Political participation to create social change is considered   a professional and ethical imperative for social workers.  While researchers have examined overall political participation by social workers, little is known about how clinical social workers participate and the broader societal factors that influence their political participation. A critical phenomenological methodology was utilized with a sample of 23 clinical social workers from New England states to (1) identify how socio-political forces influenced their political activity; and (2) understand how the concept of power affected individuals’ level of engagement or inclination toward the political process. 

This article describes one of the study’s major findings.  Female participants described themselves as unqualified and/or unknowledgeable in the political sphere, with low levels of ambition and confidence to engage in political processes. Many female participants also described the challenges of achieving a work-life balance between their careers and traditional gender-based roles with little time left for political engagement.