SW 8100: Social Work with Diverse Populations

Spring 2008Dr. Anne Tellett

Dr. Priscilla A. Day

Definition

“culture is learned, shared, and transmitted values, beliefs, norms, and life ways of a group which are generally transmitted intergenerationally and influence one’s thinking and action” (Leininger,1998)

in (Hogan, 2007, p.15)

Culture Is made up of meaning systems,

such as beliefs, values, and ways of thinking and viewing the world

These are learned through social interactions with family and the community

They are largely invisible, unrecognized and not discussed

Culture is multi-layered

It exists at individual, group and societal level:

individual assumptions, values, beliefs shaped by family and social group

group membership based on ethnicity, gender, age, class, race, religion, sexual orientation, region of the country, etc.

societal institutions that shape our world - schools, workplaces, the media, government

Complex process

“Intercultural learning is never linear or orderly. It is a process that occurs in complex ways with increasing levels of cultural knowledge” ( Nakanishi & Ritter, 1992)

Personal Barriers to Effective Communication

Language Nonverbal communication Preconceptions, stereotypes, and

discrimination Judgments Stress

Personal Process

Everyone goes through a process of cultural identity development.

This process looks different for people of color and white people.

What is privilege?Society gives privilege to groups by assigning

unearned overadvantage to some groups and unearned underadvantage to others.

It gives status and power to members of the groups with privilege

It has nothing to do with merit or ability. It is systemic.

Privilege is similar to a fish being unaware of the water in which it lives

Many kinds of privilege White privilege Heterosexual privilege Able-bodied privilege Class privilege Privilege based on religion Privilege based on gender Privilege based on formal education

Denial The pressure to avoid the realization of

privilege is great If we face it, we have to give up the

myth of meritocracy…if these things are true, this is not such a free country and one’s life is not what one makes it

Many doors are open for certain people through no virtues of their own

How can you address privilege?

Do not assume that all differences are the same

Acknowledge and validate everyone’s experience

Avoid assumptions Listen with compassion Create safety and room for everyone Speak from your experience, not

generalities

“Whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work that will allow ‘them’ to be like ‘us’” (MacIntosh, 1998).

Naming it “To speak of whiteness is, I think, to

assign everyone a place in the relations of racism. It is to emphasize that dealing with racism is not merely an option for white people – that, rather, racism shapes white people’s lives and identities in a way that is inseparable from other facets of daily life” (Frankenberg, 1993, p.6).

White Racial Identity Development (WRID) –Assumptions (Sue & Sue, 1999)

Racism permeates all aspects of life We are all socialized into society - inheriting

all the biases, stereotypes and racist attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of the larger society

Individuals go through an identifiable process as they perceive themselves as racial beings

All interracial relationships are affected by the stage of racial identity each person is in

Minority Racial Identity Development (MRID)-Assumptions (Atkinson, Morten, & Sue, 1993)

Anchored in belief that all minority groups experience the common force of oppression

As a result, all will generate attitudes and behaviors consistent with natural internal struggle to develop strong sense of self-identity and group identity, despite oppressive situations

MRID Focus

Each stage reflects four kinds of attitudes: Attitudes toward self Attitudes toward others in the same

reference group Attitudes toward members of other

minority groups Attitudes toward white, majority group

Identity Change Stages

Stages are integral to learning cultural diversity content

An identity change also forces one to change personal paradigm ( meaning, beliefs and deep assumptions about reality)

Comments on stage theories racial identity development is not linear

people move back and forth from stage to stage, but when revisiting an earlier stage, it will look different because of new experience

the concept of recycling through the

stages can be seen as a spiral staircase

Conformity Stage

WRID reliance on

stereotypes and societal messages

deny discrimination exists, deny own prejudices

ethnocentric -little knowledge of other racial groups

MRID preference for the

values and norms of the dominant culture

Desire to assimilate and acculturate

Negative attitudes toward their group and themselves as a racial being

Dissonance Stage

WRID forced to deal with

inconsistencies in societal messages

realization can result in guilt, shame, anger, and depression

MRID Often stimulated by a

personal race related experience either an influence by someone with strong ethnic pride or a personal experience with racism

State of flux and confusion

Resistance and Immersion

WRID major questioning of own

and others’ racism awakened, suddenly

seeing what has been hidden

anger toward society, family and friends – feel lied to

self-hatred as well as guilt for being part of an oppressive system

MRID blanket endorsement of

one’s own group, it’s values and attitudes

rejection of values and norms of dominant group

accepts racism as a reality

guilt over previous “naïve” attitudes

very negative attitudes toward dominant group

Introspection Stage

WRID Introspection and

reformulation of what it means to be white, after the swing from unconditional acceptance of white identity to rejection of whiteness

Feelings of loss and isolation common – can never truly understand a person of color’s experience, but new awareness also cuts off from other white people

MRID Comfort and security in own

racial identity Turn energy from previous

anger to positive exploration of identity issues

Views toward own group are no longer blindly positive and individual differentiation is considered

Still distrust of the “system” but individual variation of white people is recognized

Integrative Synergistic Articulation Awareness and Awareness

WRID Understand self as a

racial being Aware of sociopolitical

influences re: racism Increased commitment

toward eradicating oppression

Inner sense of security and strength, which is needed to function in society where only marginally accepted

MRID Sense of self-fulfillment

re: cultural identity Confident and secure Desire to eliminate all

forms of oppression High positive regard

toward own group, but not blanket acceptance

Selective appreciation of whites who seek to halt oppression

“Differences do not separate us, but refusing to acknowledge them and the role they take in shaping our relationships and institutions keeps us apart. We need to rethink difference – use it as a place to reconstruct our world.” (Audre Lorde)

References

Hogan, M. (2007). The four skills of cultural diversity competence: A process for understanding and practice. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education.

Ponterotto, J. and Pederson, P. (1993). Preventing prejudice: A guide for counselors and educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (1999). Counseling the culturally different: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). New York: J. Wiley & Sons.