Revolutionary Social Work
A social work professor challenges the profession's status quo through long-form interviews with critical academics, healers, and entrepreneurs.
This is a university-supported podcast using storytelling to critique and expand the definition of social work. Host Christian Ace Stettler uses his platform as a professor to interview academics, non-traditional practitioners, and authors who challenge the field's bureaucracy, neoliberal influences, and clinical confines. The conversations are a blend of academic inquiry, personal narrative, and a search for more holistic, just, and 'revolutionary' ways to practice.
“Its direct affiliation with a university social work department is unique, allowing for the integration of students as co-hosts and the use of episodes as curriculum. The host's blend of a professor's critical lens with a storyteller's relational, vulnerable style sets it apart from more conventional professional podcasts.”
Who hosts this show
Christian "Ace" Stettler is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Social Work at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he holds an MSW and is a Ph.D. candidate. His work and teaching focus on the intersection of critical pedagogy, Indigenous knowledge, and trauma healing. Through his two podcasts, "The Critical Social Worker" and "The Revolutionary Social Work Podcast," he facilitates dialogues that question mainstream social work practices and explore more human-centered, decolonized alternatives.
Credentials & credits
- Assistant Clinical Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
- MSW, Ph.D. candidate
- Founder of Revolutionary Social Work
- Teaches at the intersection of critical pedagogy, Indigenous knowledge, and trauma healing
Other ventures
- The Revolutionary Social Work Podcast (co-hosted with his wife)
- Revolutionary Social Work with Professor Ace (Substack newsletter)
- Dialogic Talking Circles (facilitator)
- Yoga Therapy
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Teach for America's Hidden Influence on Social Work | Dr. Joe HanleyJun 19, 2026 · 6 min
- 02Social Workers Helped Run Apartheid and Nazi Germany | Dr. Joe HanleyJun 19, 2026 · 25s
- 03Social Work Is a Dangerous Profession | Dr. Joe HanleyJun 19, 2026 · 1 min
- 04The Public Perception Myth in Social Work | Dr. Joe HanleyJun 19, 2026 · 3 min
- 05The Myth That's Keeping Social Workers Quiet | Dr. Joe Hanley (UK)Jun 19, 2026 · 59 min
- 06What Horses Teach Us About Healing and ConnectionApr 28, 2026 · 53 min
- 07A Social Worker in Tech | Niteesa Brooks, MSSWApr 24, 2026 · 1h 07m
- 08Don't Overthrow the System—Undergrow It | Richard FlyerApr 19, 2026 · 1h 12m
Notable episodes
- 01The Myth That's Keeping Social Workers Quiet | Dr. Joe Hanley (UK)
A core episode that embodies the show's mission, deconstructing a foundational myth in the profession and tracing the political and corporate influences on social work.
- 02A Social Worker in Tech | Niteesa Brooks, MSSW
Highlights the show's focus on non-traditional career paths, featuring a guest who applies social work skills in the tech and pharmaceutical industries.
- 03What Horses Teach Us About Healing and Connection
Showcases the podcast's exploration of healing beyond traditional clinical settings, blending scientific concepts like 'coherence' with spiritual and relational practices.
What you'll be asked on this show
Host Christian 'Ace' Stettler runs a relational, non-confrontational interview. He opens with a casual check-in before asking for the guest's origin story, often with a broad prompt like "share a story." [O5OSbEKLJ7Q] He actively listens, frequently using a guest's specific term (e.g., "coherence," "execution strategy") as a pivot for a follow-up question to clarify concepts for the audience. [JWfUMxvSwK0, O5OSbEKLJ7Q] Stettler builds rapport by sharing his own vulnerabilities and related personal anecdotes, creating a sense of kinship rather than a rigid Q&A. [O5OSbEKLJ7Q] He consistently closes by offering the guest an open floor to share any final thoughts on their mind or heart. [cFqbz843DcQ, O5OSbEKLJ7Q]
The primary format is a long-form interview show, "The Critical Social Worker," often featuring a student co-host alongside Professor Ace. The tone is relaxed, conversational, and deeply personal, with the host frequently sharing his own experiences to build rapport. Episodes often begin with signature phrases like "Welcome to The Circle" and feature a distinct intro with a wolf howl and reggae beat.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
11 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“Could you tell us about your background and how you got into social work?”
