Space-Focused Stereotypes and Their Potential Role in Group-Based Disparities in Social Work Services
Despite social work's unique commitment to diversity, several findings suggest group-based disparities in social work services. To explain such disparities, theories in social psychology emphasize the role of stereotypes. The present article focuses on how stereotypes among social work professi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Social Work & Society
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Social Work and Society |
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| Online Access: | http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1751 |
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| _version_ | 1849246301374382080 |
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| author | Iniobong Essien Birte Siem |
| author_facet | Iniobong Essien Birte Siem |
| author_sort | Iniobong Essien |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite social work's unique commitment to diversity, several findings suggest group-based disparities in social work services. To explain such disparities, theories in social psychology emphasize the role of stereotypes. The present article focuses on how stereotypes among social work professionals might affect the client-provider dyad, paying particular attention to the diversity dimensions of"race" and ethnicity. We first introduce a traditional conceptualization of group-based stereotypes and then derive how stereotypes may also be applied to physical spaces. We next elaborate on how social work professionals' mental images of racialized spaces might contribute to disparities, using the example of child welfare decision-making. We argue that space-focused stereotypes might contribute to disparities by affecting social work professionals' perceptions, judgement, and treatment of (1) space itself and (2) clients. Finally, we discuss how a space-focused perspective on stereotypes may inform prevention and intervention approaches that might go unnoticed in a traditional conceptualization of stereotypes as solely group-based phenomena.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0b8f8f991913432fae5fd1d88b99330d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1613-8953 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Social Work & Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Work and Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-0b8f8f991913432fae5fd1d88b99330d2025-08-20T03:58:32ZengSocial Work & SocietySocial Work and Society1613-89532025-04-01222Space-Focused Stereotypes and Their Potential Role in Group-Based Disparities in Social Work ServicesIniobong EssienBirte SiemDespite social work's unique commitment to diversity, several findings suggest group-based disparities in social work services. To explain such disparities, theories in social psychology emphasize the role of stereotypes. The present article focuses on how stereotypes among social work professionals might affect the client-provider dyad, paying particular attention to the diversity dimensions of"race" and ethnicity. We first introduce a traditional conceptualization of group-based stereotypes and then derive how stereotypes may also be applied to physical spaces. We next elaborate on how social work professionals' mental images of racialized spaces might contribute to disparities, using the example of child welfare decision-making. We argue that space-focused stereotypes might contribute to disparities by affecting social work professionals' perceptions, judgement, and treatment of (1) space itself and (2) clients. Finally, we discuss how a space-focused perspective on stereotypes may inform prevention and intervention approaches that might go unnoticed in a traditional conceptualization of stereotypes as solely group-based phenomena. http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1751Ethnic/racial disparitiesdecision-makingspace-focused stereotypesprovider biaseschild welfare |
| spellingShingle | Iniobong Essien Birte Siem Space-Focused Stereotypes and Their Potential Role in Group-Based Disparities in Social Work Services Social Work and Society Ethnic/racial disparities decision-making space-focused stereotypes provider biases child welfare |
| title | Space-Focused Stereotypes and Their Potential Role in Group-Based Disparities in Social Work Services |
| title_full | Space-Focused Stereotypes and Their Potential Role in Group-Based Disparities in Social Work Services |
| title_fullStr | Space-Focused Stereotypes and Their Potential Role in Group-Based Disparities in Social Work Services |
| title_full_unstemmed | Space-Focused Stereotypes and Their Potential Role in Group-Based Disparities in Social Work Services |
| title_short | Space-Focused Stereotypes and Their Potential Role in Group-Based Disparities in Social Work Services |
| title_sort | space focused stereotypes and their potential role in group based disparities in social work services |
| topic | Ethnic/racial disparities decision-making space-focused stereotypes provider biases child welfare |
| url | http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1751 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT iniobongessien spacefocusedstereotypesandtheirpotentialroleingroupbaseddisparitiesinsocialworkservices AT birtesiem spacefocusedstereotypesandtheirpotentialroleingroupbaseddisparitiesinsocialworkservices |