Top Takeaways
When faculty, staff, and peers recognize students’ identities, listen to their experiences, and make learning more accessible, students feel safer, valued, and more connected to the content they are learning and with each other.
Supportive learning environments that foster open dialogue, thoughtful teaching, trusted mentors, and collaborative learning strengthen students’ confidence and ability to address injustice in their education, careers, and communities.
Social work undergraduate programs seeking to create and promote inclusive learning environments should consider how students’ responses to supportive communications and interactions vary by race, ethnicity, gender, disability, and other marginalized identities. They should avoid a one-size-fits-all approach and pair affirmation with concrete actions to prevent harm.
Abstract
The social work field aims to integrate social justice and anti-racist education into training future professionals, despite operating in a sociopolitical climate where these values are scrutinized. College campuses, including social work education programs, are responsible for fostering intentional, supportive interactions that affirm individuals and mitigate the negative impact of microaggressions. This study explores how graduating and former social work undergraduates’ understanding of microaffirmations fostered the development of human agency, such as self-efficacy, enabling them to work effectively with marginalized communities as alumni. Major themes include collective efficacy, identity exploration, and harm mitigation. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.