Predictors of Political Participation of Social Workers: Mediating effect of confidence

• In Event: Advocacy and Structural Social Work

Abstract

Empirical concern: The social work profession’s mission in promoting human rights and social justice is well known, but how well is it practiced? This study asks: (1) What factors are associated with social workers’ political participation, (2) and how does confidence in their ability to participate in politics mediate those relationships?

Literature summary: Research done prior to 2000 found education, feelings of efficacy, the holding of a macro-type job, political interest, and membership in a national association as factors that promote political participation amongst social workers (Ritter, 2008, Rocha et al., 2010). More recent research extended these findings, showing that social workers are more likely to engage if they have the capacity to do so, are interested, and are recruited to participate (Friedman et al., 2020). Several studies found that self-efficacy in political participation is positively linked with political participation (Hamilton & Fauri, 2001; Nowakowski-Sims & Kumar, 2021; Ritter, 2008).

Methods: This study uses survey data collected in 2020 from National Association of Social Workers members in the U.S. Validated questions were drawn from the American National Election Studies questionnaire and the European Social Survey. A path model was performed using SEM and included two endogenous variables: political participation as the outcome variable, and confidence in one’s ability to participate in politics as a mediating variable. Exogenous variables include political orientation, belief that social work has a political mandate, gender identity, and wishing one was more knowledgeable about how to effectively participate. Demographic variables such as race, age, type of social work practice, and more were tested but were not significantly correlated with the endogenous variables.

Arguments and evidence: Four goodness of fit tests run: The Chi-square for model versus saturated was 2.209 with a p-value of 0.331. The RMSEA of 0.028 was < 0.05, indicating a close model fit. The CFI and FLI were 0.998 and 0.991, respectively, higher than the 0.90 required to consider the model a good fit.

Results show that the mediating variable of confidence in one’s ability to participate in politics is significantly related to political participation. The higher a respondent rates their confidence, the more they politically participate. Believing that social work has a political mandate is related directly and indirectly to higher political participation. A more conservative political orientation was related to lower participation directly, but not indirectly related to confidence. Wishing one knew more about how to participate was only indirectly related to participation through confidence. Finally, being female rather than male was significantly related to a lower rating of one’s confidence, although the direct relationship to participation was not significant.

Conclusions: Social work’s internationally stated mission ( to promote human rights and social justice can only be realized through the participation of social workers themselves. Results highlight the importance of social work education and professional organizations in building confidence and equipping social workers to participate politically, regardless of their level of practice, and with attention to gender identity and political orientation.

References

Friedman, L., Karim, M., Feiler, K., Padner, S., & Eyrich-Garg, K. (2020). Political Social Work: An Essential Component of the Profession. Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, 43(4), 359–381. https://doi.org/10.37808/jhhsa.43.4.3

International Federation of Social Workers. (2023). What we do. https://www.ifsw.org/about-ifsw/what-we-do/

Hamilton, D., & Fauri, D. (2001). Social Workers′ Political Participation: Strengthening the Political Confidence of Social Work Students. Journal of Social Work Education, 37(2), 321–332. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2001.10779057

Nowakowski-Sims, E., & Kumar, J. (2021). Increasing Self-Efficacy With Legislative Advocacy Among Social Work Students. Journal of Social Work Education, 57(3), 445–454. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2020.1713942

Ritter, J. A. (2008). A National Study Predicting Licensed Social Workers’ Levels of Political Participation: The Role of Resources, Psychological Engagement, and Recruitment Networks. Social Work, 53(4), 347–357.

Rocha, C., Poe, B., & Thomas, V. (2010). Political Activities of Social Workers: Addressing Perceived Barriers to Political Participation. Social Work, 55(4), 317–325. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/55.4.317

Authors

• Maria Wathen, Loyola University Chicago

• Rachel Ann Young

• Amy Krings, Ohio State University