender-based violence, primarily focusing on interpersonal and structural violence against sex workers, trafficking, and intimate partner violence. Ran is also interested in social work pedagogical research, social justice-oriented teaching, and the use of simulation.