The Power of Three: Infusing Voter Engagement in Lower Level BSW Courses

Abstract

Voting provides an opportunity for citizens of a democracy to exercise their power to effect social change, but for a variety of reasons the populations typically served by social work do not vote at the same rates as more privileged groups. The strategy described here, the Power of Three, is an ethical, effective, and sustainable method for engaging undergraduate students early in their BSW careers in voter outreach. The case study described assigned BSW students the task of engaging members of the community in voting and registering a minimum of three people to vote. Findings indicate that this strategy was effective in increasing students' involvement in various voter engagement activities and increasing students' understanding of the importance of voting to social work practice.

Creating a Culture of Voting in Direct and Generalist Practice

“…Many of these barriers (i.e., agency policies, needs of clients, and concerns about the political environment) have been identified in previous literature (Hardina, 2013;Postle & Beresford, 2007;Rome & Hoeschetter, 2010). Indeed, previous literature also identifies possible responses to these perceived barriers, including more education for both practitioners and social work managers about the legal, ethical, and professional frameworks that support voter engagement in social work settings (Hylton et al, 2018;Lane et al, 2007;Postle & Beresford, 2007); greater emphasis on the positive impact of voter engagement for nonprofits and their clients (LeRoux & Krawczyk, 2012); and creating learning opportunities for social work students to practice voter engagement within supported settings (Hylton et al, 2018;Lane et al, 2007).…”

“…Several studies have indicated that professional social workers feel that they did not receive adequate opportunities for developing political advocacy skills during their Master of Social Work (MSW) programs (Hill, Donaldson, Fogel, Erickson, & Ferguson, 2017;Ostrander, 2016;Ritter, 2008;Rome & Hoeschetter, 2010). Integrating voter engagement activities into social work education can be an opportunity for students to practice political advocacy that is nonpartisan and impactful, while also building on and using their core social work practice skills (Hylton, Rhodes Smith, Powers, Ostrander, & Lane, 2018).…”

“…This education model is also an example of best practices in civic education, including leveraging pre-existing trusting relationships to share voter registration information (Bogard, Sheinheit, & Clarke, 2008); explicitly linking community-based (field) and classroom-based activities (Pritzker et al, 2015); and creating multiple opportunities for students to practice citizenship while they are enrolled in postsecondary or graduate education (McCabe et al, 2017;Pritzker et al, 2015). Increasing social workers' civic "toolkit" of skills such as civic knowledge, political efficacy, and participation in political activities will serve the training participants and our profession's mission and impact into the future (Hylton et al, 2018).…”

“…Similarly, in order to adequately advocate and support their clients, social work practitioners also need to be informed of the government-level policies that inhibit or support equal access to voting for disadvantaged populations. As previously noted, many of the communities that social workers work with face multiple barriers to voter engagement (Hill et al, 2019;Hylton et al, 2018). There are numerous laws that specifically limit the ability of many Americans to vote.…”

Alabama After Shelby v. Holder: Polling Place Changes and Access to Polling Place Information

“…Given social work's location at the intersection between the individual and society, the profession is well-positioned to play a pivotal role in promoting voter registration, especially as its outcomes support social work's values and its social justice mission (Hylton et al 2018). The National Association of Social Worker's Code of Ethics directs the professional to be aware, informed, and active in shaping social policy, and to take part in social and political action, especially in the pursuit of social justice (NASW 2017).…”