Reflection

SOWK912 Diversity in Social Work Practice Workshop 1 (Week 2)

Acknowledgement

of Country We acknowledge that Country for Aboriginal peoples is an interconnected set of ancient and sophisticated relationships.

The University of Wollongong spreads across many interrelated Aboriginal Countries that are bound by this sacred landscape, and intimate relationship with that landscape since creation.

From Sydney to the Southern Highlands, to the South Coast. From fresh water to bitter water to salt. From City to Urban to Rural.

The University Acknowledges the devastating impact of colonisation on our campuses’ footprint and commit ourselves to truth-telling, healing and education.

Overview of Subject SOWK912 – Diversity in Social Work Practice

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What’s in and across the Subject? OVERVIEW

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ACTIVITY

— Everyone will stand on one side of the room

— Think about something that might make you

different than anyone else in the room. It could be

as simple as wearing a particular “brand of shoe”

— Everyone will have the opportunity to name that

item of difference with each other; if it is unique,

then you can cross over to the other side of the

room

Crossing the floor HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT?

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Culture, race, gender, oppression, whiteness and difference SOWK912 – Diversity in Social Work Practice

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ACTIVITY

1. Create a list of things that you value; which could

include physical items & objects, or people and

places

2. Place them in order; ranking them in accordance

to what is more valuable

3. In pairs, share what you value, and then negotiate

a combined list of the top 5

4. Join another pair, and do step 3

5. What did you find?

What do you value? DEFINING CULTURE

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Michel Foucault

https://youtu.be/BBJTeNTZtGU

‘Power’, ‘Discourse’, ‘Subjectivity’ and ‘Deconstruction’ PHILOSOPHY

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Jacques Derrida

https://youtu.be/H0tnHr2dqTs

ACTIVITY: SPEED DATING — You’ll be divided into 6 different groups

— Each group will focus on each the following

categories of diversity as they appear on the

activity sheet on Moodle: Ethnicity / Class /

Gender / Religion / Sexuality / Age

— Individually, you are to initially write down on a

post-it-note the first word that comes to mind

when you think of this particular category

— Write down the possible reasons why you believe

you wrote down the word you did

— Discuss with the group

— 5 minutes will be allocated for each category of

diversity

First thing that comes to mind? CATERGORIES OF DIVERSITY

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EQUALITY, DIFFERENCE AND DIVERSITY (GAINE & GAYLARD, 2010) Chapter 1 (Gaine 2010)

“It’s possible to be prejudiced without discriminating (an estate agent may not like Pakistanis but nevertheless sell their houses) and it’s possible to discriminate without being prejudiced (by just obeying orders) but they are often linked, and the link is most dangerous and damaging when power is involved. Officials of all kinds, including social workers, have the power to act upon their prejudices, and this is where discrimination translates difference into disadvantage. For people in a minority of some kind, there is a risk of being positioned and limited by the prejudice and related discrimination of those in the majority or those with more power.”

Context of Oppression HISTORICAL AND CURRENT OPPRESSION

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Adapted from Clements and Spinks (2008)

Current Context of Oppression HISTORICAL AND CURRENT OPPRESSION

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Gaine (2010) Chapter 10

Human Rights Instruments (pg. 73) — International Convention on the Elimination of all

forms of Racial Discrimination

— Convention on the Elimination of all forms of

Discrimination against Women

— Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,

Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or

Punishment,

— Convention on the Rights of the Child,

— Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of

Refugees

— Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities.

— UN Deceleration on the Rights of Indigenous

Persons

Doing Critical Social Work (Pease et al, 2016) CHAPTER 5 – TOWARDS A CRITICAL HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE (NIPPERESS)

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What is common about such groups of people?

Neoliberalism & globalisation (pg. 74)

“Neoliberalism emphasises individualisation, corporatisation, marketisation, competition, managerialism and privatisation and the focus on economic policy over social policy (Rees & Rodley 1995; Ferguson 2008) and as such, many social workers find themselves working in an environment that is antithetical to their values”

“The forces of neoliberalism and globalisation contribute to the marginalisation of numerous groups of people with whom social workers work. Ferguson and Lavalette (2006) argue that emancipatory approaches in social work seek to resist these forces and provide an alternative perspective in social work”

Doing Critical Social Work (Pease et al, 2016) CHAPTER 5 – TOWARDS A CRITICAL HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE (NIPPERESS)

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Critical approach to social work (pg. 76)

• Working towards greater social justice and equality for those people who are oppressed and marginalised within society as well as the wider non-human environment

• Working alongside and with oppressed and marginalised people in a ‘bottom-up’ rather than ‘top-down’ approach

• Incorporating an analysis of power that helps to explain the oppression and marginalisation of vulnerable groups and nature

