Social Work Research, Social Justice, and the Jesuit Mission
In the Jesuit tradition, research is a form of service: a way to uncover injustice, amplify marginalized voices, and design paths toward healing. As researchers in the School of Social Work, Marquitta Dorsey, Ph.D., Marion Malcome, Ph.D., Nathan Perkins, Ph.D., and Abha Rai, Ph.D embody this mission. Their research spans immigrant communities, Black mothers, sibling relationships, and the sexual and reproductive health of young women. Though they focus on different groups and use different methods, together they create a tapestry of inquiry that reflects Loyola’s commitment to cura personalis, or care for the whole person, and the Jesuit call to advance social justice.
Harnessing Technology for Justice: Abha Rai, Ph.D
For Abha Rai, the future of social work research lies at the intersection of compassion and technology. Her work focuses on communities often excluded from mainstream conversations, including immigrants, refugees, and survivors of gender-based violence. But what sets her apart is how she studies these groups. Rai’s use of wearable technology, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms allows her to capture data and draw conclusions that would otherwise be unobtainable.
By collecting information through wearables, Rai can track stress, sleep, and other markers of well-being in real time, offering evidence that goes beyond self-report surveys. Through AI and digital tools, she can analyze patterns and identify needs more quickly and accurately, especially for groups who may be reluctant to engage in traditional research settings. This innovative approach helps her design interventions that are not only evidence-based but also culturally responsive and practical for the people they are meant to serve.
Rai’s commitment reflects a Jesuit emphasis on using one’s gifts “for the greater good.” By bringing advanced technology into the service of marginalized communities, she ensures that data collection and analysis are not abstract exercises but tools for justice. In her hands, technology becomes a way of listening more carefully, measuring more precisely, and responding more effectively to the lives of those at the margins.
Hidden Harms in the Family: Nathan Perkins, Ph.D.
Nathan Perkins Ph.D.’s research also focuses on marginalized groups, bringing long-overdue attention to sibling violence. While sibling violence can sometimes be dismissed as harmless rivalry, Perkins demonstrates that both physical and emotional sibling aggression can leave lasting effects on children’s mental health and development, especially when compounded by other family stressors.
In his recent study with colleague and frequent collaborator Rai, “Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence Among South Asian Immigrants in the United States” (2024), Perkins explores how cultural expectations, migration-related stress, and family dynamics intersect to shape experiences of sibling violence. The findings revealed that while some immigrant families minimized or normalized aggressive sibling behavior, others struggled with how to respond in environments already marked by economic and cultural pressures. By focusing on a previously unstudied population, the study highlights both the universality of sibling violence and the unique contexts in which it unfolds.
Perkins’ work embodies the Jesuit call to “walk with the excluded,” shining a light on a hidden harm that has too often been overlooked by practitioners and policymakers. By naming sibling violence as a pressing issue, Perkins pushes the profession to expand its definitions of family well-being and to address the subtle, yet profound ways children can experience harm within their own homes.
Resilience in the Face of Racism: Marion Malcome, Ph.D.
For Marion Malcome, Ph.D., the core of her research sits at the intersection of race, place and mental health. Her research examines how structural racism, race-related stressors, and where one lives can affect mental health and well-being across the life course. Her work illuminates the strength, resilience, and strategies Black women use to navigate adversity, but also how seemingly positive stereotypes associated with these experiences can be harmful. In her recent article, “A qualitative exploration of how Black mothers experiencing poverty make sense of the strong Black woman stereotype” (Psychology of Women Quarterly, 2024), Malcome investigates how this cultural ideal, often celebrated as a marker of resilience, can carry hidden costs.
Through in-depth interviews, Malcome found that while many mothers embraced aspects of the stereotype as a source of pride and survival, others described how it imposed expectations of unyielding strength that left little room for vulnerability or support. For women facing both racism and economic hardship, the pressure to embody the “strong Black woman” could deepen isolation and strain mental health. Malcome’s work reframes the stereotype not as a simple badge of honor but as a complex social force that deserves careful attention from practitioners and policymakers alike. Along with community partners, she developed Heal togetHER, a novel community-based peer support model of mental wellness for Black women, providing them a space to be open about their experiences.
This commitment to centering Black mothers’ voices exemplifies Loyola’s Jesuit values of solidarity and cura personalis. By bringing these nuanced perspectives to light, Malcome challenges the social work field to move beyond surface-level understandings of resilience and to recognize the structural changes needed to truly support women and families.
Agency and Voice for Young Black Women: Marquitta Dorsey
Marquitta Dorsey, Ph.D., focuses her scholarship on how systems and relationships shape the well-being of Black adolescent and young adult females. Much of her work examines sexual and reproductive health, exploring how family involvement, healthcare access, and educational contexts influence decision-making and agency. By centering the voices of young women, Dorsey challenges previously-accepted narratives about Black women and highlights their resilience, agency, and strength.
Her research is best exemplified in her recent book, Understanding Diversity in Human Behavior and Development in the Social Environment (Dorsey, 2024). Dorsey emphasizes how factors such as race, gender, class, and culture must be considered together to understand human development. This work not only informs future social workers but also reflects her broader commitment to ensuring that research and practice reflect the realities of Black womanhood.
Dorsey’s research and writing reflect cura personalis, or care for the whole person, by acknowledging the full range of systemic influences that shape health and development. At the same time, her work aligns with the Jesuit mission of forming “men and women for others,” equipping students and professionals with the knowledge to serve communities with cultural humility and justice at the forefront.
Invested in Future Researchers
As a collective, Rai, Perkins, Malcome, and Dorsey exemplify the power of scholarship rooted in Jesuit values. They embody cura personalis by attending to the full human experience, whether that’s mental, physical, relational, or structural. They practice solidarity by standing with marginalized communities and elevating their voices rather than speaking for them. And they pursue justice by challenging systems that perpetuate harm and exclusion.
In the end, the mission that guides them is not only about understanding the world but transforming it. Alongside their areas of study, all four researchers are invested in pathways for students to engage in research. In their classrooms, their studies, and their partnerships with communities, Rai, Malcome, Perkins, and Dorsey are living Loyola’s Jesuit values and proving that research, when rooted in justice and compassion, can be a form of service.
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