Three Voices: Reflections on Homophobia and Heterosexism in Social Work Education

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Abstract
There have been few studies that have explored the experiences and recommendations of gay and lesbian social work students and virtually none that have explored their expectations about experiencing homophobia and heterosexism within social work education. This practice research study, conducted as a Master of Social Work requirement, describes the expectations, experiences, and recommendations of one gay male and two lesbian students who attended one school of social work in Canada. In-depth interviews with these three respondents were conducted. The study found that students’ experiences did not match their expectations and that incidents of homophobia and heterosexism within the program led to feelings of disillusionment and some disengagement. The most cited area of difficulty was the classroom and, within this setting, it was the individual professors who were perceived as responsible for the climate. The study serves to further the knowledge and existing literature in this area as well as explore an unexamined area; students’ expectations of their social work education.

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