In this essay I will identify what is meant by oppressive and anti-oppressive practice and how it can affect the way in which social workers practice. This essay will also discuss what challenges a social worker may face when attempting to implement anti-oppressive practice when working with a service user from a different ethnic background. Such as the appropriate way in which a social worker should act when encountered with discriminatory and racist views believed by people social worker may come into contact with. Additionally whether a social worker may encounter any opportunities while applying anti-oppressive practice. For example a social worker being able to identify oppressive practice and be able to apply the concept of ethnicity…show more content… Typically, a government or political organization that is in power places these restrictions formally or covertly on oppressed groups so that they may be exploited and less able to compete with other social groups. The oppressed individual or group is devalued, exploited, and deprived of privileges by the individual or group who has more power’ (pp306-307).
Anti-oppression practice is the acknowledgement of oppression in cultures, societies and groups and to remove the influences that may encourage the oppression.
There are many challenges in implementing anti-oppressive practice in relation to ethnicity. One of the key challenges that social workers face within practice is their ideas and views on ‘race’. Many social workers working with a service user from a different ethnic background may have a stereotypical idea of how the service users’ family could be like. The social worker may then begin to build up a concept of how the service user may live and what cultural differences, they may have. This brings many challenges, as the service user may be identified, as a certain ethnic group however they may not live the lifestyle of the culture known to the particular group or associate with certain activities. For example a black guy is most likely to be thought of being associated with a gang, whereas this may not be the case. A service user may not adhere to the cultural behaviours, as…show more content… The PCS model identifies the links between personal experiences, beliefs and attitudes and places it in the context of the wider society. The model identifies that discrimination is not an individual matter but it seen in social and cultural settings. As a social worker you need to identify what are the personal, cultural and social elements that are impacting the service user (EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY, 2013). The personal (P) level is concerned with the individuals views this can be prejudice against a particular group for example and elderly white person making racist comments. This is than individual action this is most likely to be common in practice. This would be a challenge for social workers, as they would have to try and remove this prejudice and give the service user knowledge into the particular ethnicity. The cultural (C) level, which is shared values, supports the personal level; this can be developed from upbringing. The challenge for social workers would be that they would have to educate the wider communities about ethnicity and improve the outcomes of those that are affected by the discrimination. The social (S) level is the evaluation of how oppression is deep rooted in society, through institutions such as media, religion and also the government. Social workers need to challenge policy makers and the general