Introduction Person-in-Environment Framework In our practice as social workers, we are urged to view and understand human behavior as a set of complex interactions between individuals and their environment. This is known as the person-in-environment framework. This framework encourages us to acknowledge the influence of environment on our lives and provides a beneficial framework to think about and understand human behavior (Hutchinson, 2017). Understanding our work from this perspective allows us to approach our clients from a multi-dimensional stance, taking into consideration how various factors, including but not limited to, race, class, age and gender create individual identity and shapes an individual’s experience in the context of …show more content…
Diminishing these social injustices in which Izzie has experienced calls for measures aimed at empowerment. This involves engaging Izzie in dialogue that will assist her in gaining an awareness of the oppressive actions that have impacted the lives of her and her family so that the focus can then turn to actions of self-determination which can liberate her from oppressive conditions (Marsiglia & Kulis, 2016). Further, as part of this empowerment process, we should focus on ways to help Izzie define and express herself independent of the definitions promoted by the dominant culture about people in marginalized groups(van Voorhis, 1998). This process of empowerment requires an intricate and collaborative social worker and client relationship, with Izzie leading the way as the expert on her family and situation. The direction of this relationship is client-led while the social worker engages in continual assessment of his or her own cultural values, norms, beliefs as well as privilege and power to ensure minimal imposition of such things in their work with Izzie and her …show more content…
This increases the chances for their poor and minority children to experience further future racial and class inequality. We need to consider the long-term consequences of this family’s current situation as engage with them. Several implications arise when we consider parental/familial incarceration and the impact it has on their family members left behind. Incarceration elevates risk of divorce or separation, reduces financial resources and security of the partners and children left behind, increases child behavioral problems, increases social marginalization and other negative economic, health and well-being outcomes (Wildeman & Western, 2010; Sugie, 2012). Knowing what we do regarding social determinants of health, these are important issues to keep in mind in our work with this
McBride, Elizabeth Cincotta, Solomon, Amy L. Familites Left Behind, The Hidden Cost of Incarceration and Reentry. http://www.urban.org/publications/310882.html . Accessed May 1, 2014 American Psychological Association. Webpage. Washington, DC 04 01 2014 http://www.apa.org/topics/parenting/ Alex D Thio, Jim D Taylor, Martin D Schwartz.
This must, in many cases, have a large, negative affect on families and their economic stability. It is difficult to be a single parent and if a parent is suddenly forced in this position when the other parent gets incarcerated, the family may have to move or drastically change their lifestyle to compensate for the lower income. This loss of income can be extremely damaging to
In addition, challenges can arise when there is no commonality in identities or when identities between myself and a client are radically different. In these times, as a social worker who has a degree of power in a relationship with people seeking help, that I must acknowledge to myself that my power can impede on inclusively practicing and remain self-aware (Gelfand, Sullivan, & Steinhouse,
By establishing a worker/client relationship, this will provide Laura with a secure base to operate from in the future. She will be able to confidently explore her historical, current, and future relationship with her mother knowing that she can receive comfort and reassurance from me, her social worker. Once she recognizes this secure base, I will assist her in discovering how she currently handles her relationship with her mother. During this relational discovery process with her mother, I will also allow her to explore her relationship with me, showing Laura how her previous ways of dealing with others could be positively changed through the change of her various internal behavioral models. Through this social worker and client relationship exploration, Laura will discover how her current perceptions of her mother are connected to expectations from their relationship when she was a child, providing her the opportunity to view the current relationship differently.
The United States has a larger percent of its population incarcerated than any other country. America is responsible for a quarter of the world’s inmates, and its incarceration rate is growing exponentially. The expense generated by these overcrowded prisons cost the country a substantial amount of money every year. While people are incarcerated for several reasons, the country’s prisons are focused on punishment rather than reform, and the result is a misguided system that fails to rehabilitate criminals or discourage crime. This literature review will discuss the ineffectiveness of the United States’ criminal justice system and how mass incarceration of non-violent offenders, racial profiling, and a high rate of recidivism has become a problem.
Much of this paradigm dates back to the work of social work theoretician and practitioner William Gordon. Gordon was instrumental in conceptualizing the framework that the understanding and practice social work involved not only internal matters of the respective minds and environments but of their interactions and relationships as well (Heinonen & Spearman, 2001). The ‘ecosystems framework’ is complemented by concepts supported in ‘systems theory’ and ‘ecology’. ‘Systems theory’ stresses the effects of interacting elements where multiple elements are themselves whole, interact and combine to form a whole, and have relationships with other wholes (Heinonen & Spearman, 2001). An open, interactive, system may receive nourishment and sustainability from within itself and from its relationships with others (Heinenon & Spearman, 2001).
