It goes without saying that all people would benefit from living in a world that is kind, fair and inclusive. There is much value to be found in a diverse society and much to appreciate in different cultures and backgrounds. Unfortunately, the world we live in is not truly diverse and inclusive for all. While significant strides have been made in these areas historically, there is still much work to be done.
The key to any progress is the tireless work done by members of society. Many people in many different professions can aid progress. Social workers are a fine example and have an excellent platform in terms of promoting diversity within their communities. If you have a passion for this kind of work, it is a great career choice to make.
But how do you break into social work, what skills do you need, and how do social workers promote an inclusive, diverse society?
How can you become a social worker?
The many attractive features that social work roles offer, such as good rates of pay and job security, make them an appealing career choice. This is especially true if you are interested in influencing attitudes around social justice, inclusivity and diversity. But how do you become a social worker?
The first step is to study for a bachelor’s degree in social work. Once you have gained this qualification, you will be able to move into a career in the sector and begin to influence the community. Many qualified social workers also choose to continue their studies and gain a more advanced Master of Social Work (MSW) award.
Keuka College offers advanced standing MSW programs online, and its MSW courses include modules on social policy, diversity and human rights. This enables students to graduate with an in-depth knowledge of diversity and how best to impact it positively. Gaining your master’s in social work also qualifies you to branch out into clinical social work in the future.
How do you find a job in social work?
Just as there are some top tips for finding a research assistant job, there is also some great advice for finding a job as a social worker.
The most obvious place to start is online recruitment websites. There are many to choose from, and you should soon find one with the latest social work vacancies to consider via a quick online search.
You could also use the social media platform LinkedIn. This is a professional networking site that not only carries job openings to apply for, but also enables you to network digitally with professionals in almost any field, including social work.
Another avenue for people looking to move into social work is picking up relevant work experience in the sector. This gives you real-world experience of working in the industry and makes your resume more attractive to would-be employers.
What traits and skills do social workers need?
Social workers are among the most important professions in society and play a crucial role in protecting the most vulnerable. Due to this, there are certain skills and characteristics that social workers need in order to fulfill their true potential.
Compassion is definitely one trait to focus on, and it enables social workers to care enough about others to help them out. A strong sense of compassion may be the reason that they are interested in social work. With a compassionate nature, it is easier to show clients the understanding and empathy that is needed.
Social workers must also be courageous and not afraid to speak out when they see instances of injustice, from micro-aggressions to policies and laws. This is not always easy, but it is something that anyone who wants to improve their community has to do. By speaking out and also acting when required, social workers can drive real change in society.
As you will be dealing with people, this kind of job also requires excellent communication skills. This is in both a verbal and a written sense. Whether it is speaking to a state official or writing an email to a client, it is vital that you can put your points across in a clear, professional and respectful manner.
Social workers also benefit from being good public speakers – especially if they have a desire to advocate for social justice and promote a more diverse society. These kinds of activities can mean speaking to groups of people from across the social pantheon and means that public speaking skills are useful.
The final key skill that we will mention is organization. Time management and a good sense of priority are essential. As social work is a busy role with a lot going on at any one time, people who work in it need to be organized so that they remain prepared and calm under pressure.
How do social workers promote diversity in their role?
While we now know how to break into the sector and the qualities needed for this kind of role, the question of how social workers promote a more diverse, inclusive world remains. The truth is that the very nature of this role offers some effective ways to go about it.
To begin with, social work professionals should personally uphold high standards around diversity and always try to ensure that their actions are inclusive. This can include being careful about the language they use or any unconscious bias they may show in their day-to-day life. As we have mentioned, it also includes speaking up when they see discrimination based on things such as color, creed or gender.
Social workers can be educators for diversity
Social workers can also promote diversity by educating those around them on the subject. This could be at their place of work and include engaging colleagues in discussions around inclusivity or ways to achieve a more diverse and welcoming workplace. It may also include speaking with colleagues who do not show a positive attitude to diversity and explaining how their actions can negatively impact the staff and clients.
By the same token, social workers can promote diversity by doing the same with members of the public they encounter. This could be clients they are helping, relatives or friends of clients, and even members of the public.
Get involved with local groups and communities
As shown above, promoting diversity is something that social work professionals can do on a professional and personal level. For many advocates of social justice, there is actually little distinction between the two because they aim to tackle oppression wherever they see it.
One excellent way to go about this is by getting involved with organized efforts to make society a more diverse place. It could start as small as being aware of and recommending local groups that their clients would benefit from. It could be the social work practice sponsoring a local group fighting for more inclusivity. In their spare time, social workers could join local groups fighting for greater diversity in society and help residents in their communities who face oppression get more positive recognition.
Support legislation that fights for more diversity
Just as any voter has the power to influence with their ballot, social workers can also use voting power to promote diversity. In their work, they may meet all kinds of people who do not have the opportunity to vote, and thinking about how politics affects them can inspire action. This is as simple as supporting legislation that helps improve or eradicate forms of oppression and makes the world more inclusive, and opposing that which doesn’t. If the legislation in question is not something that social workers can vote on directly, they can put pressure on those who can to do the just thing.
