The Stories We Tell

Examining the Persistence and Impacts of Normative-Whiteness and White Supremacy Within Social Work Education

Authors

  • Danté Bryant University of North Carolinian Charlotte
  • Karen M. Kolivoski Howard University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18060/24158

Keywords:

Normative-whiteness, whiteness, White supremacy, social work education

Abstract

Although there is a growing body of literature denoting social work’s efforts to engage many of the internal racial challenges it faces, there remains a paucity of research exploring the impacts of normative-whiteness and White supremacy within the profession. In an effort to address this gap in the literature, this investigation uses quantitative survey responses from 167 non-racially specific, currently active, social work faculty and administrators, and 12 qualitative interviews with African American, currently active, social work faculty and administrators to gain a more lucid understanding of how they view the roles and impacts of whiteness and White supremacy within Social Work. Thematic findings from this investigation include narratological-deception, epistemological-omission, and a divided-profession. Implications for social work suggest the need to equitably incorporate the contributions of racially underrepresented populations, while critically engaging and responding to the “why,” “how,” and “impacts” of their historical omission.

References

Abrams, L., & Gipson, J. (2007). Critical race theory and cultural competence dilemma in social work. Journal of Social Work Education, 45(2), 245-261. https://doi.org/10.5175/jswe.2009.200700109

Baldwin, J. (2010). The cross of redemption: Uncollected writings. Vantage Books.

Basham, K., Donner, S., Killough, R., & Werkmeister-Rozas, L. (1997). Becoming an anti-racist institution. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 67(3), 564-585. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377319709517507

Bowles, D. D., & Hopps, J. G. (2014). The profession’s role in meeting its historical mission to serve vulnerable populations. Advances in Social Work, 15(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.18060/16677

Briggs, H. E., Holosko, M. J., Banks, L., Huggins-Hoyt, K. Y., & Parker, J. (2018). How are African Americans currently represented in various social work venues? Research on Social Work Practice, 28(3), 275-287. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731517706553

Corley, N. A., & Young, S. M. (2018). Is social work still racist? A content analysis of recent literature. Social Work, 63(4), 317-326. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swy042

Cramer, D. N., & McElveen, J., S. (2020). Undoing racism in social work practice. Race, Gender & Class, 10(2), 41-57. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41675072

Davis, L. B. (1985). Black and White social work faculty: Perceptions of respect, satisfaction and job performance. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 12(1), 79-94. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1691&context=jssw

Davis, L., Freeman, P., Louis, H., & Cartwright, R. (1983). Black faculty in predominantly White schools of social work: A qualitative assessment. Journal of Education for Social Work, 19(1), 15-23. , https://doi.org/10.1080/00220612.1983.10778591

Deepak, A., C., Rountree, M., A, & Scott, J. (2015). Delivering diversity and social justice in social work education: The power of context. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 26(2), 107-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/10428232.2015.1017909

DuBois, W. E. B. (1920). The souls of White folk. Duckwater: Voices from within the veil.

Garcia, B., & Van Soest, D. (1997). Changing perspectives on diversity and oppression: MSW students discuss the effects of a required course. Journal of Social Work Education, 33(1), 119-129. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.1997.10778857

Glaude, E. (2016). Democracy in Black: How race still enslaves the American soul. Broadway Books.

Harney, S., & Moten, F. (2013). The undercommons: Fugitive planning & Black studies. Minor Compositions.

Lomax, T. (2018). Jezebel unhinged: Loosing the Black female body in religion & cultural. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9781478002482

Loya, M., (2011). Color-blind racial attitudes in White social workers: A cross-sectional study. Smith College Studies in Social Work., 81(2-3), 201-217. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377317.2011.589341

Ludden, D. (2003). Reading subaltern studies: Critical history, contested meaning and the globalization of South Asia. Permanent Black.

Maturana, H., & Varela, F. (1972). De maquinas y seres vivos [On machines and living beings]. Lumen Publications.

Merriam-Webster. (2016). The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Incorporated. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autopoiesis

Mills, C. W. (1997). The racial contract. Cornell University press.

Moten, F. (2018). Stolen Life: Consent not to be a single being. Duke University Press.

Nylund, D. (2006). Critical multiculturalism, whiteness and social work: Towards a more radical view of cultural competence. The power of context. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 17(2), 27-42. https://doi.org/10.1300/J059v17n02_03

Pinderhughes, E. (1995). Empowering diverse populations: Family practice in the 21st century. The Journal of Contemporary Human Services, 76(3), 131-140. https://doi.org/10.1177/104438949507600301

Pon, G. (2009). Cultural competency as new racism: An ontology of forgetting. Journal of progressive human services, 20(1), 59-71. https://doi.org/10.1080/10428230902871173

Rubin, A., & Babbie, E. (2016). Essential research methods for social work (4th ed). Cengage Learning Publications.

Sakamoto, I. (2020). Anh anti-oppressive approach to cultural competence. Canadian social work review, 24(1), 105-114.

Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, L. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory method and research. Sage.

Vakalahi, H. F., Starks, H. S., & Hendricks, C. O. (2007). Women of color as social work educators: Strength sand survival. Counsel on Social Work Education.

Varghese, R. (2016). Teaching to transform? Addressing race and racism in the teaching of clinical social work practice. Journal of social work education, 52(S1), 134-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2016.1174646

Warren, C. L. (2018). Ontological terror: Blackness, nihilism and emancipation. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822371847

Watson, V. T. (2013). The souls of White folk: African American writers theorize whiteness. University Press of Mississippi. https://doi.org/10.14325/mississippi/9781617038891.001.0001

Wilderson, F. B. (2020). Afropessimism. Liveright Publishing.

Downloads

Published

2021-09-23