The Time is Now: The Importance of Social Work Participation in Politics

by Brian Janairo, Sarai Rubio, Juan Luis Villa, and Valerie Wilson

     As this is Social Work Month and the current political climate is changing, the need to re-evaluate our roles as social workers is crucial if we are to uphold and apply the NASW ethics and values to new policies. However, the barriers to implementing social justice in policy are becoming increasingly complex.

     A critical barrier we encounter is in the dissemination of information aimed at affecting policy. Content and ideas shared in social media that are filtered through ideological bias, emotional posturing, and a play on semantics hold an unprecedented influence on public opinion; creating division and mitigating the delivery of accurate and impartial assessment of policies. The question of what can be done in the face of this disparity of information and attitudes, persuaded by power and influence, demands that we reach to the core of who we are as social workers.

     This is a unique moment in our history, when fear and division are taking precedence. One can feel powerless in its presence. Yet, it can be reframed as a sobering moment to reflect on who we are, what we stand for, and who we are providing our services to as social work professionals. We can reaffirm our identity and recommit to taking action. In the end, social workers’ participation in politics is important, not only to advocate for social justice, but to remind the public and ourselves that social workers are a permanent fixture that will always defend social justice, regardless of mounting adversity.

Brian Janairo, Sarai Rubio, Juan Luis Villa, and Valerie Wilson are MSW students at Cal State University, Long Beach.