306 Final Exam
Strategies for Preventing Burnout
Call upon supportive social networks and the belief that difficulties can be managed effectively. Stay healthy by getting enough hours of sleep each night, exercising, and practicing yoga, meditating, and eating nutritious foods. Keep a journal, putting oneself first, and starting a "brag file" in which to keep track of the positive impact of your work. Take inventory and accept that this is a time of crisis, self-evaluation, and change. Delegate any tasks to others whenever possible, accepting help from co-workers, supervisors, family and friends. When needed, seek professional help for yourself.
Colonialism
Colonialism is a system for organizing society that concentrates all the power over the local population in the hands of an invading outsider group. The process of colonization not only targets the land but also aims at colonizing the minds, the emotions, the bodies, and the labor of those residing in the occupied land (Brown, 1993). The process of colonization is justified by the oppressor's or dominant group's definition of the conquered group as inferior. The dominant group presents itself as superior and better equipped to rule.
Continuing Education
Continuing education is best viewed as a supplement to supervision rather than a replacement for it. It is an ideal tool for developing and maintaining a culturally grounded approach to social work practice as it allows for contextual adaptations of the content. Due to ever-changing migration patterns and the dynamic and evolving nature of culture, specialized seminars focusing on cultural subgroups residing in different parts of the country and unique cultural phenomena constitute a key resource for ongoing professional development.
Constant Assessment
Culturally grounded social work practice requires critical thinking and constant assessment of the needs of the clients and the assets emanating from their culture, assets that can be tapped to propel transformative change. Identifying those gifts and utilizing them effectively is part of an ongoing assessment process about what is essential and what is not essential in the client's culture.
Socialization issues in latino families
Identification with family, community and ethnic group Personalization of interpersonal relationships Status and roles based on age and gender Influenced by Latino Catholic ideology
Individualism vs. Collectivism
Individualism has been part of the ideological core of many European Americans from the inception of the modern nation and stresses independence. Collectivism has guided the social organization of many ethnic minorities and stresses group harmony and interdependence. Individualism is woven into Western culture and the United States legal system. Collectivism is as much a part of Western culture as individualism, but is not represented through social norms or the legal system. Understanding our client's orientation (individualistic or collectivistic) will help us understand their history, outlook, values and behaviors.
Small groups Exercise/integration
Individually read the assigned "Note from the Field" As a group: Identify the client/s and the social worker's cultural values present in the vignette Identify any possible value conflict between them If applicable, identify alternative interpretations and courses of action
Intersectionality of Gender
Issues of race and gender oppression cut across social class lines. Women experience sexism—stereotyping, male dominance, and discrimination—no matter what their education and abilities, and regardless of how well they are paid for their work.
The culturally competent stance
It moves us a step further by showing that we need to acquire the knowledge, values and skills that will make services culturally relevant and, in turn, increase their effectiveness. It calls social workers to understand the dynamics of oppression and promote social justice (Van Soest, Canon, & Grant, 2000)
The culturally-grounded approach
It places the culture of the client or consumer at the center of the social work intervention. The culturally-grounded approach values what minority cultures have to offer and incorporates the culture's natural ways of helping as resources to be integrated into the helping process.
Jim Crow Laws
Post-Civil War laws that provided the "Separate but equal" legal framework for the racial discrimination against, segregation of, and denial of political, economic, educational, and social opportunities to African Americans
John rawls' theory of justice
Rawls introduced distributive justice as a way to assure that, in a case of unequal distribution, the most disadvantaged individuals reap the greatest benefits. Rawls advanced two main principles of social justice: 1) equal liberty, meaning not compromising the freedom of the individual in order to access services or goods, and 2) the fair distribution of social goods. This redistribution of resources takes place to benefit the disadvantaged.
Sex
Refers to a person's biological maleness or femaleness. Classification based on ones anatomical category. Emphasizes male and female differences in chromosomal anatomy, hormones, reproductive systems, and other physiological components. Ascribed status because a person is born with it.
