Letter To Dr Carrer Summary

Within this essay the areas in which discrimination and oppression occur will be highlighted and then evaluated to show how ‘good’ anti oppressive/ discriminative practice within social work can ‘aid’ and empower service users who are in groups that experience oppression and discrimination to overcome their problems. Gil (1994) states that “the conditions that cause people to seek help from social services are usually direct or indirect consequences of social, economic, and political institutions, and... the profession of social work is ethically committed to promote social justice. Insights into oppression and social

Social work is based on respect for the inherent worth and dignity of all people as expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights(1948) It is therefore of paramount importance that a social work professional should work towards promoting the best interests of individuals and groups in society. I very much recognize the contribution that social work brings to inclusion having worked alongside social workers during the course of my shadowing placement. I possess a real commitment to promote equality which I have had the pleasure of doing in a multitude of different roles. From academic journals as well as my lecture notes I now appreciate the central importance of using the fundamental principles of human rights and equality to underpin my practice, and the inherent need to promote justice in relation with the people I will work.

“… there are no easy remedies in social work, especially when we are confronted daily with oppression and deprivation…” (Trevithick, 1)

Social workers play a crucial role in many professional realms. With the focus on social workers in educational settings, I interviewed Erika Bougdanos who is a Dean of Students at Niles North High School, located in north suburban Skokie, Illinois. Bougdanos has been working at Niles North for over ten years as a Dean and holds her MSW degree and Type 75 certification (Illinois Administrative Certificate). Bougdanos mentioned that although the high school is highly ethnically diverse, the majority of the student population is White. While Bougdanos interacts with many students throughout her work week, she mentioned that the students she primarily sees in her office are those from low-income or minority backgrounds.

After I read the article, I had to sit back and digest the material for an entire day. The article force me to do some soul searching regarding my position on power, privilege, and oppression. Have I been so oblivious to my surroundings? I quickly thought about the six core values of social work: service, social justice, dignity and worth, importance of human relationships, integrity, & competence. Will I be able to help others; because like Spencer (2008) I took somethings in life for granted? It was ironic when I was reading the article that Martin Luther King Jr, Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandella came to mine. They all fought for the injustice and sacrificed much to change the minds of the one in the position of power.

The goal of a social worker is to help others in tackling whatever problems they are currently facing and pairing them with the appropriate resources needed so that they can lead a productive and healthy life. A social worker lives by a strong value system that is referred to as social justice. According to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), “Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political, and social rights and opportunities,” (2015, para. 2). Paul Loeb, author of the book Soul of a Citizen, writes moving stories of ordinary people who inspire others to want to be better citizens. This paper will be a reflection on how the book made me feel, the affect it has had on my formation as a social worker, any experiences I have had in social justice advocacy and what vision I have of myself as a social justice social worker.

Before beginning the Master of Social Work program at Laurier I figured I had a strong understanding of what social work was. However, I quickly learned that I had only scratched the surface. I knew oppression existed, but I never understood the depth of it. I now know that I was afraid of it. It was easy for me to stay silent, because it was such a comfortable position to be in. Doing nothing meant I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. This was influenced by the privilege I had.

This course has not been anything remotely close to what I imagined it would be. I pictured a class where we discussed voting, civil service, and the community. One which involved little to no reflection or inner thought. However, I have found myself reflecting and digging deeply. This class has put many of the major issues facing America’s communities in the forefront. We have traded lectures on paying taxes for discussions on privilege. Through the assigned readings and classroom content, I have found myself more knowledgeable on the topics at hand, and more established in my own beliefs.

Here is a more extensive list of social justice implications that I feel that Master of Social Work students and Social Workers can take into consideration to advocate for change:

Many students of social work internalize personal feelings of guilt and/or shame when consciousness of racism is assessed in the classroom (Sanders, 2016). Utilizing classroom settings to introduce race relations is a taboo subject that offers enlightenment associated with difficult feelings. Reading and writing about people who are oppressed forces an individual to evaluate their role and influence on the subject. Students who find this uncomfortable or unnecessary lose focus on the intent of the course and the need to advocate for clients (Tatum, 1992).

The Lakeview Health Systems Activity helped me learn about myself, my classmates, and how a possible meeting would be with a CEO in charge. The CEO of my group did a great job navigating through the different problems and issues that Lakeview was having. Through this activity, I learned multiple things about myself. Often times, I am very shy to speak up. Even if it is a simple question for a teacher, it is hard for me to raise my hand and ask. So in this activity, I learned that for me to speak up I had to feed off of what others were saying and their ideas. I learned that I as able to gain confidence through sharing the same ideas and solutions with my fellow classmates. The more that my classmates spoke, the more comfortable I felt to voice my option. Although, I did not agree with some of my other classmates thoughts, I learned that it was fine because they may have researched their duty and knew a better solution.

As a social worker, it is essential that I use my “truths” to empower the communities I am a part of. Whether that being working with the feminist movement globally to ensure that universally women have access to proper medical care and legal rights or stateside, making sure that every teenage girl has access to contraception. It may mean that I work with bi-racial youth, assisting them in creating space for themselves in their communities that often leave them to figure things out for themselves. Or it could mean making sure that the LGBTQIA community has protection against housing discrimination and medical rights. Where ever my work takes me, it is essential that I remember these identities that I claim as they inform my practice and guide how I interact with other

Anti-oppression Approach, Social Work Education and Practice Title: Understanding Social Work from Anti-Oppression Perspective Introduction Social work education and practice in North America is often criticized for reinforcing dominant values on marginalized sections of society (Razack & Badwall, 2006). Anti-oppression practice is crucial to address and overcome systemic inequalities in social work education and practice (Razack & Badwall, 2006). This essay will discuss the concerns in social work education and practice in North America, and employ an anti-oppression perspective to it. The essay will have three sections.

I believe that the benefits that students take from this course far transcend the negatives. However, it is understandable that not every course offered would be able to suit a student’s expectations. Thus, addressing the issues I had with this course would allow me to deliver a more whole-hearted opinion. The biggest drawback I had of this course was class participation. By class participation, I do not mean participation in small groups or CCP groups, but rather participation in which a student expresses his or her opinion to the whole class. Although it is always great to hear students’ opinions, I believe that class participation is ineffective because not all students feel comfortable with speaking in front of the whole class. It is class participation that further segregates the most eager students from the most introverted. This, as a consequence, problematizes the learning experience that was initially meant to engage all students. It is not enough for a community norm agreement to guarantee that the class is a “safe space.” A course requirement in which all students are meant to express their ideas sounds good in theory, but rarely do we find that it plays out well in

She should give the pediatrician a copy of the Dr. C's letter, if she have concerns about Robin's condition, then she can talk to Dr. C personally.