Roots of Activism: A Qualitative Study of BSW Students

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a qualitative study of socially/politically active BSW students and recent BSW graduates. The purpose of this study was to explore how undergraduate social work students came to assume their activist roles. The study included intensive interviews with 11 participants through the use of a semi-structured interview format. Although the routes to activism were varied, one finding that emerged from the interviews was that most of the participants had begun their “activist” orientations at relatively early ages; many beginning in middle school. Participants' definitions of the activities encompassed by “activism” and their motivations for continued activism are elucidated. A discussion is also presented regarding ways in which social work educators can increase social/political activism interest and skill levels in undergraduate students.