Gender
Refers to a person's non-biological aspects of being female or male—the cultural expectations. Refers to a label for the system of expectations held by societies with respect to feminine and masculine roles. Is an achieved status because it must be learned.
Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation—like most identity factors—is socially constructed. Culture and social class play a key role in determining the choices available to individuals and the roles assigned to them. If socially constructed then can you choose your orientation? Westernized conceptions of sexual orientation have been shaped around political and religious ideas that enshrine heterosexuality as the preferred and "default" option, with all departures from that norm deemed undesirable and deviant.
Social policy
Social policy is concerned with the decision-making process, the implementation of social programs, and with the fundamental question of where to allocate resources. Advocacy is a specialized policy role for social work professionals to influence policy change and the allocation of resources to create changes that have the potential to improve the lives of members of oppressed populations. Through its advocacy role as a profession, social work becomes a strong voice in hostile policy environments.
Policy change
Social workers are in an ideal position to facilitate the utilization of tools that help the individual clients and communities produce changes in policy. Society and its institutions tend not to see people with disabilities, poor people, and other oppressed people as whole people. The most effective advocacy occurs when individuals and communities are successful at presenting themselves as whole people regardless of the circumstances that afflict them.
Race
Socially constructed concept rather than a biological Emphasizes differences between humans based on perceived physical characteristics Leads to a hierarchy of groups and to racism to perpetuate the privilege and the oppression of certain groups
Sexual Orientation & Other Identities
The experience of white gays and lesbians does not always fit comfortably with ethnic minority communities trying to make sense of their ethnic minority status plus sexual orientation. A recurring theme in the narratives told by gay men and lesbians of color are racism, sexism and classism within the LGBTQ community.
Homosexuality
The fact is that homosexuality is a perennial adjunct to mammalian sexuality, neither a pathological condition nor a biological perversion. It has always existed, both among humans and among animals. The two kind of love [homosexual and heterosexual] can and often do involve comparable feelings of tenderness, comparable problems of adjustment, and a comparable potential for mutual respect and enrichment.
Health in the US
The general US population has high rates of diabetes, hypertension, cancer, lung disease, and heart disease across all income levels Despite having the highest national healthcare expenditure in the world, large sectors of the US population have poor health outcomes The US ranks 51st in life expectancy at birth Latinos/as, American Indians, and African Americans have higher mortality rates across all income levels
•Three factors that are significant in understanding religious conflict today
-Modernism -Multiculturalism -Modern technologies of warfare
•Individual and collective well-being
-Spirituality also has a role in supporting and enhancing optimal human functioning and quality of life at all levels of human systems, including •Individual •Family •Community •Organizational •Societal
Socialization Issues in American Indian Families
A collective cooperative social network including extended family, community and tribe Extended families often are comprised by several households, village -like characteristics even in urban settings Extended-family systems help members cope with adversity both on and off the reservation Respect for elders. Grandparents often retain an official and symbolic leadership role The majority of families are two-parent families Present-time orientation Identity with the group, self/family/clan/tribe Cooperation and partnership. Living in harmony with nature
SOCIALIZATION ISSUES IN NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILIES
A collective cooperative social network that extends from the mother and father union to the extended family and ultimately the community and tribe Extended families often are comprised by several households, village -like characteristics even in urban settings Extended-family systems help members cope with adversity both on and off the reservation Respect for elders. Grandparents often retain an official and symbolic leadership role The majority of families are two-parent families
Homophobia
A fear, disgust, anger, discomfort and aversion that individuals experience in dealing with gay people (Hudson & Ricket, 1980, p. 358). Some lesbians and gay men accept negative evaluations and incorporate them into their self-concept, a phenomenon named internalized homophobia. Internalized homophobia has been linked to substance abuse, sexual addiction, self-destructive behavior, obsessive closeting of one's sexual orientation, and feelings of powerlessness
Gender
A socially constructed set of social and cultural expectations associated with the idea of male and female (binary). Challenged by individuals born with ambiguous primary and secondary sex characteristics and by the transgender community. An increasing number of people are refusing to self-identify or to be gendered
Policy issues
Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Commission Americans Disabilities Act Affordable (Health) Care Act People with disabilities or differently abled Age-specific Indian Child Welfare Act Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender
Intersectionality & Sexual Orientation
An occupationally successful lesbian client may be entangled in a relationship with a physically abusive female partner. An African American man might be referred due to the stressful and health-threatening consequences of leading a double life married to a woman while having anonymous sex with other men. A working-class lesbian mother may be struggling to avoid losing custody of her children to an ex-husband due to her sexual orientation.
