...Journal of Social Work (2005) 35, 435–452 doi:10.1093/bjsw/bch190 Advance Access publication March 21, 2005 Use of Critical Consciousness in Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice: Disentangling Power Dynamics at Personal and Structural Levels Izumi Sakamoto and Ronald O. Pitner Izumi Sakamoto, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of social work at the University of Toronto, Canada. She received her MA in social welfare from Sophia University, Japan, and her MSW, MS (psychology) and Ph.D. (social work and social psychology) from the University of Michigan, USA. Her research interests include anti-oppressive social work, gender and immigration, cultural influences on the self and identities, and cultural negotiation processes of newcomers. Ronald O. Pitner, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of social work at Washington University in Saint Louis, USA. He received his MA in psychology from the University of Tennessee, USA, a MSW and Ph.D. (social work and social psychology) from the University of Michigan, USA. His research interests are broadly defined in terms of social cognition, stereotyping, prejudice, race and ethnicity, multicultural social work. Correspondence to Izumi Sakamoto, Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor St West, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada. E-mail: Izumi.Sakamoto@utoronto.ca Summary One of the limitations of anti-oppressive perspectives (AOPs) in social work is its lack of focus at a micro and individual level. AOPs should entail the social worker’s...
Words: 8556 - Pages: 35
...Power and Discrimination Assignment Introduction Stereotypical imagery and prejudice are biases, which function together in creating as well as maintaining social inequality. Prejudice can be described as personal feelings and attitudes that individuals have regarding other group members. On the other hand, stereotypes can be defined as beliefs regarding a group including a description of an individual, their abilities as well as their behaviour. Therefore, stereotypes cognitively represent how people are similar to other and their differences towards other groups. ‘Individuals can be aware of stereotypes and have cognitive representations of their beliefs without endorsing such stereotypes, without prejudice feelings as well as without having a belief that stereotypes can affect their behaviour and judgement’ (Charnley et al 2009: 195). Stereotyping as well as prejudice are considered as an adaptive processes product, which simplifies complex world towards enabling individuals to apply cognitive resources towards various tasks. Nevertheless, despite the function served by cognitively adaptive processes by use of mental shortcuts to make decisions regarding other people can result in serious negative outcomes (Smith 2008). The horrifying mistreatment of people in history including that of African American, homosexuals, people with disabilities, has been the main impulsion for prejudice as well as stereotypes study. Therefore, the original experiments and ideas are concerned...
Words: 3153 - Pages: 13
...Power and Influence in the Workplace The Meaning of Power * Power is the capacity of a person, team or org to influence others * Not the act of changing someone’s attitudes or behaviors * Based on the target perception that the power holder controls * Involves the asymmetric dependence * Depends on some minimum level of trust * Trust indicates a level of expectation that the more powerful party will deliver the resource Sources of Power in Organizations * Legitimate Power * An agreement in orgs that people of certain roles can request a set of behaviors from others * Manager telling an employee what tasks to perform * Restrictions * Range in which power can be asked * Zone indifference (set of behaviors that individuals are willing to engage in at the other person’s request * Employees have this power over their bosses and coworkers through legal and administrative rights and informal norms * Norm of reciprocity: feeling of obligation to help someone who has helped them; informal rule of conduct we are expected to follow * Information Control: potent form of legitimate power * Information is a resource and those who need it depend on the gate keeper * Gate keepers gain power by selectively distributing information * Reward Power * A person’s ability to control the allocation of rewards valued by other to remove negative sanctions ...
Words: 1425 - Pages: 6
...and highly influential writer whose work extends beyond academic sociology. His study of contemporary ‘liquid’ society and postmodernity, and the ethical and moral consequences of living in such a society, have made him one of the most influential social theorists of modern times. Liquid society – postmodernity, ethics and moral consequences. Bourdieu, Pierre (1930–2002) A French sociologist and anthropologist whose work attempted to deal with how people contribute to their own domination. Developing the concepts of ‘habitus’, ‘cultural capital’, and ‘field’, Bourdieu examined processes of subordination and resistance in a number of areas of social life, including education, art, literature, language, television, and the globalised economy. Bourdieu’s most famous book is Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (1984). Globalised economy, subordination and resistance in social life. ‘Culture capital’ Burke, Edmund (1729–97) An English politician and writer, often seen as the father of modern conservatism for his hostile reaction to the chaos and violence of the French Revolution. For many, his defence of tradition and individual liberty is still highly relevant to today’s world. Father of modern conservatism Durkheim, Emile (1858–1917) A French sociologist who argued that sociology should see social phenomena as ‘social facts’ that cannot be reduced to biological or psychological explanation. Such social facts endure over time—while particular...
