Social Work’s Failing Investment

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | January 7, 2026 | Arnold Cantú and Nathan Gallo

[karpov]

“Our school is firmly committed to anti-oppressive practice, policy, and research. Therefore, we expect our … students to adhere to these values. That means recognizing our own biases, privileges, and experiences with oppression. […] While we support and recognize your academic freedom, we expect that your work aligns with the values of social justice and anti-oppression. I expressed concern during our meeting that I worry you do not see value or legitimacy in these values.”

That is part of a much longer email one of us received from a social work professor (the program director) in 2023, during a recent stint in a social work doctoral program. It wasn’t because the recipient was a rabble-rouser but because he hadn’t completely endorsed the kinds of ideas that commonly fall under the broad umbrella of “critical social justice” (CSJ), which the professor regarded as integral to the social work profession

Looking back, opinion journalist George Will argued in 2007 that social work higher education adhered to an ideologically progressive “code of coercion.” That same year, the scholar Barry Latzer opined that “dogma, tendentiousness, and coerced intellectual conformity were becoming integral to the definition of the [social work] field.” It is evident that little has changed. Social work education today may only be encouraging more conformity at the hands of bullies.

Case in point: We recently weathered social work’s progressive “code” firsthand at Colorado State University (CSU) as unsuspecting master’s and Ph.D. social work students, an experience that forced one of us—even with a stack of published research contributions—to drop out entirely.

When we initially compared notes in fall 2023, we believed the faculty’s imposition of “non-negotiable” progressively tilted values and pressure to support “anti-racist” research and practice were limited to our program at CSU.

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TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: socialwork

[PeterPrinciple]

. Social work education today may only be encouraging more conformity at the hands of bullies.

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yep

[Steely Tom]

Social Work was a joke major fifty years ago.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Long ago, they were able to jump start some folks with social work.

But today when you have a problem race, they aren't interested in a jump
start. Some people you just can't reach.

[PGR88]

America’s woke social-work creed: “promote the moral destruction of family, society and country, and demand more money to pretend to fix the overwhelming consequences.”

[PGR88]

Social Work was a joke major fifty years ago.

I know a smart and sensitive young girl who studied "social work." She was actually studying for medical school, but failed an advanced organic chemistry course. I told her "Don't worry - half the people fail, that's what it's designed for. Just study harder and take it again."

She instead dropped that major, and figured she could "help people" through social work.

It's been over 10 years since she started work for a state agency. They give the case-work and home visits to newbies, so they are immediately exposed to horrific cases of sex abuse, violence homes, drugs, etc..

I think she's got PTSD. Now she doesn't want to have kids. she is angry because of all the the stupid, woke slogans they repeat don't match what she sees around her. Has died her hair pink, but hates the whole welfare system because she realizes it doesn't help anyone, and upper level management is completely lazy, useless and hopelessly political.

[Steely Tom]

Yup.

[T-Bird45]

Filing under the old saying about “too soon old, too late smart.”