Social Work as an Institution: Explaining Stability, Change, and Contradictions in the Field

This article argues for the value of studying social work as an institution. The field has long grappled with questions of professional identity and legitimacy. Yet we lack a cohesive understanding of how institutional forces have shaped social work’s development, how the field has reproduced itself over time, and what constrains or enables change in the social work profession. We highlight how institutional theory can help explain stability, change, and contradictions that characterize social work, including how the field is shaped by structures and practices that are produced and reproduced over time. We illustrate how social work functions as an institution by interrogating the micro-macro divide in social work, demonstrating the utility of institutional analysis. We conclude by noting that the use of institutional theory can help social work scholars better understand the field and its challenges, fostering cohesive theoretical connections between frontline, organizational, and societal levels of social work—connections essential for advancing knowledge about social work, distinguishing the discipline’s distinct contributions, and understanding how broader institutional forces shape social work practice.