In addition, it is difficult to compare the research conducted on the integration of AOP into social work practice, since many researchers define AOP in differing ways or only explore certain aspects of it (Sakamoto & Pitner, 2005), such as intersectionality. Therefore, it may be challenging for practitioners and students to use this research to grasp a better understanding of the topic. Another limitation is that the term “anti-oppressive practice” may upset some social workers who do not necessarily use AOP to inform their practice because it implies that social workers not practicing with this orientation are not working towards social justice (Sakamoto & Pitner, 2005). Furthermore, because AOP is so focused towards creating social change on the macro level, it does not provide any solutions “to ‘immediate’ problems of individuals and families” (Sakamoto & Pitner, 2005). Another limitation is that because changing oppressive societal structures is a huge task for a group of professionals to accomplish, social workers using AOP in their practice can become discouraged that they are not able to make significant, lasting change (Sakamoto & Pitner, 2005).
An approach that I plan on employing within my future social work practice, is the anti-oppressive approach to social work intervention. This approach is incredibly important to comprehensive social work practice, and completely assisting a client with the social problems or discrimination that they may face within society. Anti-oppressive practice is employed in situations where the client is a victim of discriminatory power structures (Sakamoto, 2005). I will particularly be focusing on how discriminatory power structures impact racialized and visible minorities. The discrimination and mistreatment of visible minorities is widespread within contemporary Canadian society, as often times societal structures benefit dominant groups and mistreat
Anti-oppressive practice is also an approach of work in the social work that gives great emphasis to social change, empowerment, and partnership. Through anti-oppressive practice the problem of the individual is seen in a greater context: the individual, cultural, and societal and structural aspects are taken into consideration in the understanding of the problem and in its potential solutions. (Thompson 2002) developed the PCS model in other to fully grasp the full understanding of the individual, cultural and society which should influence the way social workers work with people of Black and ethnic minority and other oppressed groups. Intervention in the lives of the client should not only take place at the personal level but also cultural and structural in many cases all this level are interwoven. Power and Empowerment A central concept in the anti-oppressive and CRT practice is the role of power.
This can also relate to person in environment, “Social workers realize that they must pay attention to the environment in which people live, and they work to change the environment so that if functions more effectively for individuals, families, and communities”(Segal, Gerdes, Steiner, 2014, p.7). In this case, many social workers in the great
This system of oppression gave power and control those in the dominant group and allowed the inequality to persist. In today’s social work profession, it is constantly addressed that social workers should be prepared to work with any population in the community. Social workers are taught to be sensitive and aware of their power. By doing so, better client-worker relationships are build and better service results are achieved. Social workers are taught to be aware of their power, so that they are not controlling the client 's decision, but rather teaching them how to make their own decisions.
What is Anti-oppressive Social Work Within Canadian social work, the term “anti-oppressive practice” is generally understood as an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of practice approaches including, but not limited to, radical, structural, feminist, anti-racist, critical, and liberatory frameworks (Bailey & Brake, 1975; Dominelli, 1988; Dominelli & McLeod, 1989; Fook,2002; Leonard, 2001; Moreau, 1993; Roche, Dewees, Trailweaver, Alexander, Cuddy & Handy, 1999). Therefore, rather than being seen as one “practice approach”, anti-oppressive social work can be more accurately understood as a stance or perspective toward practice. The term ‘anti-oppressive social work’ represents the current nomenclature for a range of theories and practices
It is found that applying theory to practice may not always lead to the right conclusion, thus it establishes a precise approach to the social work process. The problem with choosing a particular point of view is that, whilst no particular theory is absolute, but when impartially applied, almost any can be used as theories as they are dynamic and always
Social workers need to develop self-awareness of their own views on aging and how these negative stereotypes can affect their practice. Research shows that
It’s not just simply a single identity but one can have multiple identities that determine their privileges and social experiences. Just thinking gender “neglects race and class; thus, it is an incomplete framework for understanding social inequality” (West and Fenstermarker, pg.9). One who suffers from oppression at the intersection of those three identities is more oppressed, but oppression is not simply ranked. Gender, race, and class are all connected and operate together that determine a person’s social experiences and access to resources. For example, women experience oppression but it discounts the different social experiences of a rich White woman versus a poor Black woman.
It is also an analytical tool for studying, understanding, and responding to the ways in which a variable of social category as in gender, intersects with other identities and how these intersections contribute to the experiences of those who are oppressed and privileged (AWID 2004, 1). In general, women with privileged are often hardly impacted by structural and dynamic powers, however, by compounding the intersecting multifaceted layers of identities, women with backgrounds, disabilities, status, age, and so on experiences the impact