Cultural Humility
Based on the works of Chinese philosophers, cultural values and the contemporary Chinese immigrants' experience, the QIAN 謙(Humbleness) curriculum was developed. It highlights the importance of self-Questioning and critique, bi-directional cultural Immersion, mutually Active-listening, and the flexibility of Negotiation. The principles of the QIAN curriculum reside not only between the patient and the healthcare professional dyad, but also elicit the necessary support of family, health care system as well as the community at large.
Burnout
Burnout is a form of emotional exhaustion and cynicism that occurs frequently among professionals who work with people (Maslach & Jackson, 1982). Cynicism can be expressed through frustration, disappointment, and mistrust of persons, groups, and organizations. Burned-out professionals often experience emotional exhaustion, fatigue, sleeping disorders, inability to concentrate, and difficulty with interpersonal relationships. Some individuals become angry when they burn out, while others become depressed, quiet, withdrawn, or isolated. Individuals experiencing burnout engage in the negative behaviors they usually engage in during times of high stress, such as overeating or abusing alcohol or other substances. Burnout leads people to lose their center or emotional balance and can lead to negative physical and mental health consequences.
Migration
The movement of people from one geographic location to another. Can take place within a country or across international borders. Can be voluntary (migration of Europeans in 19th century or involuntary Migration is the displacement of an individual who departs his/her place of birth or residence for a different location. Migration in most cases is internal, with migrants shifting to a different place of residence within the same country or region. The migrant often move from the rural area to urban area in search of better standard of living or any other goals that motivate the change of location. International migrations are less common compared with internal migrations with only 3% of humans residing in a country other than the country of origin. For the country of origin, migrants are referred to as emigrants, while the host country referred migrants as immigrants.
The welfare state
The phrase "social welfare" in the U.S. is commonly understood to mean a payment in the form of cash or in-kind to a person who needs support because of age, disability, poverty, or mental illness. The term "entitlement" has frequently been used in the social policy literature to describe these types of transactions between the state and individuals and families. Example: Social Security and Medicare are entitlement programs. Workers who contributed during their working years to the system are "entitled" after retirement to receive a monthly check and health care benefits once they meet the established qualification criteria. Those qualifications may change over time.
Intersectionalities: Gay Men of Color
The role of culture in the lack of acceptance of sexual minorities is exemplified by the Down Low phenomenon in the African American, Latino and other ethnic minority communities. Refers to men who have sex with men (MSM) discreetly and are often in the closet about being gay or bisexual. Usage emerged during the 1990s when the mainstream media equated the phenomenon with men who have sex with men while maintaining a public sexual life with women, and the ongoing AIDS pandemic. Latino gay men face institutional Catholic Church's lack of full acceptance of gay, bisexual, and transgender identities but also messages in Latino culture that men's identity should be closely tied to fulfilling their privilege of giving life to many children (Abalos, 2002).
