Children and Youth Services Review, Article Review Example

Identification of Article Selected

Leticia Diaz MS

Multiculturalism

National Association of Social Workers 2005 (Diaz, L. 2005)

Social work is best defined as being an activity performed by dedicated individuals, groups or communities to assist those people in society who are vulnerable or in need of assistance. The work comprises professional people who are skilled and trained in the application of counselling, social psychology and basic nursing skills.  The work may be carried out with individuals, groups or communities of people. The work is involved with dealing with the interactions of people and those institutions of society that have a direct relationship with how people conduct their lives.

Article Summary

Brooklyn, NY is an example of one of the largest ethnic Jewish Communities in the world.  This includes Orthodox Jewish people that have been stereotyped as living outside of mainstream US Communities.  Such situations can create a difficult and challenging environment for social workers, particularly when they do not have the cultural and ethnic understanding of people they are counselling. The challenge of multiculturalism presents a stimulating challenge for social workers where they have the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and fulfil personal growth targets.

Strengths of Cultural Group

The Jewish people that have formed a community in Brooklyn have greatly contributed to American society.  They have added to ethnic diversity,improvement of religious tolerance and freedom of expression and particularly Education.  There have been certain issues concerning integration and violation of human rights. The exclusion of understanding different ethnic backgrounds and cultures also results in promoting a degree of ignorance that can lead towards serious consequences in a society that is part of a global marketplace.  One aspect being that of stereotyping and we have historical accounts of this and elements resurfacing today. Jews have been traditionally stereotyped as ‘adept money handlers’.  In early European times this practice was restricted from both Jews and Arabs as it was considered morally reprehensible by the Christians.  Many Jews became tax collectors and government officials making them easy targets for stereotyping models of hatred.

Implications for Social Workers

There are many issues for social workers dealing with multiculturalism and diversity.  The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has provided guidelines on principles of engagement. Conflicting purposes can arise between Social Workers, Nurses and Doctors. This is often caused through lack of communication, service integration and not working with a common set of patient records. Social Workers who are professionally trained do not need supervision apart from in special cases i.e. dealing with mental illness, terminal cases or other special illness where medical and psychiatric supervision might prove appropriate.  The social worker often acts as an intermediary and facilitator in group discussions.  In order to be effective it is essential that they have a background in the ethnicity of the group that they are dealing with.

Conclusion

Social Workers have been described as occupying the role of safety net for society. Social workers often act as barometers to society and the determination of people’s relationships with one another. In Britain the Association of Social workers has campaigned against such items as the demonization of the younger generation, the image that society is portraying of people with mental illness and how asylum seekers are being portrayed as people who are devious and socially undesirable. Finally, how the elderly people have been branded as undesirable and a cost burden to society.  Stereotyping is a dangerous consequence in society and history has taught us lessons about the ramifications of this if it goes unchecked.

References

L.Diaz. (2005). Multiculturalism. Practice Update, NASW, 1-4.