Is Social Work a Good Degree for Social Justice?

Social work is a field of study for those who want to help those struggling to access resources and social services. Social justice, meanwhile, focuses on human rights and social change. While there is an overlap between the two fields, they aren't the same. Keep reading to learn if social work is a good degree for a social justice career.

What Is a Social Work Degree?

Social work degrees are degree programs that train students to work with individuals and families in human services settings. There are two primary types of social work degrees. These are the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees.

Social work degrees primarily focus on offering assistance through social services programs, but they also provide a strong foundation in human behavior, social policy, and social justice. Common course topics may include:

• Ethics in social work
• Human behavior and the social environment
• Social welfare policy
• Social work practice
• Social work research

Some social work degrees allow students to choose a concentration, like child welfare, substance abuse, or public health. Most social work programs, even online ones, require in-person practicums or internships in the social work field.

Benefits of a Social Work Degree for a Social Justice Career

While social justice majors exist, they aren't nearly as common as social work majors. As a result, many students choose to earn their bachelor's degree in social work and then pursue a career path in criminal justice. Below, we've listed a few benefits of earning a social work degree for a social justice career.

Background in Social Justice Fundamentals

Because much of social work intersects with social justice, social work degrees provide students with a foundational understanding of social justice fundamentals. These include:

• human rights
• poverty and inequality
• race, gender, and class
• social movements and social change

Additionally, the opportunity for hands-on practicum provided by social work degree programs allows students to get experience working with people who would benefit from social justice initiatives the most.

Advocacy and Leadership Skills

Many social justice degree programs, especially master's degree programs, prepare students for roles in advocacy and leadership within the social work profession. These are valuable skills for any career field, especially social justice.

Leadership skills will allow graduates to take on advanced roles within government agencies or nonprofit organizations. Advocacy skills, meanwhile, are a key part of social justice and will allow you to effectively advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, domestic violence victims, the LGBTQ community, or whatever you choose to specialize in.

Knowledge of Social Systems and Policies

As part of your social work education, you'll focus a lot on understanding social systems and policies, as dealing with these systems and policies is a key responsibility of social workers. This knowledge can also help social justice specialists advocate for positive change.

You can't advocate for social change without understanding the framework that's already in place. Understanding the flaws and benefits of social systems and policies allows you to focus your advocacy and outreach on the areas that need it most.

Career Versatility

While most social work graduates, especially those who have completed MSW programs, are planning to pursue licensure to become a clinical social worker, there are other career paths that graduates can pursue as well.

Some common career options for those with a Bachelor of Social Work include:

• community development specialist
• community health services worker
• crisis intervention specialist
• diversity and inclusion consultant
• human rights advocate
• mental health counselor
• policy researcher
• social justice educator
• victim advocate

Deeper Understanding of Culture and Ethics

While in your school of social work, you'll take classes to help you understand various cultures and social work ethics. These are important for social work careers as well as social justice careers. Social justice degree programs will cover the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) code of ethics. This code identifies the core principles of social work, including:

• service
• social justice
• dignity and worth of the person
• the importance of human relationships
• integrity
• competence

Culture is more nuanced, and some programs may offer specializations in certain cultures. Students may have the chance to learn about international law and human rights, global politics, and global identity.

Social Justice Careers for Social Work Majors

Social work majors can pursue several social justice careers. We've listed a few excellent social justice career paths for those with a social work degree.

Policy Researcher

Social justice policy researchers are tasked with researching social justice policies. They usually focus on a specific field of social justice, like:

• racial justice
• LGBTQ rights
• criminal justice
• poverty

Their research requires information, including statistics and studies, to support an organization's social justice initiatives. Social justice researchers often also compile and organize data so it's easily accessible.

Human Rights Advocate

Human rights advocates work on behalf of victims and marginalized populations to bring attention to social justice issues and push for policy change. They often need to have a strong knowledge of current policies and laws. Like with policy researchers, advocates focus their advocacy on a specific demographic. Advocates work alongside researchers, using the information the researchers provide to advocate for their cause.

Social Justice Educator

Social justice educators teach others about social justice. They may educate community members, speak at conferences, or teach college-level social justice courses. You'll likely need a graduate degree to teach college courses, either an MSW degree or a Doctor of Social Work (DSW). Teaching at the community level likely won't require a graduate degree, but teaching experience may help.

Community Development Specialist

Community development specialists assist with housing projects and connect home buyers to financing resources. They usually work for government agencies or nonprofit organizations. Their job duties involve securing resources and funding for community development projects. They also include designing, initiating, and overseeing community development initiatives.

Diversity and Inclusion Consultant

Diversity and inclusion consultants come into businesses and organizations to help implement policies and programs to increase diversity within the workplace. To do this, they may audit the current demographics of the organization and offer suggestions to improve diversity.

Diversity may include several things, including:

• ethnicity
• gender
• religion
• culture
• age
• sexuality

Different organizations will have different needs, which a diversity and inclusion consultant must consider.