Embodying Structural Social Work in Practice
About the Research
This research was created in an effort to provide Social Work students and practitioners with useful building blocks to help them maintain structural social work in practice. In 2022, twenty-eight (28) interviews were conducted with structural social workers.
The data is rich, insightful, and encouraging, revealing a number of findings. While participants shared the importance of being passionate about the practice and work, they also shared how this alone is not enough to successfully embody structural social work long term. The following themes were identified as necessary for the successful embodiment of structural social work in practice:
Have a Strategic Approach
In the research it was stated that “going in on fire,” or being too passionate without other skills or knowledge could pose a barrier. Participants identified the importance of being strategic and intentional in how they brought structural theory into their work. The theme of structural strategy was echoed within and across interviews. Strategy was discussed as a variety of techniques to effectively maintain and embody structural social work in practice including:
remaining curious, asking strategic questions, becoming critically familiar with the policies and systems one is working in, observing dynamics, and active listening.
The importance of knowing how to “deliver” or “sell”structural ideas strategically was also identified as a theme. Participants highlighted the importance of social workers focusing on what they can control. This included being purposeful with documentation, proposing solutions to the right people, bringing structural theory into interactions with service users, and seeking opportunities to influence systems, such as joining committees.
Each of these techniques were recognized as taking time, requiring patience, and often being more subtle. The idea that structural social work and social change are incremental was commonly discussed. It is important to note that this does not mean that social workers should accept solely more passive opportunities to practice structurally. While acknowledging that change takes considerable time and planning, social workers can, and should, continue to actively prepare for structural shifts, planting seeds of change, and pushing boundaries.
“I ask questions like I’m just this nut going, “Hmm you know what, I’m not understanding that.” So, I ask another question and then I ask another question. It’s very non-threatening, this ‘play dumb’ technique. And so, I get a lot of information with the ‘play dumb’ technique.”
- Research Participant
Building Relationships & Rapport
Participants expressed the importance of working with others rather than in silos to practice structural social work effectively. Building positive relationships and rapport with all colleagues was noted as important to gaining support and to finding effective ways to implement structural social work in practice by earning trust and respect. Building relationships and rapport within your workplace and community was seen as essential.
ALLIES: Expanding on the importance of relationships and rapport generally, participants stressed how vital is was to find structural allies: like-minded people to help with advocacy, provide support, and explore structural options. The research identified that allies were not always social workers, but rather can be anyone who will help advance structural goals (e.g. nurse, physician, administration).
MENTORSHIP: In addition to finding allies, the research highlighted how connecting with a structural social work mentor is an asset. Here, as a new and on-going social worker, you can observe and connect with mentor(s) who share your structural goals and have experience advocating and finding successful ways to bring structural theory into their practice in tangible and meaningful ways.
Practicing structurally was brought forward as sometimes being lonely given the potential to be perceived as “whistleblower” or “squeaky wheel” and how building relationships and rapport can help to counter this. Participants also warned against building connections with other social workers who may have lost their spark for structural social work, as this could be discouraging
to those trying to maintain that energy.
“But generally there are creative ways to figure things out, and I think ya just need to- you can’t work in isolation, you gotta work with other people, you gotta work with other agencies, and doing that, and collaborating together, and coming up with kinda an integrated approach, you can come up with some really creative things that haven’t been there before.“
- Research Participant
Gain Credibility & Competency
The research revealed that gaining competency and credibility are key components to being able to find opportunities to execute a strategic approach (see above). For new social workers, this means giving yourself time to develop a reputation around your work, building new skills, and continuing to pursue learning opportunities. A social work degree was identified as just the beginning of one’s journey, and that on-going professional development is crucial. In the research, it was stressed that one will not always practice structural social work perfectly and that making mistakes, and learning from them, is to be expected.
“It takes time to figure out who you are in that agency. The more confidence you get, the more competent you become. And the more competent you are, the more confidence you have. It just snowballs. And so, I learned that from baby steps becoming yard sticks.”
- Research Participant
Navigate Risk
When exploring structural social work and what it means to embody this in practice, we must not be naïve to the idea that to be structural is often in conflict with current social, economic, and political practices. Consequently, to act outside of these systems often results in a level of personal and professional risk. Participants were asked how they navigated the risk of embodying and acting structurally, and we explored how they decided whether or not to take
certain risks.
PICK YOUR BATTLES: You cannot champion every issue, all the time. Not every issue is worth taking a risk for. This can either be due to the seriousness of the issue, who the issue is impacting, and/or the wellbeing of the worker.
HILL TO DIE ON: That said, the concept of “a hill to die on” was also identified in the interviews. This refers to an issue that a social worker may come up against that they cannot justify ignoring. This was often due to a direct conflict between personal or social work values and what the workplace was asking for, or egregious ethical concerns or injustices.
Participants also discussed the risk of being “lonely” in the workplace (as described above) or potentially risking opportunities for promotion. Especially for new social workers, it was described in the interviews that job security may play a role in the level of risk one faces. In other words, new social workers may have to be more cautious, whereas those with full-time contracts may have more leeway to push boundaries and advocate for ‘riskier’ interventions. Similarly, the importance of building credibility, competency, relationships, and rapport was again stressed, as it helps to form a foundation on which workers may be able to take more risks with less ramifications.
“So, it’s, you know how you do find that inside yourself? When do you put yourself at risk to be a structural social worker? Because if you are going to be structural and a social worker who is working, you will be at risk.”
- Research Participant
Recognize the Barriers
Participants also recognized that there are often a variety of barriers that arise when seeking opportunities to enact structural social work in practice. Several factors often related to conventional settings and capitalist/neoliberal societies (e.g. profit focused, managerialism) were brought forward, such as low resources, lack of funding, managerialism, and hierarchical structures. These elements were stressed as reflecting broader social injustices and as often outside of the control of individual social workers. Burnout was also emphasized as a concern,
especially when working in environments that contrast with the values of structural social work. That said, being resilient and not neglecting your structural roots, values, and mission was highlighted as essential. Celebrating any “wins” and focusing on what makes the work worthwhile was discussed as motivation to continuing to embody structural social work.
“Part of my responsibility as a licensed social worker, as a practicing social work, is if there is stuff that fundamentally goes against my values and ethics, then I have a responsibility to either get on the committee, to write a letter, write an email in a very respectful way to the-the Assistant Deputy, to the Director of the program.”
- Research Participant
Be Inventive
To navigate barriers to structural practice, participants highlighted the importance of being inventive. Other terms used to describe this included “working in the grey,” “blurring the lines,” and “being creative.” While there are a variety of policies and guidelines that social workers are often required to meet and abide by, participants described having the ability to interpret these expectations in structural ways to best meet the needs of those they are working with. Being inventive in this way was discussed as requiring significant advocacy.
Social workers must always be able to justify, explain, and ground their work in social work values and the code of ethics. Participants expressed that structural social work is not about the worker, and that it is essential to center decisions and interventions around the needs of those you work with, as well as the overall community.
“What is the grey? As social workers and working in that grey is knowing what all the available resources are and knowing how to bend the rules sometimes. Some rules, again very black and white but for the most part, you know, it’s a little grey.”
- Research Participant
Structural Social Work as a Spectrum
Throughout the research it was found that while all structural social workers share fundamental values and views, that the practice of structural social work exists as a spectrum; not all social workers bring the same intensity of structuralism into their practice. Some identified naturally being on the more radical end of the spectrum while others were not. Participants acknowledged that throughout their own careers, the degree to which they embodied structuralism fluctuated, depending on time, place, and/or experience.