Diverse Cross-Cultural Reflections on Whiteness in the Social Work Academy

This chapter examines Whiteness in social work from the perspectives of three social work academics with different experiences and cultural and religious backgrounds. Carole is a White woman colonizer who is a first-generation European migrant to Australia. Kalpana is from South Asia and arrived in Australia over ten years ago as a skilled migrant. Fatin is a Muslim academic from a Middle Eastern refugee background. This chapter reflects on how Whiteness imbues everyday practices in social work, from our different positionalities. The privileges of Whiteness and intersecting visible and invisible identities shape social perceptions about “who belongs” as a “credible knower.” Whiteness constitutes inclusivity and belongingness, with implications for social work in the global arena.