Chapter 5 Lenses for Conceptualizing Problems and Interventions: Social Change Dimensions Flashcards
Race
refers to biological differences among groups of people
Racism
sociological and other ideological processes that promote differential treatment of racial and ethnic groups in interpersonal and institutional interactions, including stereotyping people based on their race
biological racism
promotes the notion that white people are genetically superior to non-white people
colorism
the idea that within racial or ethnic groups, lighter skin color is superior to darker skin color
pigmentocracy
different racial or ethnic groups have different social statuses based on their skin color
Individual racism
micro-level: negative attitudes and beliefs that people hold about persons from other groups that usually result in actions such as name-calling, ostracizing, or even the violence played out in hate crimes
Institutional racism
macro-level: actions that occur in social institutions that benefit members of the racial majority group and discriminate against the minority group
Cultural racism
macro-level: views the disadvantages faced by minoritized ethnic groups as caused by the behaviors, philosophies , and ways of living that are rooted in their particular cultures
Environmental racism
macro-level: stems from institutional and structural policies and practices that differentially impact the health and living conditions of racial and ethnic groups (Flint, Michigan, water crisis)
Discrimination
the prejudgment and negative treatment of people based on identifiable characteristics such as race, gender, religion, or ethnicity
Prejudice
the attitudes, beliefs, and stereotypes that a person holds about others
implicit bias
unconscious attitudes and stereotypes we hold that affect our perceptions of others
privilege
the advantages that a dominant group in society has
white privilege
the advantages enjoyed by individuals categorized as white
Authoritarian personality
the tendency to be highly sensitive to totalitarian and antidemocratic ideas and therefore prone to prejudice
Displaced aggression
Attacks by a dominant group or member of that group on a weaker, less powerful group when the cause of the frustration cannot be attacked because it is viewed as too powerful
Projection
allows people to deny owning uncomfortable feelings or perceived negative characteristics by pointing out these same negative characteristics in others
Vicious cycle
the process of creating and perpetuating a condition merely by assuming it to be true
attribution theory
this theory attempts to explain how we perceive and make judgments about others; suggests that we maintain positive thoughts about people like us and place blame on groups different from our own
Internal/dispositional attributions
suggest that people’s behaviors are caused by something inherent in individuals, such as their personality, motives, or qualities
attributions
the inferences people make about their own and others’ behavior
situational attributions
suggest that behaviors are caused by situational factors, often outside of one’s control
Social learning theory
people are socialized to think and behave in certain ways
Socialization
the process through which we learn to value some characteristics, ideas, and behaviors more than others
Conflict Theory
Marx theory: a competitive society creates conditions in which some groups perceive themselves to be superior, leading to the exploitation of perceived inferior groups
Explanation for prejudice: religion
In some cases, believing that a particular religion is “correct” can lead to feelings of superiority and the condemnation of others who believe otherwise
Explanation for prejudice: history
Historical oppression has consequences for the way in which members of oppressed groups are viewed (ex: African-Americans being viewed a inferior due to enslavement)
oppression
the social act of placing severe restrictions on an individual, group, or institution
primary oppression
perpetrated by the dominant group directly against an oppressed group
secondary oppression
perpetrated by people who remain silent in the face of, and benefit from, oppression by others
tertiary oppression
perpetrated by members of an oppressed group when they seek acceptance by supporting the dominant group’s oppressive acts
anti-oppression model
goal is to eliminate all oppression by transforming society and all its social structures, creating equity, inclusion, and social justice for everyone, regardless of individual situations
critiques of theories of racism, discrimination and oppression
- there is no coherent theory to organize the information that exists on race, discrimination, oppression, and issues of diversity
- social workers cannot distinctly or consistently define factors of diversity, nor can they empirically test these factors
microaggressions
intentional and unintentional derogatory insults and slights that are communicated verbally, behaviorally, or through the environment, to people of target groups
microassaults
deliberate, conscious, biased, derogatory messages sent to target groups, either interpersonally or through the environment
microinsults
subtle, unconscious slights that take place interpersonally or through the environment (ex: irrelevant descriptors such as “the intelligent female doctor” or “the intelligent African-American lawyer”)
microinvalidations
unconscious messages that are meant to exclude or negate the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of the target group (ex: a co-worker telling a female colleague to “stop being so emotional” when she’s angry over an injustice that occurred in the workplace)
environmental microaggressions
