How Minority Serving Institutions Infuse Social Justice Into Their Curriculum

Authors

  • Wonjen C. Bagley Tennessee State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18060/28662

Keywords:

Minority Serving Institutions, social justice, curriculum, social work education

Abstract

Social work education requires students to possess knowledge of structures of oppression and discrimination, as well as the tools to dismantle practices that perpetuate power and privilege for dominant cultures. Teaching social justice in social work, while required, has not been operationalized. A dominant narrative influences teaching social justice, mostly excluding a BIPOC perspective. This preliminary study highlights how Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) infuse social justice in their curriculum. The results explore the value of social work education at MSIs, making the case for amplifying voices of the marginalized when operationalizing teaching social justice.

References

Adams, M., Bell, L. A., & Griffin, P. (2016). Teaching for diversity and social justice (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315775852

Adedoyin, A. C., Moore, S. E., Robinson, M. A., Clayton, D. M., Boamah, D. A., & Harmon, D. K. (2019). The dehumanization of Black males by police: Teaching social justice - Black life really does matter! Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 39(2), 111-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2019.1586807

Asakura, K., Strumm, B., Todd, S., & Varghese, R. (2020). What does social justice look like when sitting with clients? A Qualitative study of teaching clinical social work from a social justice perspective. Journal of Social Work Education, 56(3), 442-455. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1656588

Allen, W. R., Devost, A., & Mack, C. (2020). Hidden in plain sight: Historically Black colleges and universities in America. Quaderni di Sociologia, 83(LXI), 25-46. https://doi.org/10.4000/qds.4044

American Council on Education [ACE]. (2021). Minority Serving Institutions. Higher Education Today. https://www.higheredtoday.org/policy-research/focus-minority-serving-institutions/

Atteberry-Ash, B., Nicotera, N., & Gonzales, B. (2021). Walk the talk of power, privilege, and oppression: A template analysis. Journal of Social Work Education, 57(1), 7-15. https://10.1080/10437797.2019.1661917

Bell, D. (2016). Faces at the bottom of the well: The permanence of racism. Basic Books.

Beck, E. (2019). Naming White supremacy in the social work curriculum. Affilia, 34(3), 393-398. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109919837918

Bent-Goodley, T., Snell, C. L., & Carlton-LaNey, I. (2017). Black perspectives and social work practice. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 27(1-2), 27-35. https://10.1080/10911359.2016.1252604

Bhuyan, R., & Bejan, R., & Jeyapal, D. (2017). Social workers’ perspectives on social justice in social work education: When mainstreaming social justice masks structural inequalities. Social Work Education, 36, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2017.1298741

Bowles, D. D., Hopps, J. G., & Clayton, O. (2016). The impact and influence of HBCUs on the social work profession. Journal of Social Work Education, 52(1), 118-132. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2016.1112650

Cole, H. L. (2022). What are we teaching in spirituality and social work elective courses? A qualitative content analysis of BSW syllabi. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 42(1), 3-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2022.2111393

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

Council on Social Work Education [CSWE]. (2020). 2019 statistics on social work education in the United States. Author. https://www.cswe.org/research-statistics-0a2756984f2446870db6e935f0e44221/research-briefs-and-publications/2019-annual-statistics-on-social-work-education-in-the-united-states/#:~:text=The%20majority%20of%20master's%20social,%2FLatinx%20students%20were%2016.3%25

CSWE. (2022). 2022 EPAS educational policy and accreditation standards for baccalaureate and mater’s social work programs. Author. https://www.cswe.org/getmedia/bb5d8afe-7680-42dc-a332-a6e6103f4998/2022-EPAS.pdf

CSWE. (2024). 2022–2023 The state of social work education in the United States: Summary of the CSWE Annual Survey of Social Work Programs. Author. https://www.cswe.org/research-statistics-0a2756984f2446870db6e935f0e44221/research-briefs-and-publications/the-state-of-social-work-education-in-the-united-states-summary-of-the-2022-2023-annual-survey-o/

Crewe, S. E. (2017). Education with Intent—The HBCU experience. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 27(5), 360-366. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2017.1318622

Crewe, S. E. (2021). Critical race theory — Uncomfortable but necessary tool for change agents. Journal of Social Work Education, 57(3), 416-418. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2021.1945396

Curiel, L. O. (2021). Interracial team teaching in social work education: A pedagogical approach to dismantling White supremacy. Advances in Social Work, 21(2/3), 730-749. https://doi.org/10.18060/24176

Darrell, L., Littlefield, M., & Washington, E. M. (2016). Safe spaces, nurturing places. Journal of Social Work Education, 52(1), 43-49. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2016.1119016

Davis, A. (2019). Historical knowledge of oppression and racial attitudes of social work students. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(1), 160-175. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2018.1498419

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

Dempsey, A. (2022). Decentering whiteness in the social work classroom. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 42(2-3), 175-189. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2022.2048944

