Reimagining Anti-Oppression Social Work Research

Book excerpt: Reimagining Anti-Oppression Social Work Research explores the challenges, tensions, and possibilities of engaging with anti-oppression epistemology in social work research. Through in-depth discussion of methodologies such as phenomenology, surveys, decolonizing research principles, autoethnography, and critical arts-informed research, the authors provide insights about the application of these approaches to studies with marginalized populations and on a variety of social issues. Outlining principles for engaging with communities, research in organizational contexts, and the importance of fluidity and practices of unknowing, this edited collection invites readers to reflect critically about research frameworks. The authors explore the complexities of research on topics such as whiteness, racism, disability, and trans experiences, as well as working within feminist contexts and institutional social service settings. An ideal resource for social work students and scholars, this insightful and highly accessible volume highlights the value of anti-oppressive research for social change.