Anti-Racism and Liberal Humanism in Social Work Education: A Philosophical Dialectic on Curriculum, Pedagogy and Practice

Social work education is increasingly shaped by debates over the role of anti-racism versus liberal humanist approaches in preparing students for ethical and effective practice. This article examines the philosophical debates shaping contemporary social work education. It analyses the anti-racist paradigm grounded in critical theory, and the liberal humanist rooted in Enlightenment traditions of universalism, reason, and individual dignity as influential pedagogical orientations in social work education. While anti-racist frameworks emphasize structural analysis, power, and the deconstruction of dominant knowledge systems, liberal humanist approaches prioritize intellectual pluralism, objective evaluation, and competence-based education. Rather than presenting these paradigms as mutually exclusive or fully reconcilable, we present their relationship as a productive dialectic. Drawing on examples from curriculum design, pedagogy, and field education, we examine how each paradigm conceptualizes knowledge, professional competence, and ethical practice. We argue that while some philosophical assumptions between these approaches are incompatible, particularly regarding universalism, truth, and the nature of oppression, their interaction can strengthen the preparation of social workers for ethical and effective practice. Using the Capability Approach as a case study, we illustrate how elements from both traditions can form a nuanced framework for preparing social workers. The article contributes to ongoing debates by moving beyond binary positions and offering a structured account of how epistemic differences can be pedagogically productive in social work education.