Ethnography is the study of people and cultures. Each family can trace its roots back throughout the years with the help of family trees, artifacts, and history books. There is also a new website that has been available for use called Ancestry.com, it allows you to put in your family tree and it tells you where your ancestry has been in the news, books, or other family members you might not have realized you had. There are tons of ways to find out about your family. It is a great way to learn who you really are and about your past. My family consists of a short generation. My parents, Gina and Darrell, are divorced. I am the oldest and I have a younger brother, Kyle. My mom’s side of the family is the Cox family. My mom is the oldest of five. …show more content…
I have a strong work ethic and I have respect for my parents and elders. I think that everyone is shaped from their family and what their family has as child rearing practices. Walker quotes, “Parent’s influence on children’s moral development [was strong], given their position of authority within the family” (Walker 1999). As a social worker, everyone has to be open to their clients, especially if clients have a different belief than you. I know growing up in the south, I was taught that gay marriage was wrong and you have to be who you were born to be. I have also been taught that it is wrong to be interracial married. Now times have changed and these things are acceptable. As a social worker, I will meet with people who are different than me and believe different things than me. I can run into a gay person, or someone who is interracial married. Being a social worker, you have to be comfortable with other people; you cannot let them affect who you are. I might not believe in certain things, but it does not mean that I will not help them. I will put my cultural identity behind me and I will help my client. It might be hard to do, but I can go talk to my supervisor if I feel like the difference would interfere with how I would help my
In the social work practice, social workers should abide by and respect the protocol of their particular organization. The first ethical standard I would like to discuss is that a social worker having cultural competence and social (NASW, 1999). A social worker must possess the knowledge of values, customs, tradition and history just to name a few in order to have success with clients that may identify as something other than their own identity. Culture directs impacts human behavior. Within this case study, due to Mrs. Sanchez’s culture, she struggled to assimilate with the American culture and this included her being able to learn the English language. Her culture was very important to her and I respect that. As a social worker, I would have
In Essentials of Cultural Anthropology, the book defines ethnography as “a written account of how a single human population lives” (Bailey & Peoples, 2014, p. 8). It seems to be such a simple definition to the multiple levels needed to make a successful ethnography as shown by Douglas Raybeck in Mad Dogs, Englishmen, and the Errant Anthropologist. These multiple levels of ethnographic methods include problems that often arise, the assimilation into a culture, and the many different ways of perceiving culture. This method of study is particularly unique to the social sciences because of the extensive amount of assimilation one does in order to interpret a society's culture. There is the need for a year-long period--occasionally even longer--
After reviewing the NASW’s Position Statement of Gays and Lesbians, I found that “NASW supports laws and rights as it pertains to the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual, and transgender or the LGBT (NASW, 2004).” Moreover, the position statement identifies that homosexuals should be seen as equals and be given the right to such issues as same-sex marriages, adoptions, joint tax returns, shared health insurance, parenting, and bereavement leaves. As social workers we should not try to change a person’s beliefs about their sexual orientation in anyway, but seek to gain education concerning human sexuality, human sexual development, and a high degree of comfort and communication skills when responding to such issues (Haldman, 1994).
In the National Association for Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, there are many standards a social worker should uphold in order to promote a healthy and helpful relationship with the client. One such aptitude is Cultural Competence and Social Diversity, which is in section 1.05 of the NASW code of ethics (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). There are three sections associated with this competency “Social workers should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths in all cultures”. It is assumed that “social workers should have a knowledge base of their clients’ cultures and be able to demonstrate competence in the provision of services that are sensitive to clients”. As a final point “Social workers should obtain education” in order to understand cultural diversity and oppression in people (NASW, 2008, p. 9).
The NASW Code of Ethics highlights the need for social workers to ensure they have proper education about social diversity. They should be well versed in the adversities that face discriminated groups (Workers, N.A., 2008). This standard applies to the case since it addresses sexual orientation. The Code of Ethics makes it clear that as part of their professional values social workers should seek to understand diversity among members of society. The standard means that it is ethically required of a social worker to assist groups that could face bigotry in any manner in society.
