The Changing Social Work Landscape: Addressing Race and Antiracism

Social work is fundamentally anchored in values that emphasize the inherent dignity and worth of all individuals and the importance of advocating for vulnerable, oppressed, and economically disadvantaged populations (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2021). Guided by the ethical principles articulated in the NASW Code of Ethics, the profession reflects a diverse array of identities and lived experiences. This diversity profoundly informs how social work values are enacted in practice, policy, and research, and diversity is particularly salient in efforts to confront and dismantle systemic racism and promote antiracism both within and beyond the profession. It follows, therefore, that social work’s research methodologies must also align with antiracist, anticolonial approaches.