INTRODUCTION: Given the social work profession’s roots in social justice, macro social work is an essential part of professional identity, both for individual social workers and the profession as a whole. However, the influence of neoliberalism may have an impact on the amount of macro work that is feasible in the practice environment because of a sustained emphasis on micro work.

METHODS: To better understand macro social work’s place in the profession, this research sought to assess the historical and current discourses surrounding macro social work in Aotearoa New Zealand. To do this, a qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis was conducted on publications of the Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work Journal since it began in 1965 to 2020. This meta-synthesis was one part of a broader study on macro social work for a PhD thesis.

FINDINGS: The analysis focused on finding journal articles that relate to macro social work to generate themes around how social workers think and feel about the place of macro social work in the profession. Themes around historical trends, scope of practice and the status of the profession were discussed in the context of macro social work and social change. The themes illuminated key tensions between micro and macro social work in the professional identity.

CONCLUSIONS: This article makes a case for an integrated professional identity by increasing the discussion of macro social work in the professional discourse in the Journal and beyond.