Uncovering Blind Spots: The Need for Intersectional Lenses in Social Work Research.
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| Title: | Uncovering Blind Spots: The Need for Intersectional Lenses in Social Work Research. |
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| Authors: | Lauve-Moon, Katie (AUTHOR), Bates, Samantha (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Social Work Research. Jun2026, Vol. 50 Issue 2, p81-92. 12p. |
| Subjects: | Sexism, Women of color, Sexual orientation, Institutional racism, Research funding, Social justice, Gender identity, Content analysis, Sex distribution, Judgment sampling, Social work research, Intersectionality, Experience, Social case work, Race, Multiracial people |
| Abstract: | Social workers strive to end discrimination, oppression, and other forms of social injustice. Despite social work's commitment to antioppressive practices, the profession has historically lacked a critical lens on patterns of oppression that impact Indigenous, Black, Asian, Latina biracial, and multiracial (IBALBM) women. Intersectional frameworks and methods provide analytical tools that identify patterns of racism and sexism and centralize the experiences of IBALBM women in research design. The current study examines the extent to which mainstream social work research investigates the intersection of structural racism and sexism. Researchers conducted a content analysis of research articles from three different social work journals between 2015 and 2022 to examine the extent to which mainstream social work literature centralizes the lived experiences of IBALBM women through intersectional frames and methodologies. Findings reveal a dearth of research examining the lived experiences of IBALBM women through a critical lens. Among the 854 articles included in the analysis, 2.2% examined the lived experiences of IBALBM women, and only two studies applied a structural analytical lens. If the social work profession aims to fulfill the value of social justice, social work research must disrupt patterns of compounding oppression that persist at the intersection of race and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Social workers strive to end discrimination, oppression, and other forms of social injustice. Despite social work's commitment to antioppressive practices, the profession has historically lacked a critical lens on patterns of oppression that impact Indigenous, Black, Asian, Latina biracial, and multiracial (IBALBM) women. Intersectional frameworks and methods provide analytical tools that identify patterns of racism and sexism and centralize the experiences of IBALBM women in research design. The current study examines the extent to which mainstream social work research investigates the intersection of structural racism and sexism. Researchers conducted a content analysis of research articles from three different social work journals between 2015 and 2022 to examine the extent to which mainstream social work literature centralizes the lived experiences of IBALBM women through intersectional frames and methodologies. Findings reveal a dearth of research examining the lived experiences of IBALBM women through a critical lens. Among the 854 articles included in the analysis, 2.2% examined the lived experiences of IBALBM women, and only two studies applied a structural analytical lens. If the social work profession aims to fulfill the value of social justice, social work research must disrupt patterns of compounding oppression that persist at the intersection of race and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 10705309 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/swr/svag002 |