Slavery
The state of one bound in servitude as the property of a slaveholder or household. The practice of owning slaves. A mode of production in which slaves constitute the principal workforce. A condition of hard work and subjection: wage slavery. Slavery encompasses a variety of widespread human rights violations including the traditional slave trade, the sale of children, the sexual exploitation of children and women, the use of children in armed conflicts, debt bondage, and traffic in persons and sale of human organs
Annexation
The taking of an area already occupied by another group, either through military action, or the invitation of residents living there
Intersectionality
The term "Intersectionality" refers to the multidimensionality and complexity of the human cultural experience and describes the place where multiple identities come together, or intersect. Example: Individuals hold positions within multiple systems on inequality based on race, ethnicity, gender, social class, sexual orientation etc
vertical equity
The unequal treatment of unequals: The principle that individuals who are unequal should be treated differently according to their level of need It can be justified on the basis of morally relevant factors Fosters compassionate care May appear biased Inadequate policies and procedures
sexual orientation
The way in which people classified themselves and others sexually Categorizations vary across cultures and times Heterosexual, bisexual and homosexual identities/ practices are common in the US and in other societies The privilege accorded to a heterosexual sexual orientation is based on a belief system that views heterosexuality as superior and more natural than homosexuality Heterosexism is a form of discrimination that reinforces that system
Intersectionality of Social Class
social systems of race, class, and gender interlock to simultaneously prove individuals both disadvantages and privilege the notion that the systems of oppression are linked in an interlocking system and inform and define one another not all categories are mutually exclusive we all cross different domains of race, class, gender, age, sexuality, nationality, etc. and this differentially shapes experiences and understandings of the world
Sexism and Intersectionality
¨Colonialism System that targets, conquers, and exploits vulnerable populations. At the heart of colonialism is the relationship of domination-subordination that is also associated with gender domination because of the hierarchical organization of society. ¨Many women and men experience differential treatment not only because of their gender, but also because of social class, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. These citizens face a double jeopardy: that of subordinate status twice defined and sometimes even triple jeopardy.
Spirituality and the Human Experience
•Problems in living -Spirituality has been shown to have an inverse relationship with •Depression •Anxiety •Hopelessness •Suicide Other mental health problems -Similar influences are found between spirituality and physical health, with spirituality linked to a variety of better health outcomes. -Religion and spirituality benefit physical health through their support of health-promoting behaviors and discouragement of risk behaviors, whereas others indicate possible biological processes that mediate the negative impacts of stress and support healthy immune functioning. -For both mental and physical health problems, religion and spirituality have been noted as major means of coping.
Implications for Social Work Practice part IIII
•Seek information about the various religious and spiritual organizations, services, and leaders pertinent to your practice, and develop good working relationships with these resources for purposes of referral and collaboration. •Engage in ongoing self-reflection about what brings purpose, meaning, and connection in your own life, and make disciplined efforts toward your own spiritual development, however you define this process.
-Spirituality has been shown to have showing a positive relationship with
•Self-esteem •Self-efficacy •Hope •Optimism •Life satisfaction •General well-being
Spirituality in the United States and Globally
•There appears to be increasing fluidity in religious affiliation. •34% of U.S. adults have changed their affiliation from that of their childhood. •In 1994, an estimated 58% of the U.S. population said they felt the need to experience spiritual growth in their lives; by 2001, this percentage was 80%. •It is apparent that this interest in spiritual growth may or may not be expressed within traditional religious institutions and is increasingly focused on a spirituality that is more subjective, experiential, and personalized.
Socialization issues in Asian American families
Families are seen as patriarchal, father maintaining authority and emotional distance from other members Filial piety, children are expected to take care of elders Family needs before individual needs Extended family enables members to connect to a variety of social and economic resources Child-rearing is restrictive and controlling when compared to European American practices
Socialization in gay families
Families to be seen as a source of strength and support based on their functioning, not their structure. Emphasis is not on how the family is formed—rather on how we can help maximize the benefits that each family member receives from that family membership.
Social & Cultural Determinants
Family, social, and economic factors can influence children's development, through many different and complex pathways (Braveman, 2011). 95% of children of immigrants are US born; eco developmental influences often place these children at greater risk than their parents. There is a need to prevent the erosion of culturally-based protective factors
Culturally grounded policy
From a culturally grounded perspective, clients' voices and narratives not only inform policy makers about the problem but also about the strengths and resources the communities have to overcome the challenges they face. All policy decisions have an ethical component attached to them; there are no value free policies or culturally neutral policies.
