Identifying and Responding to Resistance Around Conversations About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

by Shavon Fulcher, LICSW, Elspeth Slayter, MSW, MA, PhD, and Lamont Simmons, MSW, EdD

    As the social work profession continues to engage in difficult dialogues about diversity, equity, and inclusion, many are facing resistance to this work. Social workers engaged in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) conversations in their workplaces are guided by the National Association of Social Workers’ Code of Ethics (2021), which has a number of relevant commentaries. For example, the Code notes that “Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients…individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice” (para. 3). Further, the Code notes that “these activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity” (para. 3), which falls squarely within the realm of what it means to do DEI work. Yet, despite these mandates, many social workers note resistance to engaging in DEI learning or in difficult dialogues around DEI topics. Although there are no easy answers, in this essay, we share some strategies as we chip away at this work.

Denial, Disengagement, and Derailment

     Resistance to difficult dialogues presents in all sorts of different ways that we can categorize as denial-oriented, disengaged and derailing approaches (Rai & Dutkiewicz, 2022). We find it helps to start by identifying the type of resistance faced in any given situation.

     First, sometimes, people respond with flat-out denial that there is an issue to be discussed (Rai & Dutkiewicz, 2022). Examples of statements epitomizing denial include “My workers don’t see color. They are colorblind;” “Racism didn’t exist in our unit until you brought it into conversations about our caseload;” “Talking about race in cases is racist;” and “Queer kids choose to live their lives that way’ (Rai & Dutkiewicz, 2022).

     Second, we also see disengagement among people who may be attuned to issues of privilege and oppression, but feel uncomfortable or unwilling to step up and act on the topic (Rai & Dutkiewicz, 2022). For example, people may be aware of personal and structural ableism, yet may struggle to determine how to engage as an ally/accomplice. Often, this takes the form of being afraid that they will say something offensive to another person. Another common manifestation of this approach is the idea that they are not part of the problem, or that it is not their responsibility (or right) to address it. Examples epitomizing denial include: “We’re too busy doing our work. We shouldn’t be spending time on this,” “But it’s a problem everywhere, and it’s not unique to our organization,” “I won’t bother engaging at all, because it frustrates me,” or “This is not my thing.” (Rai & Dutkiewicz, 2022).

     Third, there are situations that get completely derailed (Rai & Dutkiewicz, 2022). This may include attempts to bring attention away from a marginalized group. This can be done by focusing on what goes on for the members of a privileged group. In doing so, that in part protects the feelings and experiences of that group. We often hear, for example, “reverse discrimination” (Rai & Dutkiewicz, 2022). Examples of epitomizing denial include: “Race/gender doesn’t impact lived experiences the way class does,” “Our focus should be on merit,” “I don’t feel included either, but there’s no group I can join,” “Black lives matter? All lives matter,” “I don’t know how to talk to my staff about this,” “I am not competent to lead a conversation on this topic,” and “As a white woman, I don’t feel comfortable speaking on this topic.”

Stepping Up to Meet Resistance

     Part of the way we step up to resistance is to foster a culture that allows all of us to critically reassess social work practices through engaging in reflectivity & reflexivity (Schön, 1983; 1987). By asking people to embrace this approach, we try to give social workers permission to step up and engage in difficult dialogues. Additional strategies for this work include the following:

