Andrew Schoolnik

Social Work PhD

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Table of Contents

BARRY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

 

 

 

 

THE JOURNEY TO SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY

AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION

 

 

 

A DISSERTATION

PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF

BARRY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIAL WORK

 

BY

ANDREW FRANK SCHOOLNIK

MIAMI SHORES, FLORIDA

FEBRUARY 2018

 

 

 

THE JOURNEY TO SOCAIL JUSTICE ADVOCACY

AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION

 

By

 

Andrew Frank Schoolnik

 

2018

 

A Dissertation submitted to the Ellen Whiteside McDonnell School of Social Work in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

 

 

APPROVED BY:

 

 

__________________________________________

Heidi Heft LaPorte, Ph.d.

Chairperson, Dissertation Committee

 

 

__________________________________________

Sharron M. Singleton, D.S.W.

Member, Dissertation Committee

 

 

___________________________________________

Lynne Kelly, Ph.D.

Member, Dissertation Committee

University of Hartford

 

 

___________________________________________

Mitchell Rosenwald, Ph.D.

Director, Doctoral Program

 

 

___________________________________________

Phyllis Scott, Ph.D.

Dean of the School of Social Work

 

Barry University

 

February, 2018

 

Copyright © by Andrew Frank Schoolnik

All Rights Reserved

 

An Abstract of

 

The Journey to Social Justice Advocacy

and Its Implications for Social Work Education

 

by

Andrew Frank Schoolnik

 

Submitted to the Ellen Whiteside McDonnell School of Social Work in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

 

Barry University

 

February 2018

 

The principle of social justice is a pillar of social work that can be traced to the beginning of the profession – a time that coincides with the Progressive Era.  Through advocacy practice, social workers have a long history of advancing social justice.  Social workers who advocated for social justice have faced oppression from both inside and outside of the profession.  Through the course of many decades, both schools and students of social work have become clinically-centric, placing less emphasis on macro practice areas.

The purpose of this study is to learn of the seminal experiences in the development of social justice advocacy practitioners.  Through learning of the characteristics and features of social justice advocates, and specifically the influential experiences that led them to their social justice interests and beliefs, schools of social work will become better informed to target, recruit, and engage the next generation of social justice advocacy practitioners.

Keywords: social justice, progressive, oppression, advocacy

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

 

A special thank you for my Dissertation Committee, and the Director of the PhD Program at Barry University.  In addition, I express gratitude to my colleagues in the Barry University PhD Program.

 

 

 

DEDICATION

 

 

To my parents.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter I:  Introduction…………………………………………………………………….page 11

Statement of Problem and Its Significance…………………………………………page 11

Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………………..page 13

My Own Journey to Social Justice Advocacy………………………………………page 13

Research Question………………………………………………………………….page 16

Definitions of Important Terms…………………………………………………….page 17

Social justice:  Equity in society……………………………………………page 17

Advocacy:  People-in-environment…………………………………………page 19

Oppression:  Scarcity of contemporary interest and knowledge……………page 21

Social justice activism:  Challenging the status quo……………………….page 24

Limitations and Delimitations………………………………………………………page 25

Summary……………………………………………………………………………page 27

Chapter II: Review of Literature……………………………………………………………page 28

History and Background of Social Work’s Unapologetic Progressive History……page 28

The Oppression of Social Justice Advocates………………………………………page 33

Trends in Current Literature………………………………………………………..page 35

Psychotherapeutic leanings:  Students of social work………………………page 35

Psychotherapeutic leanings:  Schools of social work………………….……page 37

Consequences Associated with Social Work Drifting Away from Social Justice…page 39

Keeping Social Justice in Social Work is a “Grand Challenge”……………………page 41

The Development of a Social Justice Advocate……………………………………page 43

Among youth……………………………………………………………….page 43

Among adults………………………………….…………………………….page 45

Among historically notable social justice leaders……………………………page 46

Theoretical Framework:  Oppression………………………………………………page 49

Oppression’s macro nature…………………………………………………page 49

Oppression’s structural inequalities………………………………………..page 51

Chapter III:  Methodology…………………………………………………………………page 53

Purpose of the Research……………………………………………………………page 53

Qualitative Research…………………………………………………………………page 53

Anti-Oppressive Research………………………………………………………….page 55

Phenomenological Approach……………………………………………………….page 57

Sampling Method……………………………………………………………………page 58

Research Procedures………………………………………………………………..page 59

Plan for Data Analysis………………………………………………………………page 61

Researcher Bias and Limitations of the Research………………………………….page 61

Ethical Considerations………………………………………………………………page 64

Implications…………………………………………………………………………page 64

Chapter IV:  Findings………………………………………………………………………page 66

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………page 66

Theme 1:  Gaining Awareness of Injustice…………………………………………page 68

Sub-theme 1a:  Recognizing Social Injustice………………………………page 68

Sub-theme 1b:  Encountering Social Injustice Indirectly………………….page 75

Sub-theme 1c:  Encountering Social Injustice Directly…………………….page 78

Theme 2:  Willingness to Participate………………………………………………page 84

Sub-theme 2a:  A Call to Action……………………………………………page 85

Sub-theme 2b:  Collaboration and Solidarity………………………………page 88

Theme 3:  Inspired by Others………………………………………………………page 90

Theme 4:  Duty……………………………………………………………………..page 96

Theme 5:  Challenging Social Conventions/Rebellious Framework……………….page 99

Theme 6:  Progressive Vision…………………………………………………….page 105

Theme 7:  Fulfillment……………………………………………………………..page 110

Theme 8:  Tikkun Olam (repairing the world)……………………………………page 115

Summary…………………………………………………….……………………page 119

Chapter V:  Implications, Limitations, Discussions………………………………………page 121

Development of a Social Justice Advocate……………………………………….page 121

Implications……………………………………………………………………….page 123

For Social work education…………………………………………………page 123

For social work research…………………………………………………..page 130

For social work practice…………………………………………………..page 131

For social work policy………….…………………………………………page 134

Implications summary…………………………………………………….page 133

Education…………………………………………………………page 133

Research…………………………………………………………..page 133

Practice……………………………………………………………page 134

Policy…………………….………….…………………………….page 134            Limitations…………………………………………………………page 135

Researcher as Student……………………………………………………………..page 136

Memo review………………………………………………………………page 136

Words painting pictures……………………………………………………page 140

Understanding participants’ world views…………………………page 140

Learning what it means to be a Progressive………………………page 141

Recognizing the value of community……………………………..page 142

Gaining my own awareness that gaining awareness of

injustice is a process………………………………………page 142

Forever changed…………………………………………………………..page 143

Future Directions for Social Work………………………………………………..page 145

Social work’s progressive ties…………………………………………….page 145

Social work’s sextant to the future……………..…………………………page 146

A Last Thought:  You Never Know………………………………………………page 147

 

Figure 1……………………………………………………………………………………..page 36

Table 1….…………………………………………………………………………………..page 67

Figure 2……………………………………………………………………………………page 121

Figure 3……………………………………………………………………………………page 129

 

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