Words: 2010 - Pages: 9
...want to be, and draws upon group or collective identities depicted in their cultural components, which are socially used to define or specify a way of life or being. My social location is easily identifiable as a white female however, due to the dominance of white supremacy, I am not judged by my racial background much like a woman of “color” may be. These distortions on sexism provide awareness, that oppression is not only in terms of sex and in our patriarchal power system, white privilege is a benefit. Social Identity Although sexism is a problem in society, I do not suffer the same oppression faced by women of color. Lorde (1990), discusses the impacts of this built-in-privilege of whiteness and how it forces women of color to become an outsider. As a Catholic woman, I am faced with a similar power relation by identifying as a lesbian in my community, which is neither considered the societal norm nor accepted by the church. This disadvantage I face allows me to be socially aware of the impacts oppression has in society and agree with Mullaly (2002) who states that oppression “assumes a ‘fixed identity’ on the part of both oppressors and oppressed – that the world is divided into two groups and people belong in either one, but never to both” (p. 27). I am aware of the marginality I experience between social groups and the disadvantages of homophobic oppression, that has taught me how to be more racially and ethnically diverse, so that as identifying as a white female, I can...
Words: 2440 - Pages: 10
...empowerment. Furthermore this paper will also aim to critically analyse the social work intervention from the point of view of empowerment. This paper will then outline the ways this approach can be beneficial to both social work clients and professional social workers. Empowerment is not something that comes easily, rather empowerment is a development that challenges a person assumption about the way things are and can be. This is also challenging towards a person assumptions about power, helping, achieving and succeeding (Joe, 2015). In order for one to understand or be able to explain the concept of empowerment, one needs to understand the general concept of power....
Words: 452 - Pages: 2
...Canadian social workers are bounded to the Canadian Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. This document outlines seven values that Canadian social works should base their practice. The next section of the paper will be focusing on how the CFCSA and the SSA fall upon social work values and exploring if the two policies are anti-oppressive. The first social work value listed on the code of ethics is the respect for the inherent dignity and worth of person. Sweden having universal benefits for their citizens allows for people to reach out for help when needed without the fear of stigma that surrounds social services. The SSA also looks closely at creating co-operative relationships with the families of children and young persons that...
Words: 892 - Pages: 4
...the feelings of others. Emotional labour differs from emotion work, as emotional labour is performed in a public environment that “is sold for a wage and therefore has exchange value” (Hochschild 2003 p. 7). According to Hochschild (2003), emotional labour comprises two methods in which an actor displays their appearance; surface acting and deep acting. Surface acting implies a change in how one externally appears (Hochschild 2003, p. 35). With deep acting, on the other hand, the actor shapes their inner self by generating a real feeling (Hochschild 2003, p. 35-6). Jobs that require emotional labour are characterised with three common features: direct contact with the public, being able to induce an emotion in the other person, and employer control over how employees act emotionally as part of their job (Hochschild 2003, p. 147). Her notable studies of flight attendants illustrates how an attendant must sustain her outward appearance and control her feelings as part of her job (Hochschild 2003, p. 8). Her façade acts to conceal her true feelings or mental state to keep passengers at ease (Hochschild 2003, p. 8). Hence, jobs of this kind usually require deep acting that is trained as an organisational requirement (Hochschild 2003, p. 33). Critics have shown positive appraisal for her work, stating that emotional labour is a hidden concept that requires more attention. However, many scholars have criticised her work by highlighting many weaknesses and limitations in her...
Words: 1385 - Pages: 6
...Wealth & Power in America Name Institution Wealth & Power in America 1. In your opinion, who has political power in the United States? Who lacks it? Why? The congress has the political power in the United States. This is because the congress is entitled to writing the laws. The government and the president do not have the political power in U.S. The president is only entitled to signing the laws made by the congress. The Supreme Court, on the other hand, only decides whether the made laws are constitutional or not (Barret, Stokholm, & Burke, 2001). The wealth and the rich also have immense political power in U.S. 2. What is your opinion of the "American Dream" and the idea that anyone can work hard and succeed? “American Dream” refers to a concept that argues that people can lead happy and successful lives if they embrace the need to work hard. It also argues that freedom, meaningful relationships, and a person’s fulfillment can be achieved if a person works hard. However, in my opinion, not all people can achieve the goal of this dream. This is attributed to the society-structure of the United States. People live in varying social classes, ethnicity, and religion. This different structure of the American society hinders the achievement of this dream (Barret et al., 2001). Some people face a lot of discrimination in the workplaces. Discrimination, in most of these workplaces, is based on one’s color and background ethnicity. Such people are denied job opportunities...