If the legislation they support comes into effect, it can then help make society more diverse in the area affected. A good example of this is the 1965 Voting Rights Act that allowed African-Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote in the US.
Social workers provide inspiration and encouragement
Social workers can also help to promote a more diverse society by giving support to those who are discriminated against. This can help clients feel more empowered against injustice and gives them a safe space to express how it affects them.
Social workers can also be a real inspiration to clients who may hold prejudices. Through their words and actions, social workers can help people understand why it’s important to advocate for a fairer, kinder society. Without the positive influence of social workers and the support they provide, this might not always be the case.
Higher-level social workers can drive further change
While the above shows how social workers outside of management levels can promote diversity, it is also something that social workers at higher levels can influence. A good example of this is making concrete steps to achieve a more diverse workforce in their team or practice.
By allowing people from a diverse range of backgrounds to access social work roles, they can have a real impact on society being more inclusive. This also allows social work as a sector to be truly inclusive and set a good example to the world.
How can you embrace diversity as a social worker?
The above shows a few ways that social workers can highlight diversity and advocate for it. But how can people in these roles embrace diversity practically?
Making efforts to become culturally competent is a great place to start. This refers to gaining an understanding of cultures, languages and social backgrounds that can be found in society. By building up good levels of cultural competency, social workers can then comprehend the challenges that various groups/individuals may be facing in terms of inclusivity.
Once you have done the above, it helps to always be learning and always be listening. This enables social workers to be in a position to offer relevant, updated advice to clients that is suitable for their particular circumstances. It also means that you know which groups in society are most vulnerable or any new developments in your area to know about.
Create a more diverse world locally and nationally
Embracing the challenge of promoting diversity as a social worker is all about fighting for a fairer world. It is doing all you can as a social work professional to ensure that no one is discriminated against based on characteristics such as sexuality or religion.
This can naturally be on a large scale and see social workers fighting for greater levels of diversity on a national scale. The drive for greater gender diversity in certain sectors such as STEM is a good example of this type of work.
Fighting for more diversity is also something that social workers can do on a local level. This could be taking up the cause of someone in your local area who was turned down for a job based on skin color or how they looked.
What role can community-based participatory research play?
One approach that can prove useful for driving change through social work is community-based participatory research (CBPR). But what exactly does this refer to?
CBPR is a partnership-centered approach to research that focuses on engaging the community to which the research applies. This sees researchers, community members, and organizational representatives become equally involved with any studies conducted. All the people involved not only contribute their personal expertise to the process but also share in the decision-making.
The overall aim of this approach is to increase knowledge of a given subject through the community and to drive social change, which then benefits the community. It is this public engagement of the affected community in CBPR that is most important.
How can CBPR help to promote more diversity and inclusivity?
While we now know what this approach to research is, you may wonder how it can help to achieve a more diverse, inclusive society.
To begin with, this approach gives a voice to sections of society who may normally be left out of conversations that affect them. CBPR’s focus on direct input means that communities who may be excluded from discussions are actually listened to and have an input. This not only makes for a more inclusive process, but also makes the range of opinions gained much more diverse. This approach to research means that valuable insights are gained from the people who are being discussed. Without involving the local community in research, those conducting the study are, at best, guessing when it comes to the crucial issues or how to approach fixing them.
By using CBPR, researchers are able to pinpoint these details exactly. This then enables real change to be seen and barriers around social access to be removed for certain communities. It can also mean that people from certain communities can access all parts of the job market or all parts of the education sector, thus making for a more diverse world.
Is CBPR something that social workers can use in their role?
The above sets out in general terms how community-based participatory research can help drive greater levels of diversity and inclusivity. But is it an approach that social workers can use?
CBPR is certainly an approach that social workers can use effectively and that can help them understand issues around diversity that a particular community is facing. By engaging with the community in question as part of their research, social workers are able to gain a much deeper grasp of their issues. It also enables those involved in social work to understand what changes need to happen and what the best outcome is for the community involved.
This allows them to better represent or engage with any client from that community. It can also mean that social workers have a higher level of knowledge of the community when engaging with lawmakers to explain why change is needed.
Will we ever see a truly inclusive, fair society in the future?
When you look at where society is now compared to 100 years ago, it is clear that progress has been made. In terms of diversity, we see greater representation of different communities, ethnicities and genders. Social workers have undoubtedly played their part in this and have worked tirelessly over time to help society become a kinder, fairer place. Despite this, it is inaccurate to say that we live in a totally diverse, inclusive society yet.
There are, after all, still people with biased and prejudiced views and some groups who are oppressed or looked down on by others. The excellent work around inclusivity that social workers undertake is a great way to combat this and gradually move toward a world where everyone is represented.
Social workers can be powerful advocates for diversity and inclusivity
If you want a career that sees you make a real difference in your community and help those who are most vulnerable, then social work is a great choice. It is also a good option if you are passionate about building a more diverse world, one that is fairer and more inclusive.
As the above shows, there are some very good ways that social workers can promote both of these things. If they also use a CBPR model to empower communities, then the impact they have can be huge.
