A Critical Phenomenological Exploration of Personal Identity and Power Dynamics Influencing Social Workers’ Experiences with Moral Distress and Courage

Background/Purpose: Moral distress occurs when individuals know the ethically right course of action, but external obstacles prevent them from acting in line with their conscience (Jameton, 1984). Conversely, moral courage describes individuals acting in accordance with a perceived ethically sound choice, despite risk of consequences or poor outcomes (Osswald et al., 2010). While evidence demonstrates the risk of moral distress and importance of moral courage among social workers, few studies have investigated the role of a professional’s personal identities (e.g., social, gender, professional, racial/ ethnic, spiritual) and power dynamics (e.g., privilege, oppression, institutional hierarchies) in shaping moral distress and courage. Given the dearth of critical scholarship investigating moral distress and moral courage, the purpose of this study was to explore how personal identity and power dynamics impact social workers’ experiences with these phenomena. Utilizing a critical phenomenological approach, this study asked two questions including: (1) In what ways do personal identities influence social workers’ experiences of moral distress/courage? (2) In what ways do power dynamics shape social workers’ ability to act with moral courage and/or contribute to moral distress?

Methods: Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with fifteen social workers. Participants were employed in diverse professional contexts (e.g., child welfare, gerontology, mental health) and job roles. We interviewed eight women and five men who identified their race as Black (n=2), Multiracial (n=1), Latinx (n=2), and White (n=8). The interviews were transcribed verbatim and were uploaded to Dedoose, a qualitative management software. Utilizing reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021), transcripts were coded and themes were developed. Rigor was enhanced through simultaneous data collection and analysis; a team-based, iterative approach to analysis; reflexive memoing; and maintaining a shared audit trail.

Results: Findings generated four themes and centered on how participants’ identities shaped their professional experiences with moral distress and courage. Identities that were especially salient for social workers in our sample were their age, race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Additionally, participants identified how their professional roles, positions within organization, and personal identities intersected to create power dynamics that impacted their sense of autonomy, agency, and security within organizations. The four themes produced from this study included: 1) utilizing privilege to take a stand for self and others, 2) risking one’s reputation to do what’s right, 3) interrogating perceptions to account for unconscious bias, and 4) drawing upon lived experience to fuel compassion for others.

Conclusion/Implications: Study results underscore the role that power and positionality play in navigating moral challenges. At the same time, the risk of damaging one’s reputation or career to uphold ethical standards emphasizes that the risks are not equal across identities. Taken together, these findings suggest that addressing moral distress among social workers requires not only focusing on individual resilience and professional ethics but also critically examining the broader structural and systemic factors—such as power imbalances, privilege, and discrimination—that shape moral decision-making.