Culturally Relevant Social Work Critical Consciou

Because a critical self-awareness is essential for effective and culturally relevant social work practice, the purpose of this assignment is to critically analyze how your background and social identities may influence your social work practice going forward. As evidenced by the privilege exercise(s) completed in class, we are all privileged in some areas and oppressed in others (examples of these dimensions can relate to but are not limited to age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, tribal sovereign status, nationality, society’s view of attractive, average size, non-institutionalized, etc.). In other words, we have multiple, intersecting identities—some of which are more privileged and others more oppressed. Likewise, we all have a familial and ancestral history, and these backgrounds (sometimes inadvertently) influence our lives today.

To complete this assignment, address the following in four to five pages (not including title page and reference page):

• Ethnic Background: What do you know about your ethnic background? If you have many ethnic backgrounds, you may choose one to focus on, if you prefer. This could include history, immigration context of ancestors, religion/spirituality, characteristics, etc. Include at least one research-based reference that informs this. In addition to the research-based resource, here is one website to start with: Countries and their Cultures (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Identify ways in which your ethnic background and family history show up in your life today (i.e., religious, political views, tendencies/traits, values, preferences etc.).
• Socialization: To what extent do you accept (or accept uncritically) the values, beliefs, assumptions, and prescriptions you have received as a result of your socialization into particular communities?
• Relationships/Social Lessons: What is your understanding about how to act in a relationship with someone who belongs to a different class, race, status, and so forth? From what sources have you learned these social lessons?
• Privilege: Drawing from your multiple intersecting identities identified in the privilege exercise(s), what has been your experience of privilege in any of your social identities? Because you have many identities, you may choose to focus on one or two identities.
• Structures: To what extent have you accepted the structures of your society as unproblematic, especially structures related to power and privilege? To what extent are you able or willing to raise questions about them?
• Impact on Social Work Practice: How might your identities impact your social work practice with a person who has different social identities (i.e., more socially distant) than you? For instance, how might a person of a different background perceive you? How would this affect your perception of the client(s) and their behaviors? How might this affect trust, openness, and the social work relationship? How might you minimize barriers posed based on your social distance from this client?
• Clear Writing and Formatting: Writing is clear and is properly formatted in APA style.