BJSW Advance Access originally published online on March 6, 2008
British Journal of Social Work 2008 38(4):788-804; doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcn001
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From Melting Pot to Multiculturalism: The Impact of Racial and Ethnic Diversity on Social Work and Social Justice in the USA
Michael Reisch, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and the Director of the Project on Multicultural Social Work History.
Correspondence to Professor Michael Reisch, Ph.D., University of Michigan, School of Social Work, 1080 South University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109–1106, USA. Email: mreisch{at}umich.edu
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Abstract |
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Since the turn of the twentieth century, the relationships among race, citizenship and culture have been central to debates about the goals of social policy and social work in the USA. To date, however, even the best histories of social work have focused primarily on the influence of mainstream (i.e. white) organizations and their leaders, ignoring and often objectifying the contributions of minorities. Based on extensive primary source materials, this essay—part of a larger scholarly project—analyses the differential responses of US social work to demographic and cultural changes during the past century. The findings illuminate discussions not only of social work's past, but how the profession could address such contemporary issues as the compatibility between multiculturalism and other social justice-related goals; the congruence between social equality and professional identity; and the means by which social work practice and ethics can adapt successfully to demographic and cultural transformation.
Keywords: Racial and ethnic diversity, Multiculturalism, Mutual Aid, Social Justice