  • Difficult dialogues require leaders to model commitment to the work and for managers below them to make space for the work.
  • We are not going to engage everybody in this work. Yhere will always be outliers. We still work on communicating with outliers in a way that does not invalidate their views or feelings. Ask them to clarify and elaborate on their concerns/resistance.
  • It is important to craft language that is transparent around why a particular training is needed (i.e., response to specific events).
  • Anticipate and plan for attempts at denial or derailment.
  • Anticipate individual, social and professional identity threats, especially in your marketing or pre-read materials.
  • Build awareness by fostering empathy. Ask: how did you handle a difficult dialogue in the past? How did you feel at the start and the end?
  • Use data as an argument, consider adverse outcomes, or show what is working for us.
  • Place your focus on the person. Show interest in their thoughts and attitudes. Show your interest in their answers, making certain you understand them correctly
  • Don’t assume that a person is simply uneducated on the topic and doesn’t get the need for the conversation.
  • If we take what might be perceived as an elitist approach, this can lead to disengagement. This includes carefully considering when and if to use a “call out” or a “call in.”
  • Collect more information about how people are thinking, and listen for common ground. You might ask, “Tell me more about what in this difficult dialogue is a challenge for you?”
  • Your goal should never be to change someone’s mind immediately, but rather to get them to be more reflective and ideally open to other points of view.
  • Keep asking questions, and invite them to ask you questions about your experience in return. Work on asking better questions, the right questions. Engaging in genuine inquiry can promote trusting relationships. Asking questions helps overcome uncomfortable silences. Absolutely do not pretend that you know more than you do. If it is okay for you not to know, it is okay for them not to know.
  • Be sure to engage in good listening skills, holding back your judgment and potential to react quickly. Ask them to consider whose voice or perspective might be missing from your conversation.
  • Try making the conversation personal, or about their legacy, by asking, for example, “Wouldn’t you want your LGBTQIA+ daughter/wife/mother to be valued and respected in this space?"

Lifting and Encouraging Silenced or Hesitant Voices

     Resistance to engaging in difficult dialogues does not always rest with privileged or dominant groups of social workers. Sometimes social workers who are minoritized by a range of social identities are also hesitant to do this work after having been “burned,” subjected to microaggressions, or asked to speak for, and on behalf, of their communities. Advice for engaging with these members of your community includes:

  • Seek out and try to understand the difficulties and challenges that people are dealing with daily (especially interactions or other things that are painful).
  • Ask what the barriers to success in this work are and how you might help to take them down, even a little bit.
  • Ask about whether people feel comfortable enough to take the risks necessary to have difficult dialogues as a member of the community. What is the discomfort?
  • Ask about the amount of time people spend managing exclusion, or facing microaggressions on the team.
  • Figure out ways to “amplify” quieter or more hesitant voices who have been unrepresented in conversations in the past

     As we try to engage social workers in our world to wrestle with difficult topics, it is important to highlight that we are all struggling with the vagaries of human dynamics in a time of significant and complex social change. In meeting this challenge, our best bet is to be open to difficult work and the discomfort that comes along with it. We need to “lean into” that discomfort and not worry about our potentially hurt feelings as we communicate candidly and respectfully. Finally, we must help social workers recognize that while they will never be perfect or perfectly learned on these matters, we need to start somewhere, and keep on going.

References

National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

Rai, T. & Dutkiewicz, C. (2022, May 10). How to navigate pushback to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Gartner. https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/how-to-navigate-pushback-to-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-efforts

Additional Resources

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). (2020). Equity-minded competence in higher education. https://www.cswe.org/Centers-Initiatives/Centers/Center-for-Diversity?_zs=J4G4f1&_zl=BP0U6

Johnson, L., Slayter, E., & Simmons, L.D. (2021, Fall). On equity-minded practice as a framework for social workers. The New Social Worker, 28(3), 14-15. https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/practice/equity-minded-practice-framework-social-workers/

Schön, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner. Temple Smith.

Schön, D. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner. Jossey-Bass.

Shavon Fulcher, LICSW, is the manager of professional development at the Child Welfare Institute of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. She teaches at Bridgewater State University and Salem State University.

Elspeth M. Slayter, MSW, PhD, is a professor at Salem State University. Her research centers on race, ethnicity, disability, addiction, and child welfare. She coordinates a certificate program on equity-minded practice for child welfare supervisors and managers.

Lamont D. Simmons, MSW, EdD, is an associate professor at the University of the District of Columbia. His research broadly frames the experiences of students in social work education in relation to their academic persistence and success.