Qualitative Research As a Means to Sustain Social Work's Identity

Background and Purpose: The field of Social Work has historically been characterized by a variety of tensions. At the crux of these tensions reside values-based decision-making processes around who, where, and how to serve. In academia, privileging a methodological practice (i.e., qualitative vs quantitative) has important implications with regards to social workers’ capacity to promote their research agenda, as well as carve out a justifiable niche within the field. In order to legitimize social work in the scientific arena, quantitative methods have been centered as the preferred methodology, despite suggestions that its positivist approaches may stand in contrast with core Social Work values. The primary aim of this study was to explore the ways in which engaging in qualitative research aligns with both the core values and identities of social work and social workers.

Methods: This exploratory qualitative study benefitted from convenience and snowball sampling. As an eligibility requirement, all participants had to hold an MSW and have collected qualitative data in the past year. Eighteen academic social workers took part in the study, including nine social work doctoral students and nine faculty members and/or researchers with social work training. Participants’ mean age was 36, 12 self-identified as female, 11 as white, and eight as gay/queer. The data were collected via in-person or Skype/phone one-on-one, in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Thematic memos were produced immediately after each interview and the interviews were then transcribed and subject to a rigorous, grounded theory-based analysis. This iterative process consisted of coding, salient theme identification, and theorizing.

Results: Three main themes surfaced from this analysis: qualitative research as a means to sustain social workers’ identities in academia, qualitative research as intimately aligned with the core values of social work, and the importance of elevating qualitative research in social work. Many participants who have been enmeshed in academia for longer periods of time, particularly faculty members, noted that collecting qualitative data allowed them to feel as though they were still performing social work, rather than only being academics. They elaborated on how techniques they utilized in direct practice were conducive to better research encounters. Most participants cited that their motivation to engage in qualitative research was influenced by core social work values, particularly social justice, dignity and worth of the person, and the importance of human relationships. This notion proposes that both elevating their participants’ voices, as well as producing data that correct social problems and inequalities is best-suited to qualitative research. Several participants suggested that in order to advance Social Work as a unique field, qualitative research should be a key feature in methods curricula within our field.

Conclusion and Implications: These data suggest that qualitative research in Social Work should be centered in its pedagogical and research agendas. By acknowledging qualitative research’s alignment with Social Work values, we could be better-equipped to serve our populations through more collaborative and equitable research. The parallels between direct practice and qualitative data collection techniques could prove indispensable in bridging the ever-widening gap between research and practice.