Words: 1012 - Pages: 5
...Social Work Examination Supervision in Social Work Table of Contents SUPERVISION IN SOCIAL WORK Table of Contents Table of Contents I. Introduction and Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 II. Individual Supervision and Group Supervision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 III. Supervision Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 IV. Administrative Supervision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 V. Educational Supervision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 VI. Supportive Supervision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 VII. Evaluation/Performance Appraisal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 VIII. Miscellaneous Supervision Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Chapter Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Answers and Rationale for Chapter Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
Words: 16728 - Pages: 67
...Ethnic Group Conflict PSY 450 March 26, 2012 Ethnic Group Conflict Knowledge is power and the more knowledge a person has the more power he or she have at their disposal. Power can be defined as a overbearing control over a population or individual. People who are affected by power can be individual or a whole family can be manipulated. Power can cause a person to follow out of fear or out of trust, but the ultimate goal of welding power is the outcome can be the betterment of everyone involved or just the advancement of those in power. One form of power that can be welded over people is conformity. Conformity is the action of doing what the majority states is appropriate in order to be accepted. That means the majority of the group makes the rules and everyone follows the rules or get discarded. There is acceptable and unacceptable practice that leads to good and bad penalty. For example society which is the majority of the people agree that stealing is wrong, therefore a law was made to inform people stealing is wrong. If a person is caught stealing there are consequences that are set in place such as jail time which is enforced by the police. Conformity is not the only tool used by society to persuade its people to follow the demands and standards. Social perception and social cognition also play a significant role in getting people to follow the rules. Social perception works in three steps. The first step is the observer will watch the behavior or the observed...
Words: 1416 - Pages: 6
...Social Power and Dimensions of Power An essential part of management is influencing others to do their jobs well and achieve the organization goal. The influence of a manager depends on a variety of factors, and power is one of the factors that managers must know about it. Managers need to know different types of power that influence others to manage an organization. Power is crucial in the development of managers’ self confidence and willingness to support subordinates. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the major types of power that managers need to know, and to define the bases for classifying power in an organization such as that presented by John French and Bertram Raven. The authors have identified five distinct bases of power that will be elaborated on: legitimate, reward, coercive, expert and referent. Social Power The processes of power are pervasive, complex, and disguised in our society. Power can be defined in social science and politics as the ability to influence an individual’s behavior. Power is the ability to exercise influence (French and Raven, 1960). It is a tool that can lead to either positive or negative outcomes in an organization. In social psychology, it is usually defined in relational terms, and is called social power. Social power is defined as a capacity to modify others’ positions by providing resources or managing consequences. Recourse can be both material such as food, money, and economic opportunity and social such as knowledge...
Words: 1473 - Pages: 6
...literature (McEwen & Willis, 2007). Aim This paper’s aim is to clarify the concept of empowerment and its implications for the nursing profession, by exploring how it pertains to nursing as well as other disciplines, its essential attributes, antecedents, consequences and empirical referents. Definition What is empowerment, and what does it mean? American Heritage dictionary defines empowerment as “To invest with power, especially legal power or official authority” or “To equip or supply with an ability; enable”. Dictionary.com defines it as “to give power or authority to; authorize, especially by legal or official means” or “to enable or permit”. Synonyms for empower include capacitate, entrust, permit and privilege according to Rogets Thesaurus. Understanding empowerment is a difficult task, it is better defined by its absence powerlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, alientation, victimization, subordination, oppression, paternalism, loss of control over one’s life and dependency (Gibson 1991, Lewis 2000). Issues such as coping skills, participation, power and support systems are related to empowerment (Gibson 1991, Lewis & Urmstom 2000)...
Words: 2470 - Pages: 10
...systematic study of human society and social interaction.” (p.5). It is the study of societies with emphasis on modern and complex societies. Sociology is also the study of the development and structure of the human society. It is concerned with group activities such as how people interact with each other and their behavior during the interaction. Sociology includes four major sociological perspectives: functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, and post-modernism. All of these theories in sociology equip us with different perspectives with which to view the social world. Each of the four major theoretical perspectives offer a range of explanations about the human behavior and social...
Words: 692 - Pages: 3
...focus on teaching people how to do leadership issues – focus on leadership as it relates to a particular issue, such as Leadership & ethics, or gender issues & leadership. Context – study leadership within a particular context – Leadership & business, or politics (this course is a context course) What is leadership? An influence relationship between leaders & followers. Multidirectional. 3 elements - This influence is based on persuasion, not authority. Why do followers hold the power? Because they have the decision making power. They decide who they’re going to follow, when, and why. To be successful in the leadership role, have to be persuasive and convince people to listen to me. Has to be a non-coercive relationship. 2) Why do we do leadership? To change from what is to what ought to be. 3) The change is for collective good and mutual purposes. Doing it for “our group”, the collective good of that group. What is civic leadership? Taking what we know about leadership and moving it to a social/civic environment, a context course. Studying in the community environment, without the constraints of an organization. What’s different about Civic Leadership? Point 3 from above is changed from what’s good for “our group” and instead what’s good for all of society. About producing community change. It’s about grassroots community groups empowering themselves and forcing change. Classic definition of it would be – Civic Leadership is the study of leadership in the context of community...
Words: 7660 - Pages: 31