Genocide
Genocide is the organized effort to eliminate an entire group of people regardless of its level of success. The U.N. defines genocide as "actions committed with intent to destroy in whole or in part a national, ethnic, racial, or religion group as such." Some argue that this definition is too narrow because it limits genocide to the killing of a group and does not consider policies of cultural, social, political, and economic destruction - e.g., gays, lesbians and transgender groups (Melson, 1992). Role of the state as key component of modern premeditated genocide, genocide defined as organized state murder
The Social and Cultural Impact of Globalization
Globalization can be defined as the process by which the geographical, political, and cultural boundaries that separate individuals and societies weaken or dissipate into a more universal set of norms and behaviors. Globalization produces transculturation, which in turn changes the way individuals perceive their world
Chapter 6: Health Disparities
Health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among population groups in the US Race or ethnicity, sex, sexual identity, age, disability, socioeconomic status, and geographic location all contribute to an individual's ability to achieve good health
health equity
Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances
Health Equity
Health equity is achieved when there is: equal access to available care for equal need; equal use for equal need; equal quality of care for al
health inequities
Health inequities are differences in health which are unnecessary, unfair and unjust
Socialization issues in African American families
High degree of geographical proximity Strong sense of family and familial obligation Fluidity of household boundaries Frequent interaction with relatives Frequent extended-family get togethers for special occasions and holidays A system of mutual aid
Higher Education as an Equalizer: The Risk of Classism
Higher education is a great cultural equalizer as it provides very effective means for social mobility. Higher education can act as a cultural homogenizer, prompting students and faculty to conform to majority culture norms and behaviors regardless of their ethnic and social class backgrounds. Having professional credentials imparted to them by higher education can make graduates operate from an implicitly classist standpoint.
Intersectionality and Religion
Despite the continuing use of religion to incite and justify acts of discrimination, oppression, and violence, religion can also be a vehicle for positive social change. Religious leaders united in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to launch and sustain the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, providing moral authority to their drive to end racial segregation and discrimination. In the 1970s, a liberation theology movement in Latin America developed both the religious ideas and the social organization needed to focus attention on redressing massive economic inequities within society.
EPISTEMOLOGY OF THE CLOSET
Differences in constructing a "sexual orientation" between people of different/same social class, race, ethnicity, and gender: Even identical genital acts mean different things to different people. Sexuality makes up a large share of the self-perceived identity of some people, a small share of others'. Some people spend a lot of time thinking about sex, others little or none. Some people, homo-, hetero-, and bisexual, experience their sexuality as deeply embedded in a matrix of gender meanings and gender differentials. Others of each sexuality do not.
Intersectionality of Ethnicity / Race
Different systems of inequality are interconnected (Anderson & Collins, 2004). African American lesbian women face "triple jeopardy" because they occupy disadvantaged positions simultaneously in social hierarchies based on gender, race, and sexual orientation. African American lesbians have struggled to gain visibility and influence within the feminist, gay, and Black liberation movements
CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report
Documents some improvements in population health and some decreases in disparities It also shows that many disparities persist in: health outcomes, access to health care, health behaviors, and exposure to environmental health hazards
Globalization and Social Work
Embrace a global social and political justice agenda. Develop a more direct role in solving issues of poverty at a global level within schools of social work. Support the meaningful interaction of social workers with international bodies such as the World Bank and the United Nations. Facilitate the building of political solidarity among the poor.
Transphobia
Emotional disgust toward individuals who do not conform to society's gender expectations (Hill & Willoughby, 2005, p. 533). Societal discrimination and stigma of individuals who do not conform to traditional norms of sex and gender (Emote & Operario, 2005, p. 217).
Equity and Equality are not the same
Equity: The state, quality, or ideal of being just, impartial, and fair. Equality: The state of being equal Equity, unlike equality, is a normative concept. We may not consider all healthcare inequalities unjust or unfair, and inequities only arise when variations between groups cannot be attributed to variations in need
Intersectionality & Oppression
Ethnic minority women may face "double jeopardy" due to the combined disadvantages of their gender and their ethnic background, and be relegated or segregated within the most devalued occupations and jobs. Such women make up the vast majority of household domestic workers who rank as the lowest paid occupational group in the U.S. (see Mc Call, 2005). §White women are much more likely to attain white-collar positions and typically are the middle or upper class employers of the women of color and poor immigrants who comprise most of the domestic workforce (Hondagneu-Sotelo, 2001).
