Political Leadership in Social Work Education: A Reflection

Abstract

There is no doubt that there are major schisms occurring around the globe that are deeply troubling to social worker educators – schisms that speak to values that are counter to those that undergird the profession and our educational programs: nationalism, racism, and anti- intellectualism, for example. These forces have led to disruptive and disturbing actions.
Brexit in the United Kingdom and the election of Trump in the United States come to mind immediately, but other examples abound. If progress really is characterized by “two steps forward and one step back,” we seem to be in reverse mode. For those of us in the business of preparing the next generation of social workers, these events and the values they represent are particularly challenging.