A Human Rights Approach to Leadership in Social Work Education

Overview: Using a human rights-based approach, this presentation will discuss critical leadership issues facing social work education. Qualitative results from a national survey of social work educators highlight barriers and supports that affect access to leadership and implications of adopting a human rights lens for relevant policies will be discussed.Proposal text: The demand for social work programs continues to grow as the COVID-19 pandemic and calls for racial justice exacerbate and highlight societal inequalities and the demand for social work services and advocacy. Leadership in social work education will drive how our profession emerges in a post-pandemic world. Yet, as a profession we lack a social work-specific leadership model (Peters, 2018; Peters & Hopkins, 2019).

Numerous leadership models exist but are rarely from a feminist or rights-based approach. Lawler (2007) aligned the distributive model with the social work mindset that encourages leaders to empower individuals to learn and grow professionally (Rank & Hutchinson, 2000). A similar style of leadership is the Social Change Model (SCM) of Leadership which encourages the consideration of multiple perspectives when evaluating the most effective approach toward social change and social justice (Iachini et al., 2015). Given that most social work educators and a growing number of leaders identify as women, the Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) provides an additional frame to advance relational capacity, connection with others, and understand how intersectional identities inform women’s experiences (Jean Baker Miller Training Institute, 2014). Anyikwa and colleagues (2015) call for the implementation of RCT as a means of facilitating structural change through a feminist-centric leadership model in social work education.

Study participants included 88 full- and part-time faculty members in US-based social work education programs. Recruitment occurred at APM and through national social work listservs. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic precluded further in-person recruitment necessary to diversify the sample. Participants completed an online survey which included several open-ended questions. Participants had been in social work education for an average of 7.4 years (range 1-35 years) and were primarily White (81%) and female (76%).

The presenters will highlight qualitative findings that emerged through thematic analysis. As members of the population of interest, the researchers implemented multiple strategies to increase rigor and reduce the presence of reactivity and researcher bias (Padgett, 2008). Comparative analysis was used to refine meanings and patterns resulting in five themes, including social work leadership skills, preparation for leadership, reluctant leaders, barriers, and supports. Specific barriers and supports influential in whether one pursues leadership in social work education will be presented, highlighting the specific experiences of self-identified female participants. Barriers include lack of understanding of social work among university administrators, sacrifices involved in leadership, lack of resources, and academic politics. Findings also highlight the importance of supports including investment in emerging leaders, how leadership affects future opportunities, and the ways in which social work values and ethics connect to the leadership experience.

Based on what social work scholars have thus far outlined as different approaches to a rights-based approach to practice, this presentation will introduce a rights-based approach to leadership. The presentation will highlight ways in which a shift in leadership mindset towards a human rights-based approach can address barriers to leadership, increase supports, and advance gender equity within the academy. Social work-specific leadership skills will be identified along with other practical implications for higher education.