Social Work’s Role in Shaping the Narrative: Action Steps for Effective Post-Election Participation

As social work scholars, we have a responsibility to use our knowledge and skill set to advance a democratic and inclusive society.  We recognize that our academic training may not sufficiently prepare us to effectively participate in the political process, especially in these times. This panel focuses on concrete action steps that social work researchers and scholars can take to push back against the racist, xenophobic, and anti-democratic rhetoric that dominated the election and that we fear has become normalized in this post-election period.  The panel also focuses on strategic approaches to countering policy alternatives that lack legitimacy on moral and evidentiary grounds while encouraging healthy debate of diverse policy options, including shaping a bold narrative in a manner that aligns with our social work values and ethics. (This panel is one of three made possible with financial support from the schools of social work at Rutgers University, New York University, and University of Chicago.)