From protectiveness to fear of retaliation: social work educators’ experiences with gatekeeping in social work

Abstract

Gatekeeping in the social work profession is a difficult task. Social work educators experience a range of emotions as they exercise their gatekeeping functions. This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of 31 social work educators entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the social work profession by ensuring students’ fitness for entering the field. The participants were full-time social work educators in the United States whose primary role was teaching at the undergraduate level. Their responses to interview questions revealed feelings of ambivalence and hesitation, dual-role conflict, and both positive and negative perceptions. The personal impact of gatekeeping on the social work educators included concerns of potential negative teaching evaluations and risks to personal safety. Years of teaching made no difference in the gatekeeping experiences of the social work educators. The findings have implications for social work education in the areas of leadership, support for educators and the need for developing cohesive social work departments.

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