Chapter 4 Lenses for Conceptualizing Problems and Interventions: Sociocultural Dimensions Flashcards
Sociology
focuses on the study of social behavior and groups
sociological imagination
the relationship between the individual and the wider society
Conflict theory
an approach that views social behavior from the perspective of conflict or tension among two or more groups
Karl Marx’s conflict theory
believed that struggle or conflict among classes was an inevitable feature of capitalism
Max Weber’s theory
maintained that groups could be defined by class, status, and party rather than just by social class, as Marx posited
Georg Simmel theory
as the levels of emotional involvement and solidarity increase among group members, the level of violence also increases; if the ground rules can be agreed on, conflict can encourage coalition building and discussion between groups
W. E. B. Du Bois theory
focused primarily on racial and ethnic inequality, arguing that sociologists should pursue scientific knowledge to help overcome bias and prejudice in society
How the conflict theory views families
as institutions that both reflect and perpetuate the unequal distribution of power and resources within the larger society; also according to the theory, the family legitimizes male power and dominance, which in turn validates and perpetuates the lower status of women and children
medicalization of society
the medical profession has acquired the power to influence knowledge, attitudes, opinions, and even social policy
Conflict theory critiques
- it tends to lend itself only to the macro level of conceptualization of problems
- carrying out conflict-based interventions after they are developed is also problematic
- doesn’t often help social workers identify time- and cost- effective strategies for dealing with their clients’ institutional problems
Critical practice theory
views social problems as caused by oppressive societal structures and the cultural and moral assumptions generated and maintained by dominant groups
praxis
employs clients’s experiences of injustice to better understand how society functions and strengthens people’s capacity to pursue social change
conscientization
a practice to help raise people’s awareness of oppressive social structures and strengthen clients’ abilities to critically think about how these structures contribute to inequality
dialogic practice
involves exchanging views of social structures through egalitarian relationships with clients
Critical practice theory critiques
- social service agencies are set up to target individual problems to help relieve individual distress, not to focus on large-scale social change, which could take a long time to achieve
- social workers who work in traditional social service agencies are often bound by policies and laws to focus on individual problems
- many individual problems are caused by biological and environmental factors
functionalist theory
attempts to explain how various aspects, or functions, of a society work together to maintain stability
Emile Durkheim (1933, 1938)
made many contributions to functionalism through his work on biological processes and their application to social systems; posited that society must be considered as a functioning whole
Anomie
when society undergoes dramatic change, such as industrialization, people lose their sense of meaning in life and feel directionless in their activities
Robert K. Merton
articulated key concepts in social science: Manifest functions, latent functions, and dysfunctions
Manifest functions
purposes are readily discernible
latent functions
purpose is not necessarily what it seems to be on the surface
dysfunctions
parts of society that do not contribute to the wellbeing of the larger system
Talcott Parsons
agreed with Durkheim that society is the sum of its parts. offered an analysis that helped to place emphasis on larger social systems and their effects on individual behavior
functionalist theory critiques
- functionalist theory views the interactions among systems as closed
- functionalist theory doesn’t address the possible inequity within a system, which is an important ethical consideration
- functionalism doesn’t lend itself well to developing interventions for clients
Symbolic interaction theory
refers to the unique ways in which people and systems interact and communicate with one another as well as the essence and characteristics of that interaction and communication
3 main premises to symbolic interaction theory
- we act on our world based on the meanings that we attach to our experiences
- the meanings we attach to our experiences stem from our interactions with others
- these meanings are affected by our interpretations of our interactions
social constructionism
asserts that we construct our reality based on our experiences
deconstruction
the analysis of how one group’s construction of reality has become the accepted reality, justifying and reinforcing that group’s power over social values, beliefs, and institutions.
