SOWK 501

Exploring Self-Awareness and Ethical Practice in Social Work

Part A: Self-Awareness of Values and Biases

Introduction

The principle of self-awareness in social work assists clinicians in learning more about themselves and the biases and values that they hold so that they can offer appropriate services to their clients. In the context of social work practice, especially when practicing with culturally diverse groups, it is equally important to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a given cultural background that possibly shapes social worker’s perceptions and attitudes (Nelson et al., 2019). This reflection is useful in checking one’s progress or lack thereof in self-development and career enhancement. This self-reflective exercise aims to interrogate my presuppositions about other people or groups and consider how such presuppositions might determine how I approach my work. By engaging in this reflection, I will strive to be more culturally sensitive in my practice and minimize the effects of these biases.

Assumptions about African American Females

While growing up, there were positive and negative attitudes that influenced my perception of African American females. On the positive side, I learned to appreciate their strength and how they handle problems in a given society that looks down on them. Growing up in my family and within my community, African American women were shown as strong, independent, hardworking women who take pride in their ability to fend for their families and communities regardless of the odds stacked against them.

However, negative assumptions also influenced my perception of people of this ethnicity. Women of African American descent were sometimes portrayed as brash or even combative, which I realize are misguided portrayals that still deny these women their rightful assertiveness and courage (Nelson et al., 2019). If not controlled, these implicit biases may negatively impact my practice by failing to understand their conduct or body language appropriately.

As a clinician, it is critical to recognize these biases and try not to succumb or give in to them. Instead of being prejudiced towards clients and the kind of people they are, I want to be able to look at each client as a special case. Open communication skills and cultural sensitivity will help prevent situations in which the client will feel offended due to my personal opinion and preferences.

Assumptions about African American Males

Similarly, there are many positive and negative influences on my perceptions of African American males. On the one hand, I learned about their strength and authority in their culture, specifically in matters pertaining to family and community. In my upbringing, African American men were characterized by strength, the ability to endure the hardships of life, and utmost responsibility.

Nevertheless, there were also negative stereotypic cues filled into my culture related to criminality and violence. These assumptions were supported by other messages in the media that depicted African American males as threats or were more likely to engage in illicit behavior. I understand that such biases may affect my practice in areas concerning the conduct of the client or the possibility of developing violent tendencies (Taylor et al., 2019).

In the same capacity, it is important to fight such stereotyping and always see African American male clients as individuals bearing unique characteristics. To minimize such biases, I can strive to carry out regular self-reflective practice and seek supervision whenever required. I will strive to provide my clients with an open environment in which the risk of being stereotyped or misunderstood is minimized.

Biases Toward Another Ethnic Group: Latinx Community

As I think about another ethnic group, I have found that I possess some positive as well as negative beliefs about Latinx people. On the bright side, they have always had a good sense of family, unity, and passion for work (Taylor et al., 2019). In my childhood, I witnessed many Latinx families living in my neighborhood stressing family ties and mutual support, which I always appreciated.

However, I also know that I have learned discriminatory attitudes toward Latinx people, more specifically, regarding their immigration and legal status. These assumptions are based on stereotypical beliefs often cultivated in society and media, and such bias may influence my work. For instance, I might have a subconscious bias that a Latinx client is undocumented or has legal issues without properly knowing it.

Regarding these biases, I need to be ready to listen to each client’s history and eliminate prejudice concerning their ethnicity. One significant way I could enhance the current practice is by adopting cultural competence, which would allow me to treat Latinx clients in an affirmative and culturally sensitive manner (Handtke et al., 2019).

Biases Toward Socioeconomic Status

Another dimension in which my biases exist is socioeconomic status. In my childhood, I saw positive and negative assumptions being made about people of lower income, and black people in particular. On the one hand, I respected their fighting spirit and often perceived those from low socioeconomic backgrounds as good and attentive people. However, negative assumptions have been made, such as linking poverty to laziness or lack of life goals.

In this case, these biases could result in a poor perception of clients who are from the lower class, especially when carrying out my professional practice. I may automatically think they have poor financial health and are not trying hard enough to change their financial situation. To offset these biases, I need to be alert to the systemic factors perpetuating poverty and bring this awareness to how I interact with my clients.

Assumptions Regarding Education

Regarding education, I have prejudices concerning people with higher educational achievements than me, especially African Americans. In a way, I am envious of them because I look at them as people who have defied all odds to go to school. However, there is also an underlying assumption that people with education are difficult to approach or may not find me capable of meeting their needs.

In my professional practice, these biases could be a hurdle in ensuring that I develop a good working relationship with clients, especially those who are learned. To counter this, I have to stay focused on my duties as a clinician and keep in mind that my clients expect help and that there should be no rivalry between us but cooperation (Taylor et al., 2019).

Biases Toward African American Homosexuals

When it comes to gay African Americans, I acknowledge that I have my cultural and social biases towards the group. Though I try to be as open-minded as possible, I still recognize several prejudices and myths about the LGBTQ+ community, especially if it comes to the African American population. These biases could affect my practice because I might prescribe solutions for clients’ challenges or tap into their problems based on stereotypes without comprehending their individuality.

To eliminate these biases, I need to exercise neutrality and be objective in my interactions with clients without making a priori assumptions regarding their homosexuality. Establishing a friendly environment for my clients will help me protect and accommodate them regardless of their color, race, gender, or marital status (Petsko & Bodenhausen, 2019).

