Exploring the Use of a Critical Mindfulness Pedagogy to Sustain Difficult Dialogue in Social Work Education

Background

Cultivating capacity to skilfully engage in dialogue (e.g., talking about racism) and social action (i.e., organized action toward social change) is critical as a social worker. Social workers are also more likely to experience burnout, vicarious trauma, and poor mental health, yet are expected to continue being leaders in social change efforts. Mindfulness is regarded as a basic human capacity to bring compassionate awareness of the present moment, has been shown to improve mental wellbeing, and the potential to impact critical consciousness, a key mechanism related to capacity for social action. Furthermore, a longstanding tradition, commonly referred to as socially engaged mindfulness, frames the cultivation of mindfulness (i.e., embodied awareness) as a support for critical consciousness and social action. Fundamental to anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work education, critical consciousness represents an individual's analysis of inequities, and their motivations and actions to address such inequities. This exploratory study sought to explore the use of mindfulness to support MSW students in a required diversity course engage in difficult content and dialogue (e.g., exploring racism, white supremacy, implicit bias, social identity/positionality work).

Methods

Guided mindfulness practices (e.g., grounding, concentration, mindfulness of breath), commonly used by community organizers and activists, were administered in each class, which were largely delivered by teachers with diverse positionalities and with a background in social justice work. Each class provided students the opportunity to learn and practice new mindfulness skills and mindful critical reflection to develop capacity to sustain dialogue in the course. Data was collected (i.e., Qualtrics survey) from students (n=50) across three semesters from 2022 to understand their experiences participating in the practices. Data was analyzed by the study team using thematic analysis.

Results

Three main themes emerged: 1) Mindfulness as a way to support engaging in difficult content and dialogue: “...allowed me a moment to get in touch with why I was there and not check out”; “really helped me feel prepared to tackle the content.”; 2) Preventing burnout and sustaining social justice work: “it helps me stay grounded and calm when triggers come up in field and when I get overwhelmed”; I think it keeps me grounded in my anti–oppressive practice”; “reminding me that rest is essential to being engaged (and that rest itself is resistance against capitalism).”; and 3) Being more present and engaged with clients and service users: “as a future clinician it is really important to develop a familiarity with sitting in/with discomfort”; “it helps to make me a more aware and a competent social worker”.

Conclusion

Given the importance of developing the knowledge and skills necessary to collaboratively engage in anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices, and in considering the importance of anti-racist social work education and the sustainability of social workers on the frontlines working towards social justice, this study provides preliminary support for the potential of mindfulness to support critical dialogue, promote critical consciousness and social action. Implications for anti-racist social work education and collaborative research initiatives utilizing socially engaged mindfulness in social work will be explored.