Using Standpoint Theory to Understand School Social Workers' Professional and Personal Identities

Background

School social workers (SSW) need to become aware of their own position within oppressive school structures to effectively address the inequity and achievement gaps American education (Constantine & Sue, 2006; Teasley, Archuleta & Miller, 2014). Standpoint Theory (ST) offers a lens to understand unique disposition of SSW, and this qualitative study explores how and why SSW choose specific approaches to help their students. Using ST with an emphasis on positionality, this study explored the intersection(s) between ideal professional practices, systematic barriers/needs, and personal ‘standpoints’ of SSW working within the Chicago area. This study’s use of ST allowed for a specific lens towards identifying which ‘standpoints’ led SSW to make professional decisions.

Objectives

ST was used to understand the nuances of personal identity that influences professional decision-making. References to individual history, personal experiences, unique personal interests, as well as group memberships (ie: gender, race, age, etc.) were noted in reference to professional role identity, practice approaches, and decision-making within a school. This study aimed to understand when, how, and why SSW use their own ‘Standpoints’ and positionality within their professional practices. Specifically, we asked:

 

1. What personal ‘Standpoints’ do SSW describe as influences on their decision making about school social work interventions?
2. How do SSW standpoints influence SSW views of their professional roles and responsibilities?

Methods

The study used Quota and Snowball sampling recruitment methods to generate a qualitative dataset, including 35 semi-structured interviews conducted over one school year with 16 different SSW. The Existentialist-Informed Hermeneutic Phenomenological Approach (Willig & Billin, 2011) was used for data analysis, as well as concepts from Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (Smith & Osborn, 2004) were used to inform this analysis, and the research team engaged in an iterative in-depth coding process.

Results

 

Findings revealed a large gray area when SSW spoke about professional versus personal beliefs. It was difficult to consistently determine which statements came from each practitioner’s professional lens(es) and which statements came from each person’s individual perspective(s). Additionally, the lens of ST indicated that practitioners made choices based on multiple facets of their perceptions and understandings, including: personal standpoints, professional role of the school-based mental health practitioner, and collegial social structures. In bringing together these three influences of professional practice, the findings organized into a model developed through this study of ‘School Standpoints,’ referring to the overall concept of practitioners’ identity within the workplace. Because these influences were each multifaceted in and of themselves, we found that the participants’ statements were not only pertinent to solely professional role identity and/or solely personal identity. Findings showed that the boundaries between professional and personal identities were unclear at best. The study’s School Standpoint Model showed how each of these independent, separate influences continuously interact and impact one another.

Conclusions

These findings showed how SSW are constantly in a balancing act, between their work role and personal standpoints to form their preferred professional practice approaches. Implications for improving research, training, and policy on the professional role of the next generation of SSW are discussed.