George Herbert Mead
one of the founders of the interactionist perspective; focus on the self, which he saw as an active player in society
George Herbert Mead’s 2 types of interaction
Nonsymbolic interaction and symbolic interaction
Nonsymbolic interaction
how people respond directly to the actions of others
Symbolic interaction
The ways in which we interpret the actions of others
Charles Horton Cooley (1902)
coined the concept of the looking-glass self
Looking-glass self
refers to the idea that we learn who we are through our interactions with others
3 phases of developing a self-identity according to Cooley
- We have a perception of how we present ourselves to others around us
- We then have a perception of how others evaluate us based on this presentation
- We develop feelings about ourselves based on these perceived evaluations
Erving Goffman
espoused an interactionist method known as the dramaturgical approach
Dramaturgical approach
likens everyday life to the drama of theater and stage
Symbolic interaction theory critiques
- doesn’t offer a clear intervention strategy
- too micro-focused and doesn’t emphasize broader social factors
- lacks a solid, consistent theoretical base from which to examine relationships
Feminism
the advocacy of social, economic, and political equality between men and women
Branches of feminist theory (3)
- liberal feminism
- socialist feminism
- radical feminism
Fundamental tenets of feminist theory
- Challenge false dichotomies
- Rethink established knowledge
- Examine different patterns of socialization
- Deconstruct patriarchal hierarchies
- Increase opportunities for empowerment
- Value process orientation
- Understand that the personal is political
- Respect diversity
- promote awareness of interactions between the individual and social forces
feminist theory critiques
- feminist theory focuses exclusively on women and thereby ignores the plight of other oppressed groups
- feminist theory, with the exception of black feminism, has ignored intersectionality and focused primarily on white women, excluding women of color
- exclusive focus on women actually perpetuates their oppression by highlighting their special circumstances
culture definition
there is no universally accepted definition of culture; sociologically, culture is the result of all human endeavors
Cultural concepts in Social Work Practice (10)
- cultural relativism
- cultural competence
- cultural humility
- ethnic identity
- ethnicity
- ethnocentrism
- ethos
- ideology
- social class
- Worldview
cultural relativism
the idea that different cultures should be treated equally; cultures can’t be ranked based on which is better or superior
Cultural competence
A set of attitude, policies, and practices that facilitate effective cross-cultural interactions
Cultural humility
the commitment to continual self-reflection on one’s own experiences, assumptions, and practices in work with others
Ethnic identity
how people form their identities in relation to their ethnicity
Ethnicity
How people associate themselves with a group through the use of aspects such as values, traditions, customs, language, and religion
Ethnocentrism
the belief that one culture is superior to others and that culture serves as the norm by which others should be judged
Ethos
the moral, ethical, and aesthetic tone of a person’s life’ the emotional aspect of the worldview
Ideology
One’s dominant ideas about what is correct and how things should be
Social class
A category for groups of people who share similar economic stratification
Worldview
The way in which people perceive their world that gives them a frame of reference; a personal philosophy about how things are and the way things should be
NASW Standards for Culturally Competent Social Work Practice (8)
- Recognize how personal and professional values impact work with culturally diverse clients
- Continually develop knowledge around cultural diversity
- Use culturally appropriate methods in work with clients
- Be knowledgeable about culturally appropriate services for clients
- Understand how policies and programs affect culturally divers clients
- Support efforts that advocate for professional diversity in social work education and practice
- Work toward eliminating service barriers for culturally diverse clients
- Provide leadership in cultural competence for the profession
dual perspective
gives context to the ways in which people from minoritized groups experience different systems throughout development and how these experiences impact development
nurturing system
primary system, and consists of people and circumstances close to an individual
sustaining system
the world of dominant culture, consisting of the larger systems that impact an individual
Multiculturalism
the idea that all cultures should be recognized, respected, and treated equally
Cultural pluralism
the recognition and accommodation of a variety of cultures that have different values and norms
bicultural socialization
the idea that members of minoritized groups not only receive extensive enculturation and socialization from their cultural group, but they also receive socialization from the majority culture
culture of poverty
a worldview and ethos contributing to poor people staying in poverty
Cultural Perspectives critiques
- Instead of a single, coherent theory of culture, there is a collection of ideas and definitions of culture from many disciplines
- Even a social worker who embraces multiculturalism and cultural competency will be hard-pressed to truly understand their clients’ worldview if the clients grew up in a culture different from the social worker’s
