Separate Yet Within: Student Experiences of Structural Social Work in a Neoliberal Era

The purpose of this research project was to explore the experiences of a small group of Bachelor of Social Work students with the structural social work approach. Their experiences demonstrated the existence of multiple and often contradictory discourses in their understanding of social work. This research discovered these discourses through conducting interviews and an interpretation informed by qualitative research methods. The students demonstrated a strong commitment to the practice of structural social work. Yet, the inclusion of structural social work occurred in a social context dominated by neoliberalism. The students recognized the power of neoliberalism. They felt pressure to have their education prepare them for engaging with this social context. The students had a strong understanding of the oppositional nature of structural social work to neoliberalism. As a result many of these students developed strategies to navigate the tension between structural social work and neoliberalism.