Teaching Human Rights and Social Justice in Social Work Education

Human rights and social justice are recognized as integral to social work education. Previous research shows a variety of means are being used to teach human rights and social justice yet relatively little is known about the teaching methods used in social work programs and about the type of knowledge and skills delivered. This survey of social work programs across the United States found that three fourths of all responding programs teach social justice and human rights, yet social justice was more prevalent in the curricula and as an area of faculty expertise. Content on social justice and human rights was most likely to be integrated throughout required courses and in courses focused on cultural diversity and policy. It is recommended that additional resources should be developed for social work educators to learn about human rights and its relation to social justice to develop rights-based skills and approaches among students.