The Affordable Care Act
Expands insurance coverage to 32 million more people (Coverage) Makes coverage and care more affordable (Costs) Calls for the National Quality Strategy (Quality)
Symbolic Themes of Spirituality
Morality, ethics, justice, and right effort 2. The nature and meaning of self and the intention and purpose of human existence 3. Interconnection; wholeness; alignment; and integration of persons, place, time, and events 4. Creativity, inspiration, and intuition 5. Altruistic service for the benefit of others 6. The mystery and wonder woven into nature, the universe, and the unknown 7. Sociocultural-historical traditions, rituals, and myths 8) . Virtues (such as compassion, universal love, peace, patience, forgiveness, hope, honesty, trust, and faith) 9. Mystical, altered states of consciousness 10. Sexuality 11. Openness, willingness, surrender, and receptivity 12. The power of choice, freedom, and responsibility 13. Special wisdom or revealed knowledge 14. Prayer, meditation, and quiet contemplation 15. Answers to pain, suffering, and death 16. Identity and relation to the metaphysical grounds of existence, ultimate reality, and life force 17. The relationship of cause and effect regarding prosperity or poverty 18. Beliefs or experiences related to intangible reality or the unobstructed universe 19. The path to enlightenment or salvation 20. Sensitive awareness of the Earth and the nonhuman world
Horizontal vs. Vertical Equity
Most empirical research in equity in healthcare utilization has focused solely on the horizontal equity principle Most horizontal equity policies in health care have failed Some are calling for positive discrimination as a means to promote equity in the future (Mooney, 2000).
Mental Health & Genocide
Native American scholars have argued that some contemporary challenges experienced by Native American communities in the U.S. can be traced to their ancestors' experience with genocide. The posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced by survivors of genocide can be passed onto later generations as shown by research on descendants of holocaust survivors (Bower, 1996) and Bosnian survivors of "ethnic cleansing" Different studies echo the common theme that the PTSD associated with genocide survivorship is as much of a collective phenomenon as that associated with genocide itself.
Determinants of Health
Nonmedical factors play a fundamental role in the occurrence or prevention of illness and injury among individuals. To improve population health and reduce health inequalities, it is important to identify and understand the non-medical factors that protect and promote good health.
Transgender
People who identify and live outside normative sex and gender definitions. Australia, India, Nepal, New Zealand, and Pakistan, for example, all offer an additional legal sex/gender identification option, besides those of female and male, to citizens who identify themselves as otherwise. Australia and New Zealand offer "X" besides "M" and "F" as sex/gender identification on passports, India has included "transgender" in the government citizen ID number system
Cultural Determinants of Health
People with strong family, cultural and community ties have better health than the socially isolated Factors grounded in the culture of the communities: Traditional health knowledge and practices Conceptions of wellness Interpretations of illness and healing Spirituality Alternative and complementary medicine Traditional healing and non-medical support systems La cultura - culture as a source of resilience Not all culturally-based factors are intrinsically good
Policy analysis
Policy analysis is an essential step of advocacy that involves: 1)defining the problem, 2)obtaining and interpreting information needed to make sound decisions, 3)developing and judging the alternatives, 4)and deciding what is the best choice.
The welfare state as a safety net
Societies often identify outsider groups like recent immigrants or guest workers as scapegoats, and they question these groups' rights to receive any benefits guaranteed to all other citizens. If children born to immigrant parents have no right to education or health care, they will grow up to be uneducated (and therefore minimally employable) and in poor health, a hardship not only for them but for society as a whole. As a result, they will not be able to contribute as much to the system as adults and will depend more on services. When children of immigrant parents are barred from receiving publicly funded health care, their normal childhood development is threatened and they increase the risk that uncontrolled infectious disease will spread through the general population. The welfare state is a safety net not only for those in need of services but indirectly for all of society as an interconnected and interdependent living organism.
