Lisa Werkmeister Rozas

Cultural Competence Revisited.

In 2001, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) adopted 10 discrete standards of culturally competent practice which undergird our commitment to diversity and social justice. The concept of intersectionality is newly emerging in social work, though, causing us to reflect on our current conceptualizations of cultural competence. According to this construct, in order to understand one aspect of the self, such as race, we have to understand how gender, ethnicity, sexuality, social class, and other markers influence one another. The authors present the concepts of cultural competence, social identity, and intersectionality in order to deepen our anti-oppression, social justice approach.

The Value and Purpose of the Traditional Qualitative Literature Review

Both meta-analysis and traditional literature or narrative reviews strive to compile a great deal of information in an accessible and succinct manner. In recent years, social work researchers have been turning toward meta-analysis to identify issues in large areas of research. In order for meta-analysis to be a rigorous and objective source of information there are a certain set of assumptions that must be met about how to carry out the process of including and excluding various studies. However, when these assumptions are not met, the information provided can be misleading. Traditional literature reviews continue to offer a valid and important way to identify existing patterns and gaps in social work research. In fact, because they draw not only on quantitative (as does meta-analysis) but also qualitative studies their reach may often be broader. This paper examines the strengths, weaknesses and utility of both practices in social work research today.

ENGAGING DIALOGUE IN OUR DIVERSE SOCIAL WORK STUDENT BODY: A MULTILEVEL THEORETICAL PROCESS MODEL

This article presents a theoretical process model for students engaging in dialogic learning about issues of race and anti-oppression. The model identifies conditions present in the dialogue process and demonstrates how these conditions, when coordinated with certain interventions and strategies, help to create particular outcomes for participants. Using qualitative data from 13 intergroup dialogue participants this model builds from previous research that links bias and prejudice reduction to positive and sustained intergroup contact. Results suggest that students involved in this dialogic learning process are also involved in a process of recategorization and efforts to promote social change.

Discourses for Social Justice Education: The Web of Racism and the Web of Resistance

This article presents two conceptual frames to help with teaching about issues of race and racism. First the concept of the web of racism describes a matrix that helps students understand the depth of damage racism has instilled in contemporary U.S. society. Second, the web of resistance offers a model of anti-racist activities to help students participate in the fight to end systemic racism. The importance of placing racism in a historical context is emphasized as are the differential reactions of white students and students of color to this material.

Making Room for Dynamics in Evidence-Based Practice: The Role of Psychodynamic Theory in Client-Centered Approaches.

The move toward evidence-based practice has fortified, and continues to strengthen, the social work profession through accountability, greater support for social interventions, and linking research and practice. This article considers potential limitations in exclusively promoting evidence-based practice in social work programs and advocates for an integrative approach when teaching clinical practice to master of social work students. Such an approach includes using psychodynamic principles in an effort to teach social work students the importance of self-awareness, dialoguing about diversity issues, and the use of theory in case formulations. Implications for social work education are discussed.

Towards a Human Rights Culture in Social Work Education

A human rights perspective must be embedded in the institutions, organisations or agencies where social work students find themselves. This paper will focus on one particular strategy that could be helpful to the process of solidifying a commitment to human rights for our students. Using a pedagogical tool from a school of social work in the USA originally developed to combat the social injustice of racism, the example transcends the academic institution and offers a solid link in connecting human rights, social justice and social work. Using the construct of critical realism, we argue that, for social work programmes to take steps towards an explicit commitment to human rights, not only must human rights be infused throughout the curriculum, but educators must provide opportunities for making more overt the links between human rights principles, social justice and social work. By addressing behaviours, tendencies and attitudes, students then acquire not only the skills and deeper understanding, but they internalise the motivation and commitment to broaden their human rights frame. In the process of developing a more firm commitment to human rights, we must not be limited to the walls of the academy, but rather extend beyond to our field agencies, organisations and communities.

University-Community Partnerships Promoting Anti-Oppressive Action on Behalf of Latino/a Youth

ABSTRACT This article emphasizes the effect university-community (UC) partnerships can have on addressing the oppression and discrimination of disenfranchised groups. It will present a process-outcome level, Freirian-inspired and Latino culture-focused UC partnership that seeks to promote anti-oppression strategies that benefit Latino/a youth. The model presented is based on the work of Connecticut United for Latino/a Children (CUPNL), a UC partnership created to advocate and promote changes on behalf of Latino/a youth. The value and usefulness of CUPNL is discussed through the example of its most longstanding initiative, the Escúchenos conference. Partnerships like CUPNL can serve as a mechanism for social workers to engage in and promote anti-oppression action.

Being on This Boat: The Provision of Culturally Competent Mental Health Services to People Living with HIV/AIDS

Many HIV-infected individuals experience varying degrees of stigma on the basis of multiple aspects of their identity. Cultural competence for this population must address all of the ways that clients experience stigma, including not only race and ethnicity but also gender, economic status, sexual orientation, geography, drug use, and physical health status. This article reports on an evaluation study of a mental health program for people living with HIV/AIDS. Findings suggest that social service agencies need to be responsive to all aspects of a clients identity. Implications for practice with this multidimensional population are also discussed.

Teaching Note—Teaching Intersectionality: Transforming Cultural Competence Content in Social Work Education

ABSTRACT Intersectionality has been gaining momentum among social workers as a framework to allow a fuller understanding of the complexity of diverse social identities and the impact of social structures on power, privilege, and oppression. However, the application of intersectionality to teaching in social work education has been relatively absent in the literature. This article describes a 3-hour graduate-level classroom exercise designed to increase knowledge and proficiency of intersectionality. Critical self-reflections of the participants’ experiences are provided to illustrate the evolving growth and awareness that can result from the educational process using this framework. Examples and suggestions for reading assignments and classroom activities are offered. Implications for social work education and future directions are discussed.

A Case of Mistaken Identity: What Happens When Race is a Factor

In an era where black males increasingly lay victim to death at the hands of police officers in the United States, efforts must be made not only to address biases of individuals in power but also to intervene on institutional and structural levels. This paper aims to explore how dynamics of race, power, and a lack of critical consciousness play an instrumental role in a social work intern’s learning process, clinical efficacy, and adherence to professional ethical standards. Using a case vignette situated within the context of an agency setting, this paper follows a white intern’s process working with a black adolescent and his family to highlight decisions made by upper-level management in an agency that were discriminatory, reinforced power differentials, and resulted in interruption of services, lack of client self-determination, and missed educational opportunities for the intern. It addresses implications for clinicians at all stages of training with regard to the role of supervision and the importance of addressing racism, other forms of discrimination, and power differentials in practice.