Dyson, Y. D., & Smith Brice, T. (2016). Embracing the village and tribe: Critical thinking for social workers from an African-centered approach. Journal of Social Work Education, 52(1), 108-117. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2016.1112648

Erlingsson, C., & Brysiewicz, P. (2017). A hands-on guide to doing content analysis. African Journal of Emergency Medicine, 7(3), 93-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afjem.2017.08.001

Escobar, M., Bell, Z. K., Qazi, M., Kotoye, C. O., & Arcediano, F. (2021). Faculty time allocation at Historically Black Universities and its relationship to institutional expectations. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.734426

Estreet, A. T., Jones, K., & Freeman, J. T. (2018). HBCUs respond: Social justice and social work education in a Trump era. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 23(2), 35-45. https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/1546

Favaro, J. (2019). Reflections of racial consciousness in social work. Columbia Social Work Review, 2(1), 53-61. https://doi.org/10.7916/cswr.v2i1.1899

Ford, A., Robbins, A., Yang, S., Bloczynski, R., & Hoffmeister, M. (2022). Tools for centering Blackness in social work field education: An anti-racist agency learning plan and evaluation. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 42(2-3), 207-226. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2022.2054907

Franco, D. (2021). Revisiting cultural diversity in social work education through Latino critical race theory testimonio. Social Work Education, 40(4), 522–534. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1740191

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.

Funge, S. P., Crutchfield, R. M., & Jennings, L. K. (2020). The challenge of integrating social justice content into social work education: Making the abstract more concrete. Journal of Social Work Education, 56(1), 41-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1656566

Garcia, G. A., Núñez, A.-M., & Sansone, V. A. (2019). Toward a multidimensional conceptual framework for understanding “Servingness” in Hispanic-serving institutions: A synthesis of the research. Review of Educational Research, 89(5), 745-784. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654319864591

Gatenio Gabel, S., & Mapp, S. (2019). Teaching human rights and social justice in social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 56(3), 428-441. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1656581

Gregory, J. R. (2021). Toward a historically accountable critical whiteness curriculum for Social Work. Advances in Social Work, 23(2/3), 616-635. https://doi.org/10.18060/24094

Hamilton-Mason, J., Wewiorski, N. J., & Tourse, R. W. C. (2020). Three pioneers at Clark-Atlanta University: Their impact on dismantling racial scaffolding. Phylon, 57(2), 83-104. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26990924

Hellyer, J., & Gereke, J. (2024). The shadow of fear: Hate crime victimization and stress after Charlottesville. Frontiers in psychology, 15, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1384470

Hicks Tafari, D. N., Ricks, S. A., Oates, F. B. (2016). Teaching social justice ain’t easy: Stories of HBCU faculty who walk the walk. International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 7(2), 15-35. https://janeway.uncpress.org/ijcp/article/748/galley/1341/view/

Hopps, J. G., Lowe, T. B., & Clayton, O. (2021). “I’ll find a way or make one”: Atlanta university and the emergence of professional social work education in the deep south. Journal of Social Work Education, 57(3), 419-431. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1671255

Hong, P. Y., & Hodge, D. R. (2009). Understanding social justice in social work: A content analysis of course syllabi. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 90(2), 212-219. https://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.3874

Hudson, K. D. (2016). With equality and opportunity for all? Emerging scholars define social justice for social work. British Journal of Social Work, 47(7), 1959-1978. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcw128

Hudson, K. D., Shapiro, V. B., Ebiner, I. A., Berenberg, A., & Bacher, N. (2017). Preparing tomorrow’s professoriate: an examination of social justice language in social work PhD program manuals. Social Work Education, 36(4), 443-455. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2017.1297395

Johnston-Goodstar, K. (2013). Indigenous youth participatory action research: Re-visioning social justice for social work with indigenous youths. Social Work, 58(4), 314-320. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swt036

King-Jordan, T., & Gil, K. (2021). Dismantling privilege and white supremacy in social work education. Advances in Social Work, 21(2/3), 374-395. https://doi.org/10.18060/24088

Kleinheksel, A. J., Rockich-Winston, N., Tawfik, H., & Wyatt, T. R. (2019). Demystifying content analysis. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(1), 127-137. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe7113

Laden, B. V. (2004). Hispanic-serving institutions: What are they? Where are they? Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 28(3), 181-198. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668920490256381

Lee, E., Kourgiantakis, T., Hu, R., Greenblatt, A., & Logan, J. (2022). Pedagogical methods of teaching social justice in social work: A scoping review. Research on Social Work Practice, 32(7), 762-783. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315221085666

Loya, M. (2012). Racial attitudes in White social workers: Implications for culturally sensitive practice. PB&J: Politics, Bureaucracy, and Justice, 3(1), 23-31. https://www.wtamu.edu/webres/File/Academics/College%20of%20Education%20and%20Social%20Sciences/Department%20of%20Political%20Science%20and%20Criminal%20Justice/PBJ/3n1/3n1_04Loya.pdf

