Multicultural Theories In Social Work

In society, there are groups that interact with each other. They may be families, churches, government agencies, or anything in between. Those groups can be defined as systems, and in the systems perspective that is what they are referred to (Hutchison, 2017). In the 1960s, Ludwig von Bertalanffy developed the general systems theory in relation to biology, but it was widely publicized and used for various subjects (Hutchison, 2017). Hutchison (2017) summarized Bertalanffy’s theory by saying, “any element is best understood by considering its interactions with its constituent parts as well as its interactions with larger systems of which it is a part.” (p.

The people in the world that we live in are extremely diverse, in terms of the nationalities, religions, gender classifications and physical abilities. Social workers must have a clear understanding of the consequences of diversity and difference and the mechanisms of oppression and discrimination as they relate to human development. The range of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds that social workers will practice in is huge. Because of this, social workers must have an understanding of the values and attitudes of a multitude of different cultures as well as an understanding of their own attitudes and

A system is a set of interrelated parts. Systems theory assumes that a system must be understood as a whole, rather than in component parts. It is a way of looking at the world where all the objects are interrelated with one another. Many family systems are addressed in the movie Little Miss Sunshine.

System perspective see’s human behaviors as the outcome of interactions within and among social systems of interrelated parts. These social systems of interrelated parts consist of people within the family, friends, school and work. System perspectives can be understood as the subsystem of larger systems, where each system has its unique identity but they are all interdependent. From a system perspective, behaviors are influenced from the past which are learnt from within the family and other social systems. Within a system perspective, there are smaller systems that a Social Worker may consider for a more holistic view. This is done by considering the role the physical and social environment has on a person’s behavior as well as protective and risk factors that influences positive and negative outcomes.

A system is “A set of interrelated and interdependent parts arranged in a manner that produces a unified whole” (robbins 2006), and Systems theory is the

This helped in eliminating bias through reduced sampling error. The sample of 20 practitioners as well as 20 consultants appears to be too small and unrepresentative. There are too many consultants and practitioners in the field today to be represented by a group of only 20 individuals. Again, the sample represented the population in the New England Metropolitan area. This created bias in the representation as it only represents a single area. On the other hand, the sample waa a nice blend of representatives from different groups including men and women, white, Latino, Asians, and blacks. Though not in equal numbers, the good representation helped eliminate bias a both the possible oppressors as well a those oppressed were represented hence each group could contribute its views. The study also considered experts in the interviews.. this a great advantage to the study as experts have a good understanding in combined or specific knowledge. They understand the process, strategies as well as group behaviors. The interviewer recorded the interviews on tape. This was an advantage to the study as it gave an accurate summary of the interview. Comments and information gathered were stored for reference. Through repeated listening, it must have been easy for the interviewing committee to get interview clarity and analyze speech, body language, and voice

Ecological theory describes four levels of the environment that interconnect and impact people. Moving from the most intimate individual system to a broader inclusion you can identify the many systems that play a role in individual’s lives and well-being. These interactions could be harmonious and create homeostasis or could be disharmonious and cause stress.

Between 1500 and the 1860’s at least 12 million Africans were taken to America. The largest migration known in American history relocated 50 ethnic and linguistic groups. Less than half million were sent to North America and the majority were sent to South America and the Caribbean. European goods were taken to Africa to exchange for slaves. The slaves were than taken to America were the slaves were traded for agricultural products in exchange for slave labor. The earliest slaves worked in North American along the southern coast in plantations cultivating crops such as rice and tobacco. The demand for slave labor increased, profit potential multiplied for America’s planters with the Louisiana Purchase and new inventions such as the cotton gin which boosted the cotton economy. Upper region of the south were turn into slave exporting states with a new burgeoning agricultural country, and many slaves were separated from their families. Many African Americans strived to be free since slavery in the earliest days of slavery and many escaped to Canada, Mexico and other areas throughout the US. Slavery was abolished at the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the cotton industry was destroyed between 1915 and 1920. After World War One jobs at factories and railroads were created. The Pennsylvania Railroad helped more than 10,000

This section of the paper will discuss the definition of social work, values associated with social work and arguments for and against the use of systems theory in social work practice. Social work can be described as a field of study that encompasses individuals and their environment. Social work can be defined as work trained professionals do to elevate stressors of individuals so they may become more self-sufficient and empowered to live to their fullest potential.

Human services workers have a vast knowledge of working with people from diverse backgrounds. As a result, they are able to help clients realize the positive attributes relating to their cultural identity and utilize strategies to help them identify multicultural issues that may be presenting problems or areas of concern for the client.

1a) Social work is a profession that helps those in need. Providing resources, developing social policies, implementing programs, etc. In order to be successful in the social work field and to implement these values one must understand different culture systems, human behavior, know the importance of social relationships, have the concept of self-actualization, and understand the values and ethics needed for social work practice. 1b) There is a system that integrates these values. Learning about a specific culture gives the social worker a foundation when working with a specific population. In order to provide resources, the social worker must have

"Ecological systems theory is an approach to study of human development that consists of the 'scientific study of the progressive, mutual accommodation, throughout the life course, between an active, growing human being, and the changing properties of the immediate settings in which the developing person lives, as this process is affected by the relations between these settings, and by the larger contexts in which the settings are embedded'" (Bronfenbrenner, 1989, page or #). When reading and researching to gain deeper understanding and

With the second wave of systems theory came about the idea of the ecological perspective, named ecological systems theory. It is the combining of general systems theory with an ecological approach. Ecological systems theory uses ideas that link together four different social systems that surround an individual; these systems are known as, micro-systems, meso-systems, exo-systems and macro-systems (Healy, 2005). The ecological model is used as a tool. These systems are very structured and use certain processes as guideline. Different processing concepts are used in systems theory. These concepts explain how the system works. Input is the energy being fed into the system across boundaries. Throughput is how the energy is used within the system and output is the

Systems thinking is a method of thinking that looks at the interconnectedness between different elements rather than a linear cause and effect approach and sees patterns of change rather than fixed “snapshots”. In essence it is a view on the “whole picture” (Anderson, R 1994).

General system theory focuses on the interaction or the relationships between components that contribute to the system as a whole.