Racism, Colorblindness, and Social Work Education: An Exploratory Study of California MSW Student Beliefs and Experiences

Abstract

Objective: To develop a more nuanced understanding of social work students' beliefs, emotions, and experiences around race and racism in order to inform the development of anti-racist pedagogies. Method: A sample of 532 California MSW students participated in an on-line survey. All students completed a colorblindness scale; students of color completed scales on discrimination and stereotype threat, and white students completed scales on emotional responses to racial issues and anti-racist behaviors. Analyses included both parametric and non-parametric statistics. Results: Controlling for sociodemographic factors, exposure to ethnic studies classes was associated with lower levels of colorblindness. Student of color groups (Black, Latinx, Asian, and Multiracial) reported frequent experiences with discrimination and stereotype threat within MSW education, with Black students reporting the highest levels. Among white students, elevated emotional responses to racial issues (guilt, shame) were associated with increased antiracist behaviors. Conclusions: Colorblindness, which can be a barrier to anti-racist practice, can be likely be reduced by exposure to ethnic studies courses. The development of anti-racist pedagogies will require targeted strategies that consider the perspectives, emotions, and experiences that students from various groups bring to MSW education. Concerted efforts are needed to address discrimination and anti-Blackness in social work education programs.

Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to Promote Anti-Racism in Social Work Higher Education

“…Unfortunately, despite an emphasis on social justice in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, social work institutions are not immune to institutional racism (Abrams et al, 2021;McCoy, 2020;NASW, 2021b). Institutional racism at any level can have insidious effects on the education, research, practice, and overall experiences of all social work students, yet the impacts are particularly harmful for Black students.…”

“…Black Lives Matter protests occurred across the globe during the Summer of 2020 in response to numerous highly publicized incidents of anti-Black violence in the preceding months, including the release of video footage of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, continuing with the news of the murder of Breonna Taylor, and climaxing due to the widely viewed video of a white police officer murdering George Floyd (Buchanan et al, 2020). Moreover, calls for transformative change within social work education emphasize how the current climate of anti-Black racism creates an undue burden on Black educators and students (Abrams et al, 2021;Davis, 2021;McCoy, 2020).…”