Social Class
Societies throughout history have been organized into social classes. Although there are differences in the degree of opportunity for upward mobility, such social stratification is ubiquitous. Even societies that undergo bloody revolutions to effect a rapid change in social structure often merely substitute one social class system for another. Under the official egalitarian ideology of communist countries like the former Soviet Union, China, and Cuba, de facto social classes existed, with the small elite enjoying privileges derived from their membership in the ruling party or close association with its members, rather than from inheritance.
Distributive justice
The Aristotelian concept of distributive justice is deeply rooted in policy analysis as conducted by social workers. Distributive justice aims at ensuring that members of society have access to reasonable economic resources, education, social services, and other resources based on the ethical principles of equity and solidarity. These principles have often competed with other principles embedded in the national identity of the country.
Internalized Colonialism
The concept of internalized colonialism was first introduced by Robert Blauner (1972) to show how African Americans faced social conditions in the U.S. that were similar to those imposed by European colonialism on developing nations, including lack of political and economic power. The U.S. also followed a colonial path, subjugating African slaves, American Indians, and Mexican citizens when their land or labor became attractive economic and political targets for whites. Internalized colonialism continues to be a means for the dominant racial group to perpetuate social inequalities for its own benefit. Examples of internalized colonialism include the perception that some groups are racially inferior and the persistence of racially segregated ghettos.
Male Hegemony & Violence
The configuration of gender practice which embodies the currently accepted answer to the problem of legitimacy of patriarchy, which guarantees (or is taken to guarantee) the dominant position of men and the subordination of women" (Connell, 1995: 77). Men and violence are not equivalents, and men are not deterministically violent. 'Men' can be conceptualized as a non-essential social category. This is not a matter of biological sex or cultural gender, but the 'post-construction' of embodied material-discursive gender/sex, or simply 'gex'
Ethnity
The cultural distinctiveness of individuals Who we are as people connected to ancestors, stories, rituals, beliefs, norms and traditions
Cultural sensitivity
The cultural sensitivity stance calls attention to the diversity present among clients and communities, focusing on the cultural gap that exists between the service delivery systems and the clients it serves
Sex and gender
The distinction between sex & gender was first developed in the 1950s by psychiatrists (e.g. Stoller 1968) working with intersexed and trans* patients in order to distinguish between a person's sex and gender identity, and was then taken up by feminists. From the 1960s, sex began to be increasingly understood as being defined by biology/medicine, gender was regarded rather as a cultural construct. Sex = objective scientific fact, and thus fixed. Gender = fluid and variable category: the cultural or social interpretation of sex.
Horizontal Equity
The equal treatment of individuals or groups in the same circumstances Psychosocially appears fair / public acceptable / minimizes EEO suits Equal treatment has not yielded equal health outcomes
Cultural determinants and wellbeing
Well-being and health are rooted in the community's worldview or cosmology Collectivism, non-possession, harmony with nature, and seeing all things as interconnected are key features of the worldview of many indigenous communities Holistic health takes into consideration these social and cultural factors as well as place/"home
Men and Masculinity
¨Masculinity is the kind of character that is idealized by a culture and is oftentimes associated with adventurous, dominant, forceful, independent, and strong. ¨ ¨Hegemonic masculinity describes an overarching cultural system that gives a privileged group of men the power to maintain dominance over all women and many other men. ¨ ¨The concept of hegemonic masculinity describes only a small proportion of men and fails to capture the experience even of most white men in the middle class. ¨ ¨Hegemonic masculinity creates whole categories of marginalized men, including members or racial or ethnic minorities, gay and bisexual men, the elderly, the working class and poor, and the disabled. ¨ ¨Some men's movements, also called mythopoetic movements, seek ways for men to rediscover a more primeval sense of deep masculinity allegedly lost in the face of industrial society's insistence that men be competitive.
