New research from Fordham GSS Assistant Professor Kimberly Hudson, Ph.D., highlights how system-justifying beliefs influence social workers’ job satisfaction, burnout, and practice outcomes. Published in the Journal of Social Work, the study examines a national sample of 516 master’s-level social workers, using system justification theory to explore how beliefs about the status quo affect their job and practice outcomes.
While higher system-justifying beliefs were linked to reduced social justice motivation and less transformative practice goals, they were also associated with greater compassion satisfaction and lower levels of burnout. The study underscores the importance of structural interventions—such as workload reduction and workplace empowerment—and highlights the role of critical consciousness and critical thinking in addressing these dynamics.
