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Accountability or complicity? Social work’s dual commitments and crisis of accountability in the US

Journal articles · Critical and Radical Social Work, 2026

1. 2026

   Journal articles

   

   Murray, B. J., Harty, J. S., & Dettlaff, A. J. Accountability or complicity? Social work’s dual commitments and crisis of accountability in the US. Critical and Radical Social Work, Preprint, 1–19.

   Social work history

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Abstract

The social work profession in the US espouses commitments to equity and justice while also being complicit in systems of racial and social oppression, revealing a persistent accountability crisis within the profession. This article traces the historical and contemporary dimensions of that crisis, asking: To whom is social work accountable? Through archival research and analysis of contemporary case studies, we trace how professional bodies have defined, regulated, and enforced accountability since the 1970s. We argue that professional regulation, codified during this period, aligned social work with state power by prioritizing risk management and professional legitimacy politics over accountability to marginalized communities. Amid authoritarian resurgence and the suppression of marginalized communities, these alignments demand renewed scrutiny. Using accountability as a central analytic, this article contends that ethical practice in social work requires moving beyond compliance with state regulation and toward collective responsibility to communities.