Examining the relationship between social work students' anti-immigrant attitudes and professional suitability: The case of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University

Migration is a reality that every country inevitably witnesses in today's world. Particularly as a result of wars, domestic unrest and instability, economic losses stemming from climate change, and other adversities, migration has increased significantly worldwide and continues to grow. With the continuation of migration processes, both migrants who struggle to adapt to this reality and individuals in host societies encounter various challenges. At this juncture, one of the most beneficial fields for addressing such challenges is social work. Social work encompasses practices conducted through the state and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to enhance the well-being of all disadvantaged groups, including migrants and those around them. Based on this definition, migration is inherently one of the realities that social workers are certain to encounter and engage with in their practice. Consequently, from their student years to their professional careers, one of the key challenges social work students and practitioners must contend with—both within themselves and in their interactions with others—is xenophobia. The aim of this research is to determine the levels of anti-immigrant sentiment among social work students and to examine its relationship with their professional adequacy. The study included participants across all four years of undergraduate training, and a total of 287 students were randomly selected to complete a survey. The online questionnaire comprised the Xenophobia Scale and the Professional Suitability in Social Work Practice Scale. Analysis of participant differences revealed that levels of xenophobia and professional suitability did not significantly vary according to socio-demographic characteristics. Findings regarding the relationship between xenophobia and professional suitability in social work practice indicated a statistically significant, positive but low-level correlation. Regression analysis further demonstrated that xenophobia has a significant effect on professional suitability in social work practice.