Practice with Diverse Groups

Lecture 3Anti Oppressive Practice

(Bains. D., (2007). Doing Anti-Oppressive Practice Building Transformative Politicized Social work)

They came for the Communists, and I did not speak up because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Protestants and I did not speak up because I was Catholic. Then they came for me and by that time there was no one left to speak up.

Martin Niemoeller (Minister)

Mission of Social Work

• To expose the roots and effects of social oppression• Social oppression

• The “isms”• A short hand way of categorizing the systemic mistreatment of people according to one of their

many identities, biological or cultural.

Oppression

Oppression = Prejudice + Power

• If we live long enough, all of us will experience some form of oppression.

• There are different types of power:• Power over• Power from within.

• Systems work by imposing power over• Works through coercion, fear• Undermine – withdraw consent , non-cooperation

• We have endless reserves of power from within, creativity, imagination

How would you define…..

• Collective Power• When we act together…

• Social Power• Example - power men have over women, white people have over people of

color, etc.

What is Oppression?

Victimization Power imbalance Bullying Lack of Rights Discrimination Less eligibility Disempowerment Low self worth Lack of respect Alienation Being kept down Feeling of isolation Internalised oppression

There are different forms of oppression

Types of Oppression

• Individual• Attitudes and beliefs that motivates acts of discrimination against a social

group• E.g. a store owner who suspects all teenage customers of stealing.

Types of Oppression

• Institutional: • Laws and policies enacted by institutions that disadvantage some but

advantage others, reproducing systems of inequality.• Examples of institutions include government, education, law, religion, and the media;

Types of Oppression

• Cultural: Social norms, roles, language, music or art that reflect and reinforce the belief that one social group is superior to another, rendering inequalities as normal and deserved• E.g. most popular characters on a television program are white, thin and

heterosexual

When SSW’s empower people, they need to work at three different levels:

1. The individual2. Themselves3. Social Movements

The Individual:• An individual’s problems are not due to individual failures, but are

due to society’s oppressive structures.

Private problems = Public Problems

The Social Service Worker:• The SSW does not hold the power within the therapeutic

relationship.

Social Movements & Alternative Social Services:• Social movements are groups that advocate for social change.

• Challenge privilege• Look at the roots of oppression

• Alternative Social Services emphasize the principle of consumer control.

Forms of Oppression

• Ablism• Ageism• Classism• Ethnocentrism• Heterosexism• Racism• Sexism

Marilyn Frye - Birdcage

If you look closely at the cage you can not see the other bars.It is only when you step back and take a look at the whole do you see how multiple bars work together to form a cage.

Those on the outside are also restricted – they are locked out of that location

Define Anti-Oppressive Practice (AOP) (Dalhousie University School of Social Work n.d.)

• Recognizing:• Power imbalances and working towards change to redress the

balance of power• That oppression does not work in isolation

What does it mean to work from an anti-oppression framework? (Dalhousie University School of Social Work n.d.)

• Actively working to acknowledge and shift power towards inclusiveness, accessibility, equity and social justice.• Ensuring that anti-oppression is embedded in everything

that you do by examining attitudes and actions through the lens of access, equity and social justice.• Being conscious and active in the process of learning and

recognizing that the process as well as the product is important.• Creating a space where people are safe, but can also be

challenged.

Why Use AOP(Dalhousie University School of Social Work n.d.)

• Difficult for us to recognize that we oppress others, we need to recognize that we do. • E.g., We oppress when:

• We form stereotypes • We meet someone who doesn’t fit into our stereotype and think that they

are an exception to “their group”

We oppress when: (continued)

• We do not want to think about racism, sexism, etc. because it makes us uncomfortable, angry, defensive, guilty, etc. Instead, we “make believe” that everything is fine.• We do not speak up when someone tells a racist, sexist, etc. joke. • We tell or think that someone is “making a big deal” out of nothing e.g.

instances of discrimination• We think that people are rude or slow if they respond differently e.g.

different traditions, difficulty speaking English, etc

Direct Service Strategies (Bains. D., (2007). Doing Anti-Oppressive Practice Building Transformative Politicized

Social work)

Anti Oppressive

Practice

Engaging Authentically

Empowerment & Capacity Building

Educating Service Users

Educating otherService Providers

Assisting Service Users to navigate systems

Direct Service Strategies (Bains. D., (2007). Doing Anti-Oppressive Practice Building Transformative Politicized

Social work)

• Assisting Service Users to navigate systems• Recognizing that many of the systems clients use every day can be

problematic e.g., legal, financial, educational systems• Helping clients understand how these systems function• Providing options within these systems

Direct Service Strategies (Bains. D., (2007). Doing Anti-Oppressive Practice Building Transformative Politicized

Social work)

• Empowerment & Capacity Building• Helping clients develop the confidence and skill necessary to negotiate

systems for themselves

• Educating Other Service Providers• Sensitizing other service providers to the needs of clients• E.g., educating OW workers about domestic violence

Direct Service Strategies(Bains. D., (2007). Doing Anti-Oppressive Practice Building Transformative Politicized Social work)

• Engaging Authentically• Creating a safe space for clients• Working being present and interested in the client• The worker is – fair, non-judgemental, welcoming

• Educating Service Users• To the issues• New ways of considering thing (information e.g., other ways to discipline

children beside spanking)• About services