These professionals have to keep an open mind with the people they are working with and trying to help in order to have a positive influence on their lives. If they keep a closed and secure mind on those that are different from you, you will not be able to help them to your best ability. Also having a judge free zone helps to interact with clients in an effective way because it allows the client to feel comfortable and will be willing to receive the help that is to come. Race impacts the way that social workers because, “the client may experience this socially as isolation or psychologically as shame and alienation” (pg. 53), therefore, the professional must keep an open mind in helping others who are feeling this way. If they begin to look down on the clients based on their race or even begin to stereotype them, the client may see this as normal and that change is impossible. Social workers cannot discriminate, oppress, or be prejudiced toward their clients because they are there to get help and not to be criticized by someone who is there to help them. Social workers should also ignore the “stereotype of overly aggressive, cynical verbal behavior, commonly associated with many minorities” (pg. 53), since this is not allowing the client to feel like they have the power to change and get the help they need in order to succeed. All the problems and issues that come along with race have to be looked past when it comes to social workers and other human services, all of the clients should be treated equal no matter the tone of their skin or their facial
Getting an education is essential to becoming a good social worker. Social workers need cultural competency in working with every type of population including people of different ethnicities, race, gender, sexually identity, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. We also need enough education in order to advocate and be comfortable advocating for our clients. Our LGBT clients go through obstacles that straight people will never have to go to such as fighting for the right to marry, getting picked on in school and trying to prove to people that their sexual orientation is a real thing. The following paragraphs include how articles about the lack of social work education have affected my views about my education and my career.
A family might include anyone related by blood or by adoption such as: step parents, grandparents acting as parents, and even brothers and sisters sharing the same household. However, worldwide “the family is regarded as the most ba...
A client may expect a social worker of the same gender to agree with their own perspective. For example, in a couple going to marriage counseling with a female social worker, the wife may expect the social worker to take her side, while the husband may expect to receive little support. A social worker could also push how they feel about their gender on a client. For example, a female social worker may not approve of how a female client dresses and expect the client to dress the way she does or did at that client’s age. A client who is from the same culture as the social worker may expect the social worker to follow cultural norms, even if those norms are not in line with the NASW’s Code of Ethics. A social worker with a similar cultural background as a client may only offer certain resources, assuming the client will only accept resources that fit into the culture. Clients in the same age bracket as a social worker may feel the social worker is more of a friend and the social worker may find it difficult to earn the respect of a
Firstly, cultural tensions in social work practice are multifaceted; social workers are always at the center of these tensions; social workers are positioned to be agents of cultural acculturation, so they must be critical to their own socio-organizational position. The second is that visible minority social workers encounter a very different type of cultural tension. They tend to walk an extra fine line between their personal and professional life domains due to their various cultural backgrounds. Lastly, cultural tensions require a high level of sensitivity of social workers to reflect on their own cultural
In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," the message about the preservation of heritage, specifically African-American heritage, is very clear. It is obvious that Walker believes that a person's heritage should be a living, dynamic part of the culture from which it arose and not a frozen timepiece only to be observed from a distance. There are two main approaches to heritage preservation depicted by the characters in this story. The narrator, a middle-aged African-American woman, and her youngest daughter Maggie, are in agreement with Walker. To them, their family heritage is everything around them that is involved in their everyday lives and everything that was involved in the lives of their ancestors. To Dee, the narrator's oldest daughter, heritage is the past - something to frame or hang on the wall, a mere artistic, aesthetic reminder of her family history. Walker depicts Dee's view of family heritage as being one of confusion and lack of understanding.
Everyone in the world belongs to a subculture. Each subculture has its own sets of traditions, relics, and artifacts. Relics and artifacts are symbolic, material possessions important to one's subculture. Relics are from the past; artifacts are from the present. These traditions, relics, and artifacts help shape the personalities of individuals and how they relate with others. Individuals know about these items through storytelling in the subculture. Families are good examples of subcultures. My family, a middle-class suburban Detroit family of Eastern European heritage, has helped shape who I am through story telling about traditions, artifacts, and relics.
Social Workers shall develop an understanding of their own personal and cultural values and beliefs as a first step in appreciating the importance of multicultural identities in the lives of people…Cultural competence includes knowing and acknowledging how fears, ignorance, and the “isms” (racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, heterosexism, ageism, classism) have influenced their attitudes, beliefs, and feelings. (citation)
Throughout my life I have heard a wide range of stories from my parents. When putting this assignment together I have put these stories into account. Randall Bass, educator of English at Georgetown University, concurs that stories shape individuals ' personalities. Bass expresses that, "People infer their feeling of personality from their way of life, and societies are frameworks of conviction that decide how individuals experience their lives" (Bass 1). Social stories about family history, religion, nationality, and legacy impact individuals ' conduct and convictions. Personalities of diverse individuals originate from their societies. Narrating starts at home. Stories associate individuals to their frameworks of convictions. They shape individuals ' lives by giving them a model of how to live. Individuals get their most punctual learning from distinctive stories. (Bass)
In order to be an effective counselor, one must remember to keep the client(s) in mind. The goal is to assist the client(s) in living the best life possible for that particular person or persons. With that being said, one cannot forget that they have their own set of morals, values, ideas, and the like. Social workers have to keep in mind that there will be cases that are complex and a favorable outcome may not be possible. In the instance that I am confronted with an issue that conflicts with my religious beliefs, I plan on assisting the client as much as possible by adhering the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics, NASW standards for the Practice of Clinical Social Work, and discussing my concerns with my supervisor while