Race, Power, and Practice : A Critical Race Framework for Social Work

Written by field-leading experts, this textbook provides a foundation for teaching, research, and practice of Critical Race Theory within social work. Accessible and timely, it equips students, teachers, and practitioners to meet new curriculum standards and engage in anti-racist and liberatory social work with relevant case examples.

This textbook establishes Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a central framework for social work education and praxis. Addressing and ultimately moving beyond models of cultural competence and diversity, it offers a comprehensive framework for integrating CRT into pedagogy, research, and practice. It introduces analytical tools to address issues such as systemic racism, the social construction of race, critiques of liberalism, interest convergence, intersectionality, and counternarratives. Chapters contributed by renowned social work researchers highlight how social work has been entangled with white supremacy, neoliberalism, and colonialism, while also presenting a road map for a change in the future. With case examples, narratives, and reflective questions, this book is designed for all levels of social work study, as well as for committed practitioners of anti-racism. Although grounded in the US context, global perspectives are included, making it relevant for international audiences facing systematic racism or colonial legacies.