Frazier Center

Overview

The E. Franklin Frazier Center for Social Work Research is located within the Howard University School of Social Work in Washington, DC. The Center includes staff, faculty, students, visiting scholars and community partners.

E. Franklin Frazier was a leading American sociologist and scholar who is credited with establishing the School of Social Work in 1937 although the roots of the program go back to 1914. In the spirit of Dr. Frazier the Center offers researchers an opportunity to advance knowledge of and find solutions to social problems within the context of a diverse and multicultural environment.

The Center provides researchers the opportunity to conduct research on current social work and related human services issues that affect oppressed individuals, families, and communities, found in urbans, suburban and rural settings in the United States. The Frazier Center also supports researchers that seek to explore comparative research in  international settings across the African diaspora. 

History

The E. Franklin Frazier Center for Social Work Research was established in the School of  Social Work at Howard University in 1995. The School leaders recognized the need to promote additional ways of promoting HUSSW research and writings including innovations in social work theory, evaluation, practice, research, and policy for use by social work professionals as well as policy makers and the public.

The Center is named in honor of Dr. Edward Franklin Frazier (1894-1962). Dr. Frazier was a leading American sociologist, scholar and graduate of Howard University, University of Chicago, and Clark University.  Dr. Frazier dedicated his life to research that answered fundamental questions about the state of Black people in the United States. His work on the Black Middle Class, on Black youth, Families and prejudice offered a different approach to social problems affecting Black people.

Mission & Goals

The mission of the Center is to build knowledge for solutions of human, organizational and societal problems particularly among African American and other ethnic and cultural populations.

Goals of the Center are as follows:

  1. To advance knowledge on social work theory and practice
  2. To facilitate interdisciplinary research collaboration within the university and among outside organizations
  3. To facilitate faculty research development and grant writing
  4. To provide research and educational training opportunities
  5. To interpret and link research to practice and share information for curriculum enhancement
  6. To disseminate knowledge.

 

Research

Researchers at the Center have published work with support from a variety of funders and collaborators. These include  the federal U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Education, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse, Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), as well as foundation and District of Columbia support. Past research has included multidisciplinary and social work research topics including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; Race, Oppression and Control; Race and Mental Health, and violence prevention and its impact on the cost of public health care.

The Center also seeks to support research and training in Mental Health, Housing and a variety of oppression and social justice issues affecting minorities, in particular, African Americans. 

Partners

The Center operates with researchers from the Howard University School of Social Work faculty, staff, visiting scholars, community partners and students.

The Center staff and collaborators provide research and training to organizations within the community. New contributions fund the Center's research agenda and help efforts to secure additional resources for the creation of new research initiatives.

Resources

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Agencies