Maschi, T., Rees, J., Leibowitz, G., & Bryan, M. (2019). Education for rights and justice: A content analysis of forensic social work syllabi. Social Work Education, 3(2), 177-197. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2018.1508566

Marr, V. L. (2014). Ditchin’ the master’s gardening tools for our own: Growing a womanist methodology from the grassroots. Feminist Teacher, 24(1-2), 99-109. https://doi.org/10.5406/femteacher.24.1-2.0099

Mayers, R. S., Cuesta, L., Davis, R., & Curran, L. (2019). Developing a program for social work with Latino populations: A case study. Social Work Education, 39(4), 445-461. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2019.1660315

Mehrotra, G. R., Hudson, K. D., & Self, J. M. (2017). What are we teaching in diversity and social justice courses? A qualitative content analysis of MSW syllabi. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 37(3), 218-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2017.1316342

Mehrotra, G. R., Hudson, K. D., & Self, J. M. (2019). A critical examination of key assumptions underlying diversity and social justice courses in social work. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 30(2), 127-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/10428232.2018.1507590

McBeath, B., & Austin, M. J. (2021). Redesigning schools of social work into schools of Social Work and Social Justice: Opportunities for civic and organizational renewal in a justice reform environment. Journal of Social Work Education, 57(sup1), 224-237. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2021.1912677

McLane-Davison, D. (2017). Emancipatory engagement: An urban womanist social work pedagogy. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 27(5), 474-486. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2016.1273158

McMahon, A., & Allen-Meares, P. (1992). Is social work racist? A content analysis of recent literature. Social Work, 37(6), 533-539. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23716912

National Association of Social Workers. (2021). NASW code of ethics. Author. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

Nedegaard, R. C., Barkdull, C., Weber, B. A., & Jayasundara, D. S. (2018). Lessons our BSW students taught us about teaching social work in a reservation community. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 38(1), 73-87. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2017.1414097

Odera, S., Wagaman, M. A., Staton, A., Kemmerer, A. (2021). Decentering whiteness in social work curriculum: An autoethnographic reflection on a racial justice practice course. Advances in Social Work, 21(2/3), 801-820. https://doi.org/10.18060/24151

Parker, A. (2022). Black social workers matter: Using parallel narratives to discuss social work history. Journal of Social Work Education, 59(1), 255-262. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2021.2019634

Parrish, D. E. (2021). From the editor- Critical race theory misinformation campaign: Implications for social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 57(3), 413-415. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2021.1949901

Perez, E. N. (2021). Faculty as a barrier to dismantling racism in social work education. Advances in Social Work, 22(2), 500-521. https://doi.org/10.18060/24178

Rapport, F. (2010). Summative analysis: A Qualitative method for social science and health research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 9(3), 270-290. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940691000900303

Reisch, M. (2017). Why macro practice matters. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 41(1), 6-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2016.1179537

Ringstad, R., Leyva, V. L., Garcia, J., & Jasek-Rysdahl, K. (2012). Creating space for marginalized voices: Re-focusing service learning on community change and social justice. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, (32)3, 268-283. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2012.688096

Schiele, J., & Jackson, M. (2020). The Atlanta school of social work and the professionalization of "race work". Phylon, 57(2), 21-40. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26990920

Singh, S. (2019). What do we know the experiences and outcomes of anti-racist social work education? An empirical case study evidencing contested engagement and transformative learning. Social Work Education, 38(5), 631-653. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2019.1592148

Smith, B. D., Marshall, I., Anderson, B. E., & Daniels, K. K. (2017). A partnership forged: BSW students and service learning at a historically black college and university (HBCU) serving urban communities. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social, 27(5), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2017.1295005

Taylor, S. D., Veri, M. J., Eliason, M., Hermoso, J. C., Bolter, N. D., & Van Olphen, J. E. (2019). The Social justice syllabus design tool: A first step in doing social justice pedagogy. Journal Committed to Social Change on Race and Ethnicity, 5(2), 132-166. https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2642-2387.2019.5.2.132-166

Teasly, M., & Archuleta, A. J. (2015). A review of social justice and diversity content in diversity course syllabi. Social Work Education, 34(6), 607-622. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2015.1037828

U.S. Department of the Interior. (2019). Minority serving institutions program [Archive]. Author. https://web.archive.org/web/20190914014139/https://www.doi.gov/pmb/eeo/doi-minority-serving-institutions-program

Wagaman, M. A., Odera, S. A., & Fraser, D. V. (2019). A pedagogical model for teaching racial justice in social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(2), 351-362. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2018.1513878

Willis, T. Y., Wick, D., Han, T. M., Rivera, J., & Doran, J. K. (2019). “If I did it over there, I can do it here”: U.S. Latinx social work students in Costa Rican service placements deepening their professional identity and skills. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(4), 710-723. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1611513

Downloads

Published

2026-04-07

Issue

Section

Articles