Contemporary Social Work Practice – Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Contemporary Social Work Practice: Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is designed to educate students about relevant terms and concepts related to racism, oppression, and cultural humility. It provides them with the knowledge and guidance they need to cultivate a social work practice grounded in cultural competency and social justice.

The text provides students with a brief history of marginalized groups, real-world examples that speak to the need for culturally responsive practice, and tools for successful assessment, intervention, and evaluation. Chapters and readings examine social work pioneers who have fought for inclusion, critical race theory, America's changing landscape, cultural humility, and theories of prejudice. Students learn how policy impacts practice, social class impacts service provision, and nuances for working with Native Americans, Africans across the diaspora, Latina/o families, and Asian Americans. The final chapter provides students with frameworks for social work rooted in social justice. Self-reflection activities throughout the text help readers better understand the ways in which their personal worldview can influence how they engage with others with different worldviews.

An illuminating and essential guide, Contemporary Social Work Practice is well suited for courses and programs in social work, especially those with focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Deneen Harris is an associate professor of social work at Western Connecticut State University. She holds a Ph.D. in social work from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. Dr. Harris is a child welfare practitioner whose research focuses on child welfare practice and policy, social work education, and HIV infection among older African Americans.

Karen Brown McLean is an associate professor and chair in the Department of Social Work at Western Connecticut State University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. Dr. Brown McLean's research interests include social welfare policy and diversity, equity, and inclusion.