Kristen Brock-Petroshius, an assistant professor at Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare, has been honored with The Frank R. Breul Memorial Prize. This award is presented by the Social Service Review, a leading journal in social work.
Brock-Petroshius received recognition for her article titled “Race Talk to Change Carceral Attitudes: A Field Experiment on Deep Canvass Organizing,” featured in the December 2024 issue. Her research utilized a randomized, placebo-controlled field experiment to explore deep canvassing as a method for altering ideological attitudes towards the carceral state and fostering support for anticarceral policies. Deep canvassing involves building emotional connections through personal narratives, and the study highlights its effectiveness when discussing anti-Black racism.
“I hope this paper provokes further discussion within social work about the role we can play in using community practice interventions to build support for racial, economic, and social equity policies,” Brock-Petroshius stated.
The Crown faculty and External Review Board commended the paper's innovative use of experimental methods combined with community organizing practices. They emphasized its potential to address racially polarized attitudes in the United States. The article aligns with social work practice values while offering actionable insights into complex issues.
Brock-Petroshius focuses on areas such as community organizing and policy practice, racial justice policies, anti-carceral social work, attitude change interventions, and race, ethnicity, and politics.
The Frank R. Breul Memorial Prize honors Breul’s contributions as an educator and editor at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. The prize is awarded annually to the best article published in SSR from the previous year.