Student critical analysis is key to activism and social, political, and economic change

Social workers who connect the personal to the political can learn from the ways in which activists integrate hope into their critical analysis, and use hope to build movements that can disrupt the power imbalances inherent to capitalist systems and structures. Interestingly, the two participants who indicated their profession as social work also identified as activists, acknowledging that although these roles intersect in some ways, they are also distinguishable. One described these roles as different "hats" that he wears at the same time. As George, Barnoff, and Coleman (2007) explain, many social work agencies have "become captive to the ideological and political agendas of their funders" (p. 67) within a field being constrained by neoliberal policies. As such, social work has compromised "a longstanding professional commitment to social justice" (George et al., 2007, p. 68). The identity of "activist" may be perceived as too radical or too specialized. As a result, social workers may indeed have to put on a different "hat" in order to pursue anti-poverty activism - or activism of any kind. A similar study could focus solely on social workers who engage in activism in order to explore differences and commonalities in the way members of the profession identify with activism and employ hope in their work. Although not all of the participants interviewed in this study identified as social workers, they all indicated that their activist careers began as post-secondary students. These settings provide a sense of community for young people who are developing both their own critical analysis of the world and their own sense of morality, primarily in relationship to their peers and potential mentors. Social work educators could con the potential for students to connect outside of the classroom and in the community - to one another, to faculty, and to groups on campus that focus on social justice issues. By engaging students in different communities and cultivating solidarity and hope, educators could foster an activist spirit in students that would complement their burgeoning critical analysis. Further research could explore the explicit and implicit connections between activism and post-secondary education in relation to the development, specifically, of critical hope - an understanding of the need for social, political, and economic change, coupled with a belief that change is possible