The Implications For Social Work

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.

Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the point where people interact with their environment. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work’. Social work origins arise from the effects of a change to an industrial sociality and increasing impact and focus upon poverty. However it is argued that current social work practice, as illustrated by the broad definition of social work by the IFSW, finds itself expected to address wider social issues such as racism, sexism, and discrimination relating to physical or mental ability. Furthermore social work itself has changed from its origins of a charity style response to social problems of poverty. Banks (1995, p1) argues that the changes to social work have introduced different roles for different purposes of ’redistribution of resources to those in need... social control and rehabilitation of the deviant’ Banks further argues that as social work changes, the emphasis is less upon a helping relationship and more on the distribution of resources and on social control.

When working in a field of expertise the experts in that area need to know what defines that field. Social work, with its roots over a hundred years old, started out simply offering assistance to others, has grown and changed, and is currently reconnecting with its roots (Bisman, 2004). Bisman (2004) emphasizes the importance of being an advocate of justice and keeping the field focused on the “social” part of social work. This push to keep social work focused on the needs of others defines social work today. Social work focuses on providing aide to the needy and increasing awareness of those that are oppressed.

As a social work undergraduate, we have several queries regarding why it is so important to follow the NASW code of Ethics and values that relate to human diversity, with regard for the worth and dignity of all persons, as applied to a specific case where we are delivering social work. It is very essential to recognize the five core values of social work, service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, and integrity and competence on our occupation of social work. Today, we have chosen two areas and situations of how we are going to deal with our biases and our challenges while working as social workers, by employing the NASW code of Ethics and values that relate to human diversity, with regard for the worth and dignity of all persons.

Respect for diversity is a well-established tenet of social work practice. Understanding ourselves and the people we work with, both service

The journey towards the attainment of the Bachelor of the social work degree has been an enlightening and educational experience, as the individual is exposed to the realities of many social and political issues in the society. As a student, I ventured into the degree, with minimal insight as to how the degree can influence and shape the way I perceive the social world, and the way I relate these matters to myself. However, throughout my endeavour, which encompasses years of theoretical studies, and two intensive placements at two drastically different organisations, I believe I have accumulated the bare minimal knowledge to possess a solid foundation about the unfairness and inequality that people in disadvantaged conditions face. Social workers are predominantly found in welfare organisations which Howe (as cited in Limber, 2015) suggested largely influences the practice, direction and values of the social worker, and impacts on their ability to act autonomously (Lymbery, 2015). During my placements, there was a dominant theme that frequently stood out and enticed my attention. This was the accepted practice of focusing on the individual’s problem, as opposed to the social problems that existed and the lack of acknowledgement about the social restrictions of the human agency that limited self-determination. The realization that organisations were managed this way was important in ensuring that I made a proactive effort to understand and untangle the reasons behind such

A Social Worker’s reflection on Power, Privilege and Oppression, this is the title of Michael Spence’s article, but what really does that mean? Spence talks about his personal experiences in life that dealt with all three of these aspects, power, privilege and oppression. In this paper this writer will also talk about power, privilege and oppression in regard to Spence’s outlook on the topic. What is power? How does it relate to Social Workers and social situations? Is privilege really something that can be given to you just based on race and where you grew up, or how you were raised? Lastly Oppression, what causes one type of social group to be oppressed?

To create further understanding the TCP model will be applied to each theories strengths and weaknesses. TCP model assists understanding in working across cultures. TCP contains five dimensions described below. Cultural knowledge is concerned with understanding concepts regarding culture and a social worker’s application of this knowledge. Cultural competency represents cultural responsiveness in the social work practice. Power, privilege, and oppression address power relationships in broader society and how this effects practitioners ability to understand and respond to these problems. Positionality is one’s relation of social location to others, and how this shapes an individual’s view in behavior and professional responses. Respectful partnership recognizes the need for the social work profession to approach working across cultures with a sense of inquiry and collaboration. (Drabble, Sen, & Oppenheimer, 2012)

The definition of race is a group of persons related by common descent or heredity. A random classification of modern humans, sometimes based on any or a combination of various physical characteristics; such as skin color, facial form, or eye shape. In social work, we are often taught about individuals cultures and ethnicities in order to improve our practice and competence. Race on the other hand was created based on how people look, rather than their cultural decent, what religion they practice, or where they currently live. Many individuals are discriminated against based on looks which affects their daily living. As social workers we must be aware of different races and how they are discriminated against, in order to better serve each individual. It is also important for social workers to understand their own race and how if affects other races.

A commonality between the two articles is that inequality within agency structures has created a power divide between the majority and minority groups. The gap between groups is not because of an individual or one’s ignorance; it is the result of society’s structure and value system. Cindy Baskin emphasises the importance of needing to examine these structures that have created barriers that oppress groups, such as racism and capitalism. Additionally, June Jing Yee adds that from a Marxist viewpoint domination of racial minority groups were to further the motives of the majority group. In social work practice, explanations of oppression come from exclusionary practices within agency practices. Each book chapter has explained their ideas on

People who have always been marginalized and oppressed by agencies, schools and people, would require special preparation, attention and effort to prove them that they can modify their lives with the intervention of structural social workers. Moreover, it is important to admit that not everyone agrees with the vision of structural social work, therefore, this could be another obstacle to create change in workplaces and public service facilities. Limited access to public services due to discrimination of race, color, sex, gender, religion and language are taken into account as part of the challenges encountered in this process of challenge of structural barriers within society. Finally, I believe that a structural social work vision in a person from a visible minority in society will trigger obstacles for the individual himself. It would be challenging to create change within his/her environment, as many would argue that his/her opinion does not count, making it difficult when challenging structures of oppression for the sake of clients’ well-being and structural social work

I will be incorporating the following; Anti-oppressive practice, Anti-racist framework and a Feminist approach. I think these all resonate well with me because it makes they make the most sense to me. For Anti-Oppressive practice it “attempts to integrate the search and struggle for social change directly into the social work experience,” (Baines). In my practice I’d like for clients to realize that in their position they’ve been set up for failure, and we would work towards finding ways to slide through the system and help them reach their personal goals. Also “anti-oppressive social workers try to provide service to people seeking it, but also they help clients, communities, and themselves to understand that their problems are linked to social inequality” (Baines). I would like to support services users/communities and letting them have self-actualization; by seeing that these issues at hand stem from a higher power. The person is not the problem, but the problem is the problem.

Consequently, in the professional literature, there is a wide gap to be filled in the need for a critical perspective within the profession. We feel that the important contributions made by outside groups- Gay liberation, the women’s movement, mental patients’ union, trade unions and tenants’ associations- reflect lack of confidence in social workers, usually with good reasons. It is not intended to demoralize those social workers who are themselves conditioned and controlled by the very institutional structures, in which they work, but to make them aware of contradictions, and to assist them to develop critical action.

As members of society we are all entitled to be cared for and respected regardless of social stature, gender or race. As social workers, we are mindful of individual, cultural and ethnic diversities; largely supportive of a client’s self-determination and movement toward social independence. Social workers play a dual role, one to their clients and the other to the greater society; ever seeking to resolve conflicts between systems in a socially responsible manner consistent with values and ethics set forth by the social work profession (National Association of Social Workers, 2017).