Still among the missing? A content analysis of LGBT articles in social work journals, 1998–2009

Authors:
JOHNSTON Lon B., STEWART Chris
Journal article citation:
Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 25(2), 2013, pp.232-243.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA

In 2002, Van Voorhis and Wagner published an article that examined how often, between 1988 and 1997, four major American social work journals published content on gay and lesbian people (Social Work, Child Welfare, Social Service Review, and Families in Society). This content analysis is a follow-up to the previous one to see if the findings were different when the same four journals were examined between 1998 and 2009. As with the Van Voorhis and Wagner study, articles were coded depending upon their focus on HIV/AIDS and the gay community or other issues impacting gays and lesbians. Similarly, articles were coded depending on whether they focused on the client, worker, or macro system. This study found a decrease in the number of same-sex articles from 77 in the first analysis to only 50 in the present one. Furthermore, there was a decrease of almost 90% in the number of articles on HIV/AIDS, from 51 to 5. Van Voorhis and Wagner indicated that social work educators would not be able to easily find gay and lesbian content if they had to rely only on the four major journals. This study reaches a similar conclusion. (Edited publisher abstract)

Subject terms:
LGBT people, research dissemination;
Content type:
research
Location(s):
United States
Link:
Journal home page
ISSN online:
1540-4056
ISSN print:
1053-8720

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