Expanding Conceptualizations of Social Justice across All Levels of Social Work Practice: Recognition Theory and Its Contributions

Conceptualizing social justice and the practices the profession should adopt to address social inequalities has been an ongoing challenge for social work theorists. This is in part because social work is an applied discipline whose practice commitments span the continuum from individual-level interventions to policy advocacy. To bridge this span in theory and practice, this article argues for greater incorporation of recognition theory in conceptualizations of social justice. When held together, the work of recognition theorists Nancy Fraser and Axel Honneth suggests that relational moments inextricably link individual experiences and social structures, deeply shaping the ways in which individuals enter into and experience intersubjective encounters. Using a case study of a gay-identified man caring for his seriously ill partner, we illustrate the potential for recognition theory to deepen and add specificity to social work’s justice-oriented practice frameworks.