This is his standard opening move to ground the conversation in the guest's personal and professional origin story.
craft
1- Q.01
“What do you mean by [guest's specific term]?”
He frequently asks for clarification on a key term the guest has used, helping to define concepts for the audience.
advice
2- Q.01
“What advice do you have for students who are feeling...?”
Often asked towards the end, this question seeks to translate the conversation into practical takeaways for his student audience.
- Q.02
“How can people reclaim power when they feel overworked and burned out?”
This question seeks practical strategies for listeners facing common challenges in the helping professions.
personal
3- Q.01
“Is there anything we haven't discussed that's on your mind or heart?”
This is his signature closing question, giving the guest the final word and an open floor for any topic.
- Q.02
“How are you doing today?”
A simple, personal check-in he uses at the very beginning to establish a casual, human rapport before diving deep.
- Q.03
“What was it about [a film or experience] that made you feel that way?”
He uses this to explore the emotional core of a shared experience, moving beyond intellectual analysis.
process
2- Q.01
“How do you feel about power dynamics in your work?”
A recurring theme, this question probes how guests navigate professional hierarchies and systemic power structures.
- Q.02
“How do you listen to the horses and what do you hear?”
When discussing non-traditional practices, he asks for concrete process details to make abstract concepts understandable.
future
2- Q.01
“How is social work education trending in the UK/your area right now?”
He asks this to draw comparisons and understand broader, international trends within the profession.
- Q.02
“What's up with the consulting business you mentioned?”
He picks up on new ventures mentioned by guests to explore entrepreneurial paths for social workers.
Signature segments
- · "Welcome to The Circle."
- · "Come as you are, stay as long as you need."
- · "And remember, no matter your pain, somebody, somewhere feels the same."
- · Intro music with a wolf howl and reggae beat
- · Referring to himself as "Professor Ace"
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically academics, authors, or practitioners pushing the boundaries of social work. The show books critical thinkers like Dr. Joe Hanley, who deconstructs professional myths, and entrepreneurs like Niteesa Brooks, who apply social work skills in the tech industry.
- Dr. Joe Hanleyon The Myth That's Keeping Social Workers Quiet
- Niteesa Brooks, MSSWon A Social Worker in Tech
- Dr. Penny Lloydon What Horses Teach Us About Healing and Connection
- Richard Flyeron Don't Overthrow the System—Undergrow It
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is explicitly supported by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Department of Social Work, and this affiliation is often mentioned in episode descriptions and credits.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What is the host's real name and background?
- The host is Christian "Ace" Stettler, an Assistant Clinical Professor of Social Work at the University of Alaska Fairbanks with an MSW.
- Is this podcast still active?
- Yes, new episodes are released on a weekly basis.
- What is the format of the show?
- The main show, "The Critical Social Worker," is a long-form interview podcast where the host and often a student co-host speak with one or more guests.
- What is 'Revolutionary Social Work'?
- It is the host's brand and philosophy, which emphasizes inner transformation, relational accountability, and kinship as the starting point for social change, distinct from other forms of critical social work.
- How is the podcast related to the University of Alaska Fairbanks?
- The host is a professor there, the podcast is supported by the Department of Social Work, and students are often featured as co-hosts as part of their curriculum.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Official Websiterevolutionarysocialwork.com
- [02]Ace — Revolutionary Social Work (Host Bio)revolutionarysocialwork.com
- [03]UAF Social Work Faculty Pageuaf.edu
- [04]The Critical Social Worker on Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [05]Revolutionary Social Work with Professor Ace | Substackrevolutionarysocialwork.substack.com
- [06]Notes from an Aspiring Humanitarian (Guest Blog Post)relondothompkinsjones.com
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