Biases Regarding Older Adults

In general, most assumptions that I might have about individuals 65 years of age and above are positive ones, especially knowing that the elderly are usually considered wise due to their exposure to numerous encounters in life. Nevertheless, I also understand that I can have certain preconceptions concerning their capacity to accept changes or consider new approaches. In my professional practice, these biases could fail to appreciate the abilities of older clients or presume that they cannot easily accept change.

To eliminate these biases, I need to be ready to look for older adults’ strengths and capacities, knowing they possess worthwhile experiences. For this reason, by engaging my clients with respect and openness to their knowledge, I can render better and more sensitive care (Marques et al., 2020).

Plan to Overcome Biases

To go beyond the biases mentioned above, I need to practice critical self-reflection and actively look for learning opportunities. This involves enrolling in cultural sensitivity programs and asking for a supervisor’s help to manage biases that may emerge during my practice and forthright communication about diversity with my coworkers or patients (Rinard, 2018). I also anticipate reframing my beliefs regarding the social world through community engagement and learning from others who have different experiences. I must take the positive, appreciative inquiry approach since it can help me overcome prejudices and deliver higher ethical and efficient services to my clients.

Part B: Culturally Competent / Ethical Practice Paper

Introduction

Ethical practice and cross-cultural competence are key foundations of social work, especially if the specific population type is to be served. In this section, I will discuss an ethical scenario involving the biases I identified in the self-assessment and how I will employ the moral principles of social work of social work in addressing the conflict.

Ethical Dilemma Identification

An ethical consideration coming out of the self-reflection I did earlier is the issue of treating an African American homosexual male client of a lower-class income bracket. I may find it difficult to set aside my perceptions based on gender, ethnicity, and class, which may make me assume that I know the magnitude of challenges the client is going through without listening to him keenly (Handtke et al., 2019). For instance, I may automatically consider his financial issues more important than his issues of self-identity and acceptance, or I could struggle to address his sexual orientation because of my prejudices.

This raises one of the most complex issues for social work ethical principles, including the principles of justice, dignity, and non-discrimination. It is now my duty as a clinician to prevent my prejudice from influencing my fairness and empathy when dealing with this particular client.

Application of Ethical Principles

Addressing this dilemma will call for using ethical principles, as Dolgoff et al. (2009) posited. First, the principle that I need to adhere to as a social worker is the principle of justice, which entails treating all my clients with dignity and without discriminating against them on matters such as their race. This means understanding the possibility of the social environment throwing up hurdles that could cause my client’s issues and fighting for him to be able to get the help he requires.

Second, the principle of dignity is also central in this case. Dolgoff et al. (2009) defined dignity as the respect for the intrinsic worth of every individual. In practice, this means presenting myself to my client as someone who acknowledges his worth and appreciates and understands the various facets of his identity. He is an African American homosexual man from a low socioeconomic status, which means several forms of prejudice influence his life, and I need to address these realities in my conversation with him. This involves empathizing by hearing him out, affirming him, and giving him a chance to speak his mind (Cénat, 2020). If he feels that I accept him, it will be easier to establish a rapport and help him more effectively, considering his personal difficulties.

Last but not least, competence is yet another principle I must practice. According to Dolgoff et al. (2009), competence goes beyond the mere acquisition of skills vital to practice. It is a daily process of practicing critical self-reflection, seeking supervision, and engaging in professional development to offer the best services to my clients. As this is an extremely sensitive case, I would want to discuss any micro-aggressions or feelings of discomfort that I may have toward the client because they are of a different race or ethnicity from me. I can get the necessary information from my supervisor, which will help to avoid any ethical violations and improve my practice results. Also, it is crucial to acknowledge the peculiarities of the existence of particular categories of the population – in this case, African American homosexuals – since it helps me avoid prejudiced attitudes towards this group. This allows me to provide suitable assistance while recognizing my professional development.

Conclusively, applying justice, dignity, and competence as the underlying principles of ethical practice in this case will help me provide fair and person-centered care while remaining mindful of my skills and personal growth. These principles offer a framework for navigating the challenges of the client’s history and interactions while crafting my moves within the scope of ethical and professional conduct.

References

Cénat, J. M. (2020). How to provide anti-racist mental health care. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(11), 929–931. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30309-6

Dolgoff, R., Loewenberg, F. M., & Harrington, D. (2009). Ethical Decisions for Social Work Practice (8 ed.). Thomson.

Handtke, O., Schilgen, B., & Mösko, M. (2019). Culturally competent healthcare–A scoping review of strategies implemented in healthcare organizations and a model of culturally competent healthcare provision. PloS one, 14(7), e0219971.

Marques, S., Mariano, J., Mendonça, J., De Tavernier, W., Hess, M., Naegele, L., … & Martins, D. (2020). Determinants of ageism against older adults: a systematic review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(7), 2560.

Nelson, R. L., Sendroiu, I., Dinovitzer, R., & Dawe, M. (2019). Perceiving discrimination: race, gender, and sexual orientation in the legal workplace. Law & Social Inquiry, 44(04), 1051–1082. https://doi.org/10.1017/lsi.2019.4

Petsko, C. D., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2019). Racial stereotyping of gay men: Can a minority sexual orientation erase race? Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 83, 37–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2019.03.002

Rinard, S. (2018). Equal treatment for belief. Philosophical Studies, 176(7), 1923–1950. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11098-018-1104-9

Taylor, E., Guy-Walls, P., Wilkerson, P., & Addae, R. (2019). The historical perspectives of stereotypes on African-American males. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 4(3), 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-019-00096-y

SOWK 501

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