the demeaning and threatening messages that are communicated to marginalized groups through our environment (embedded in our policies, institutions, and culture)
social justice
the basic premise is that all humans have a right to live fulfilling lives, which requires access to appropriate resources (economic and otherwise), decision-making opportunities, and freedom from fear of persecution
distributive justice
concerned with what a society “owes” its members; communities should support their members in social, economic, and other important ways that promote their wellbeing
libertarian perspective
Government and other dominant institutions should have only a limited role in human affairs
Utilitarian approach
justice is made up of beliefs and policies that support the “greatest good for the greatest number of people”
critiques of social and economic justice perspectives
- defining and testing concepts related to justice can be difficult
- designing and implementing interventions using these perspectives can be difficult since they lack clear, definable constructs to offer guidance to social workers
social action
efforts to modify societal institutions to meet needs, resolve issues, achieve social and economic justice, and provide for the well-being of society’s members
advocacy
entails representing or defending the rights of clients or other vulnerable constituencies
social movements
efforts conducted on a large scale to produce changes that affect people’s lives
settlement houses
provided organized programs that addressed nutrition, literacy, daycare, and other needs
New Deal
occurred during the Great Depression; initiated by FDR; created many social programs such as Social Security and Aid to Families with Dependent Children
political opportunities perspectives
views political structures as benefiting only elites who have access to power and resources that are needed to maintain or change social institutions
Mobilizing structures perspective
promotes the idea that disenfranchised groups can organize and use existing resources to initiate change
informal channels
when people gather in a community to take on tasks
formal channels
when people enlist the help of professionals who are in positions of power
social movement organizations (SMOs)
often set up under the auspices of these organizations to tackle specific issues through the delivery of direct services
cultural framing perspective
suggests that social movements are successful only when those in a group striving toward change agree on the purpose or issue behind the movement; emphasizes that people’s interactions are crucial in defining the issue and in raising awareness of the problems associated with the issue
critiques of social change and social action perspectives
- many of the concepts related to social action and change can be difficult to articulate
- because these concepts are being discussed in so many different contexts and disciplines, consensus on meanings can be difficult to achieve
Charity Organization Society (COS)
was created to coordinate service efforts and to plan for how best to meet community needs
community definition
a group of people who are bound together through geography (territorial community) or common ties such as values, beliefs, and culture (relational community)
Community as the milieu in which practice actually occurs
focuses on the community as a unique, living entity; the community has the resources to solve it’s own problems
community as the change target
assessment and intervention are typically conducted by social workers and others from outside the community rather than by the community members themselves
Community as a mechanism for change
social workers help to support change efforts by guiding members through the assessment and intervention process
perspectives of social workers of communities and approaches in their work with them (4)
- Physical and other properties such as the community’s geographical location, population distribution, and rules and regulations
- Level of commitment shown by community members and the relationships that members have with their community
- Systems with unique norms, symbols, cultures, and interactions among community members (similar to systems theory)
- Power structures in communities and the ways in which community members control assets and compete for resources
Locality development model/community development
uses the skills of community members to approach problems from the local level; social workers are not the main change agents
social planning model
relies on social workers to act as experts who take the lead in developing change strategies; focuses on the process of problem-solving, assuming that only social workers or other professionals have the expertise to guide this process
Social action model
maintains that community members must be empowered to initiate changes for themselves and their communities; community members are active agents in the change process
Saul Alinsky
was concerned with how community members become oppressed and disconnected from the functions of their communities
Alinsky argued that community change occurs through which strategies (3)?
- build power among community members
- Generate methods that are representative of the needs of the group
- contribute to positive conflict resolution
Critiques of Community Organization Theory
- the increase in the number of theories and perspectives dealing with this aspect of macro practice has produced increased inconsistency within and among approaches
- inconsistency within and among the various approaches has led to problems in fairly and effectively comparing them as well as in evaluating their outcomes
