Quillette Podcast Social Work Without Stereotypes
12 snips
Jul 7, 2025 Nafees Alam, an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, dives into the political pressures shaping social work. He emphasizes the need for viewpoint diversity and constructive disagreement in the field. Alam discusses the evolving role of social workers in sports, contrasting them with psychologists and critiquing demographic stereotypes. He also highlights the complexities of child welfare and urges for a more inclusive understanding of ideological perspectives within social work.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Sports Social Work Focuses on Person
- Nafis Alam specializes in sports social work focusing on athletes' personal growth rather than athletic performance.
- This includes family therapy and counseling to help athletes live their best lives holistically.
Group Identity vs Individual Character
- The dominant ideology in social work overemphasizes group demographics over individual character.
- This risks assuming external traits define personal stories, which may not fit individual realities.
Individual Nuances Beyond Group Stats
- While group-based problems are real statistically, they don't represent every individual's experience.
- Social workers often fail to acknowledge individuals who fall outside stereotypical group narratives.