• Interrogating dominant assumptions and beliefs about human rights

• Working towards emancipatory personal, cultural and social change

Doing Critical Social Work (Pease et al, 2016) CHAPTER 5 – TOWARDS A CRITICAL HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE (NIPPERESS)

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Explore (pg. 79 - 83)

• Ethical context • Legal context • Historical context • Political context • Organisational context • Theoretical context

• Practice context Working at these three levels – the personal, cultural and structural levels – demonstrates the importance of working in all of the domains of practice (pg. 83)

Doing Critical Social Work (Pease et al, 2016) CHAPTER 5 – TOWARDS A CRITICAL HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE (NIPPERESS)

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Whiteness / White Australia policy HISTORY & TODAY

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Why Australia wanted a White Australia policy - ABC Education

What is your reaction to this video about the White Australia Policy?

Discuss with the person next to you and

share one point with the class

Reflections on ending the White Australia policy - ABC Education

• What will help

Australia build a

cohesive society?

• How does social

work play a role?

Whiteness / White Australia policy HISTORY & TODAY

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Understanding Privilege

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The Privilege Walk

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• If one or both of your parents were "white collar" professionals: doctors, lawyers, etc. take one step forward.

• If you ever tried to change your appearance, mannerisms, or behaviour to avoid being judged or ridiculed, take one step back.

• If you were told that you were smart and capable by your parents, take one step forward. • If you went to school speaking a language other than English, take one step back. • If your family owned the house where you grew up, take one step forward. • If one of your parents was unemployed or laid off, not by choice, take one step back. • If you attended private school at any point in your life take one step forward. • If you were ever stopped or questioned by the police because of your race, ethnicity, gender

or sexual orientation, take one step back.

• If you are able to take a step forward or backward (ie:to walk) take two steps forward

Source: University of Houston

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Doing Critical Social Work (Pease et al, 2016) CHAPTER 6 – INTERROGATING PRIVILEGE AND COMPLICITY IN THE OPPRESSION OF OTHERS (PEASE)

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AWARENESS OF OUR OWN PRIVILEGE “How might social workers who adopt a critical perspective, unwittingly reproduce systemic oppression, while espousing social justice and human rights? How might they be complicit in the reproduction of patriarchy, white supremacy, class domination and other systems of inequality? Probyn (2004) challenges social work practitioners and academics to consider the connections between the work that we do on social justice issues and the privileged positions that we occupy. This means that social workers will need to be more aware of their complicity and challenge it in others. They will also need to develop strategies and skills for critical practices that encourage responsibility to expose this complicity. In addressing these challenges, social workers need to explore critical studies in the fields of masculinity, whiteness, heterosexuality, ableism and other fields of privilege.” (pg 89)

BECOMING AWARE (Curry-Stevens, 2007)

• Step 1: Awareness of oppression. Members of privileged groups must be convinced that

oppression still exists today.

• Step 2: Awareness of oppression as structural and therefore enduring and pervasive. Members

of privileged groups must develop a structural analysis of power relations and oppression.

• Step 3: Locating oneself as oppressed. Members of privileged groups must first identify

themselves as oppressed before they see themselves as being privileged. •

• Step 4: Locating oneself as privileged. After recognising their oppression, members of

privileged groups recognise their privileged positioning.

• Step 5: Understand the benefits that flow from privilege. Members of privileged groups

understand how their life experiences have been shaped by their privileged position.

• Step 6: Understanding oneself as implicated in the oppression of others and understanding

oneself as an oppressor. Members of privileged groups understand the role that they play in

upholding systems of oppression and how they are culpable for, and implicated in, oppression.

Doing Critical Social Work (Pease et al, 2016) CHAPTER 6 – INTERROGATING PRIVILEGE AND COMPLICITY IN THE OPPRESSION OF OTHERS (PEASE)

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https://www.ted.com/talks/kimberle_crenshaw_the_urgency_of_intersectionality

Intersectionality: Kimberlè Crenshaw THEORIES IN PRACTICE

• Where do you intersect?

• How can this be helpful for the work we do as social workers across practice, policy and research?

• #ReflectReviewRefocus

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STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE (pg 104)

• “Structural violence recognises the capacity of people and

institutions through ‘action and inaction’ to inflict harms such as

‘discrimination, economic inequality and social injustice’ on

victims even when not in a direct relationship with them (Allen

2001: 47).”

• “These harms include those that are socially approved, and those

that are avoidable, that breach human rights or prevent people’s

access to basic human needs through: (1) omission, failing to

provide assistance to people in need, (2) as a result of repression,

or a violation of civil, political, economic and/or social rights, or

through (3) alienation, or severely limiting people’s emotional,

cultural, or intellectual growth (Allen 2001: 47–8).”

Doing Critical Social Work (Pease et al, 2016) CHAPTER 7 – SOCIAL WORK, CLASS AND THE STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE OF POVERTY (HOSKEN)

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