How Do Cultural Groups Affect Social Work?

In society, race clearly affects one’s life chances. These are the chances of getting opportunities and gaining experience for progression. The social construction of race is based on privileges and availability of resources. Looking at society and the formation of race in a historical context, whites have always held some sort of delusional belief of a “white-skin privilege.” This advantage grants whites an advantage in society whether one desires it or not. This notion is often commonly referred to as reality.

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” (Randy Pausch). This quote by Pausch explains the struggle of those who can only go so far, with the life they were born into. Without a doubt, this statement has been proven, over the course of history. For example, women had the unfortunate role, that throughout time, they have had to live a life below men. This includes not having the same rights, opportunities and power. This can also be said for African Americans during the 1900’s. Without a doubt, have both parties had to face obstacles, due to the opinions of society. Even after facing those obstacles however, it is important to realize not all races and genders have become equal, contrary to those who believe that

The debate over whether “race matters” is getting more complicated as news and social media put a spotlight on social injustices that are specifically affecting African Americans. Throughout history, race has always been a major factor in determining superiority, in which the framers and founding fathers of this nation created a system to serve and protect the white man. Race is still an issue today as our system of checks and balances go unchecked and unbalanced. These issues are specifically evident for African Americans who are not served fairly and just. How could race not matter when people of different groups live within a system that was designed for a specific group? This is the crux of the problem that many African

When defining oneself race tends to stick out in the forefront of our minds. Race tends to separate one person from the next. The term race refers to people who have differences in biological traits that society feels are socially significant. Society’s emphasis on race has caused a seemingly unamendable division. People treat people differently because of their skin color. A person’s behaviors, actions and skin colors have been attributed to race. Skin color is the main factor when it comes to race. Ethnicity comes into play when people are being classified by nationality. Race is simply black or white, or simply light or dark, which plays into internalized or reverse racism. Personally I believe that African Americans struggle with race more than any other ethnicity because they struggle with both internal and external racism. W.E.B. Dubois as well as Glenn Loury spoke about the African American struggle in their works.

“Among African Americans, skin tone is an important physical characteristic that creates divisions in the community and affects the quality of life. Like gender, a person’s skin tone is a visible physical trait that others immediately notice during social interactions and use to form judgments” The Light skin versus Dark skin issue that has been haunting the black community for centuries is deeply rooted from the times of slavery. Because of the influence of white supremacy, mixed race children received better treatment which resulted in the formation of a social stratification within the black community that impacted how they were treated by white people as well as the way they were treated within their own community.

As I listened and re-listen to my interview with Adeena, I was constantly reminded how lucky I was to have the privileges that I do. I am a White woman who grew up in a middle class family with parents who unconditionally love me. However, I am a woman and although I have never been discriminated because of my race, I have been treated differently than my male counterparts. It took a long time for me to become the person I am today, someone who would speak up for herself if she was put in the situations that I went through in High School, but it is hard for me to imagine how much more difficult my life would’ve been if I happen to be born a different color. This sickening reality makes me admire women of color like Adeena who speak out against interlocking systems of oppression.

African Americans had to fight segregation, discriminatory violence, and voting restrictions (Washington). It is difficult for African Americans to feel empowered when odds seem to be working against them (Henry). Since they were not given a chance of succeeding in lower level education, they don’t have the funds to reach the level they aspired to reach (Washington). Through the discrimination that has persisted in the past equality is needed for African Americans to finally feel as they have a purpose in America.

Race and ethnicity play a crucial role in one’s life. Communities worldwide were developed around diverse racial and ethnic identities whom proffer internal sources of resilience to others in the community. However, these aspects can consist of adverse social consequences that influence an individual’s chances of receiving quality medical care, getting a job offer or loan, and/or being falsely accused by authoritative figures. In addition to these hostile effects, one would ponder if it has a detrimental effect a person’s own self-esteem. Recall the racial, class, and social inequality in the United States of America in the 1960s (Eaton, Livingston, & McAdoo, 2008). Those who were considered minorities, such as the Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and various other races, dealt with the earliest form of discrimination back in the days. For an elongated time, African Americans were especially susceptible to the harsh and cruel discrimination in America as described in history classes.

Many are unaware of the effects that race has played in their lives over the years. Some may not understand its implications, but are very oblivious to it. Race can influence such things like attitude and behavior. Nowadays being white or black means something more than just a Crayola color. No longer are they just colors, they are races with their own rules and regulations. People of color have been inferior to the white race for centuries. In their own way Zora Neale Hurston shows this concept in her story “How it feels to be Colored Me” as does Richard Wright in his autobiographical sketch “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow”.

As a young African-American man in America, my life (past, present, and future) has been a constant struggle for survival, adequate education, and self- awareness. No matter how handsome, smart, or strong one is or can be, the level of success and peace will always be determined by skin color in America and others countries across the globe.

Social status, income and race are just a few things that end up affecting how we are treated, as well as affect the opportunities we are presented with in life. When children are born into rich, white families, they will be treated and viewed differently than black children who grew up in families facing

In the Cultural Identity Development chart I place myself in the Intro section Stage. The reason why I place myself there is that I am appreciative who I am and my ancestors Heritage. As I learn more about my history I become more appreciative of what my ancestors went through for me to receive the opportunities I have now today. The way advancing my cultural awareness will help me to become a better social worker is I will be aware and open minded to the culture differences my client may have to face because of his /her nationality. This will also assist me with building a better professional relationship with my client and help the client to be more open with discussion specific issues related to her culture

Through researching the culture the social worker would have had a better understanding what an extended family may look like to an African American. After researching the culture this individual should do a cultural assessment on her clients which would have shed light or provided her with some the answers. She might also want to assess her own Cultural Competence and understand her world view and her prejudices. Diller explains, “Self-Awareness [is needed.] It is impossible to appreciate the impact of culture on the lives of other, particularly clients, if one is out of touch with his or her own cultural

It is imperative that social workers become knowledgeable about their clients’ cultures and are culturally sensitive. In learning about their clients’ cultures, social workers need to be aware of how powerful and significant culture is in relating to clients’ behavior, values, and beliefs. Becoming culturally competent requires the ability to integrate awareness, knowledge, and skills while maintaining a positive working relationship with the client (Sue and Zane, 1987). Today, the concerns regarding cultural competency continue to accentuate the importance of preparing social workers for a diversified society.

In the terms of social engagement my project invited individuals and families within the community to participate in creating a narrative about themselves, in the context of creating a large narrative of a group, like a family for example. My hope was to collect enough narratives within a group of individual with a relationship to one another, that the work would be able to highlight the interconnectedness between families and relationships. Most of my 2-dimenional artwork is centered on the concept of self-identity and the discoveries that take place when asking questions about your own being. I was inspired to do this project because after I completed The Where I’m From Poem, I shared it with my Mother who then did her own. After we