Gender and Social Work
¨Social work and allied professions have tended to pathologize gender and persons' of diverse cultural and ethnic subsystems. ¨ ¨As social work professionals, it is important to recognize that multiple interpersonal and institutional barriers affect women, as well as, men from diverse cultural and ethnic subsystems. ¨ ¨Understanding the cultural values, attitudes, norms, beliefs, dynamics, and behavior of women and men increases the potential success in the process of interacting and working with both populations. ¨ ¨Awareness of these values, attitudes, norms, beliefs, dynamics, and behavior is the first step in discovering, acknowledging, validating, honoring, and working within the context of those differences. ¨ ¨Social work professionals should adopt the attitude that people are who they say they are and accept the identity that the client claims.
The Transgender Community
¨Transgender has emerged as a way to describe a growing array of people whose gender identity does not fit into a simple binary system in which genitalia dictate being male or being female. ¨ ¨Transgenderism encompasses the experiences of all people who live outside normative sex and gender relationships, among them transgender individuals, "masculinized" women, "butch" lesbians, "effeminate" gay men, drag queens and drag kings, and intersexuals. ¨ ¨Some western societies considers transgenderism deviant or disordered primarily because it does not conform to the expectations of the dominant culture that gender and sex be congruent.
Spirituality and Human Diversity
•At various times in history, some branches of organized religion have played a negative or impeding role in the attainment of social justice for various groups. •At the same time, organized religion has a rich heritage of involvement in myriad social justice causes and movements, including the civil rights movement, the peace movement, the women's movement, the gay rights movement, abolition of the death penalty, the antipoverty movement, and the deep ecology movement.
Implications for Social Work Practice part III
•Conduct comprehensive spiritual assessments with clients at all levels, and use this information in service planning and delivery. •Acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to employ spiritually based intervention techniques appropriately, ethically, and effectively.
Spirituality and the Human Experience
•Engaging in the creative process seems to facilitate spiritual growth and well-being by encouraging the person to -Go beyond ego limitations -Surrender to process -Tap into spiritual sources of strength and self-expression •Paying attention to the spiritual dimension of family life has been identified as an important component in working with couples and families relative to a wide range of problems including the following: -Discord -Health issues -Death and loss -Building on family strength
Meaning of spirituality
•Focusing on the search for a sense of meaning, purpose, morality, and well-being •In relationship with oneself, other people, other beings, the universe, and ultimate reality, however understood •Orienting around centrally significant priorities Engaging a sense of the transcendence •Religion: "An institutionalized pattern of values, beliefs, symbols, behaviors, and experiences that involves •spirituality, •a community of adherents, •transmission of traditions over time, and •community support functions that are directly or indirectly related to spirituality."
Spiritual Assessment
•Gathering information about a client's religious or spiritual history and assessing spiritual development and current interests are as important as learning about biopsychosocial factors. •Assessment needs to go beyond the surface features of faith affiliation to include deeper facets of a person's spiritual life. •Need to assess both the positive and negative aspects of clients' religious or spiritual beliefs and practices •Assessment must also be able to distinguish between a religious or spiritual problem and a mental disorder.
Implications for Social Work Practice part II
•Inform yourself about both the positive and negative role of religion and spirituality in the fight for social justice by various groups, and be sensitive to this history in working with members of oppressed and marginalized populations. •Develop a working knowledge of the beliefs and practices frequently encountered in your work with clients, especially those of newly arriving immigrants or refugees or nondominant groups (for example, Buddhist beliefs of Southeast Asian refugees or spiritual traditions of First Nations peoples).
Implications for Social Work Practice part I
•Maintain clarity about your role as a spiritually sensitive practitioner, making a distinction between being a social worker who includes a focus on the spiritual dimension as part of holistic practice and being a religious leader or spiritual director. •Be respectful of different religious or spiritual paths and be willing to learn about the role and meaning of various beliefs, practices, and experiences for various client systems (individuals, families, groups, and communities). •Critically examine your own values, beliefs, and biases concerning religion and spirituality, and be willing to work through any unresolved or negative feelings or experiences in this area that may adversely affect your work with clients.