According to the National Alliance of Social Workers (NASW), social justice is one of the primary ethics which social workers must uphold. Empowerment is a social work theory rooted in social justice, with a main goal of reducing social inequalities through community building and redistribution of access to power. The basic premise of empowerment is "to change the environment, change yourself" (Van Wormer & Besthorn, pg. 212). However, in order to change one 's environment or self, there must be options available and opportunities for individuals to have control over their own decisions. Empowerment theory also aims to build community through citizen participation, collaboration and engagement among community members.
Vonnie McLoyd discusses in the book Child Development that black families are more likely to face poverty in America and the effects that poverty has on those children. McLoyd states that children that have faced poverty in their lives can have “impaired socioemotional functioning” (McLoyd 311). As a result from job loss creating parental stress, parents often become
Introduction Integrating theory into social work practice is essential in defining why social work is needed and how to practice it effectively. This paper will discuss two theories; intersectionality and life course theory, as I believe that these two theories are collectively suitable and effective in interrupting the cycle of oppression. I will draw upon both my own experiences and literature to analyze the strengths and limitations of intersectionality and life course theory. This discussion will exemplify how intersectionality and life course theory enhance each other and can work synergistically to inform my social work practice. Intersectionality Intersectionality is a macro theory, which looks at the complexity of an individual’s identity
First of all, I had the opportunity to interview Kim Bartells who’s a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in Michealsen Health Center and learn more about her role as a social work. Before I started interviewing Kim, I asked her if it was alright with her if I recorded the conversation and she said it was fine with it. I started the interview with asking what type of population Michealsen Health Center serves and she told me it was mostly elderly people. Kim works in a “Microlevel intervention involves working with individuals--- separately, in families, or in small groups---to facilitate change in individual behavior or in relationship” (DuBois and Miley 69). This types of individuals she is working with are elderly residents “who utilize long-term care experience a combination of physical or cognitive limitation that require some level of assistance in activities of daily living” (DuBois and Miley 314-315) and their families as well.
Introduction This paper outlines the person-in-environment’s concepts and the advantages of this approach. In the following part, I will also share the experiences that how the concept affected me when I was facing any life challenge and how it influences me in coping the problems. The Understanding of Person-In-Environment’s Concepts After learning about the person-in-environment’s concepts, it is believed that these concepts can be applied across social work practice and guide the social workers seek to recognize the interaction between the clients and the environment. In person-in-environment perspective, the concept of person describes service users' developmental and functioning abilities in the society, which based on the environmental
Despite social workers best efforts to keep their feelings in check and to respect differences, being confronted with situations in which their values and morals conflict with those of their clients is a common scenario. For example, one may feel uncomfortable dealing with clients because of his or her sexual orientation. This issue arises because of the practitioner’s religious affiliation which results in the practitioner being unable to accept homosexuality. Another example, a pregnant client, ask her pro-life social worker for help obtaining an abortion. As the act of abortion conflicts with the social workers’ values, they may feel torn.
Social work practice has been altered, revised, and rewritten as society begins to acknowledge the acceptable oppressions and attempts to change the current circumstances. Every situation, when working with a service user, is different. Therefore, a plethora of theories, practices, and perspectives must be considered. There is not a definitive way to practice social work; multiple theories are considered per case to best accommodate the service user in the least distressing and oppressive way possible. A practice that has recently become popular in social work is anti-oppressive practice.
In social work practice, applying an ecological approach can be best understood as looking at persons, families, cultures, communities, and policies and to identify and intervene upon strengths and weaknesses in the transactional processes between these systems. Holistic thinking can provide a paradigm for understanding how systems and their interactions can maintain an individual 's behavior. Bronfenbrenner (1979), suggests four levels of ecological components as a useful framework for understanding how individual or family processes are influenced by hierarchical environmental systems. Evaluation of approach. Demonstrate critical thinking by using our discussion of theory and EBP to critically appraise the strengths and limitations of the approach at your first field placement.
INTRODUCTION This is a key framework of sociological theory. It depend on symbols and their meaning. The words we use to describe our behaviour and the behaviour of others is very important. To elaborate further and get into detail about this theory, firstly the theory and key terms have to be defined, secondly the major proponents and tenets, thirdly the history of the theory, fourthly the purpose of the theory, fifthly the significance of the theory for social work practice, followed by the epistemology, consistency with social work values and ethics, implication of the theory, position of the theory on the population served by the social worker, strength and weakness, relevance of Intersectionality, critical perspective on contemporary issues