Who's Included & Who's Not: Incorporating a Racial Equity Lens into Social Work Research Methods Training

A racial equity lens provides researchers with a unique understanding of the lived experiences of oppressed and marginalized populations. These inequities often include but are not limited to implicit and explicit bias, and individual, institutional, and cultural experiences of racism. Because of the inequities that exist, there is an imperative need and paradigm shift that needs to occur in social work that requires intentionality in incorporating an anti-racist framework in research methods training to understand the perpetuity of inequities that exist among oppressed and marginalized populations. The goal of this workshop is to provide participants with an overview of theories, methods, and strategies in applying a racial equity lens in programs of research. Consistent with a racial equity lens, tools will be provided on how to value community participation and theory in methods. Strategies in recruiting and including oppressed and marginalized populations in research methods training will also be discussed.