HBSE 1 Midterm Flashcards
Purposes of the SW profession
to promote human and community well-being. Guided by a person in environment construct, a global perspective, respect for human diversity, and knowledge based on scientific inquiry. Actualized through: a. quest for social and economic justice. b. prevention of conditions that limit human rights. c. elimination of poverty (emphasis on social justice). d. enhancement of quality of life for all persons.
Basic assumptions of HBSE/Schriver tex
you can just look at one aspect without considering the others; you cannot separate them; HBSE vs. SEHB 1. How we view the world and its people directly affects the way we will practice social work. 2. The way we view the world and its people already affects the way we behave in our daily lives. 3. Our work as social workers and our lives are not separate from each other. 4. Our lives are not separate from the lives of the people with whom we work and interact. 5. While our lives are interconnected with the lives of the people with whom we work and interact we differ from each other in many ways. As social workers we must respect these differences and learn from them. 6. The assumptions we make about ourselves and others are strongly influenced by our individual and collective histories and cultures. 7. Change is a constant part of our lives and the lives of the people with whom we work with.
Paradigm shift
a profound change in the thoughts, perceptions, and values that form a particular vision of reality
Empowerment
the process through which people gain the power and resources necessary to shape their worlds and reach their full human potential; empowerment in the essence of social work: to preserve and restore human dignity, to benefit from and celebrate the diversities of humans, and to transform ourselves and our society into one that welcomes and supports the voices, the potential, they ways of knowing, the energies of us all; not giving to people but helping them re-discover their own worth. *Refer to diagram in slide show notes.
Critical thinking
the careful and deliberate determination of whether to accept, reject or suspend judgment about a claim. 1. A predisposition to question conclusions that concern client care and welfare. 2. Asking “does it work?” and “how do you know?” when confronted with claims that a method helps clients, and also questioning generalizations about treatment methods. 3. Weighing evidence for and against assertions in a logical, rational, systematic, data-based way. 4. Analyzing arguments to see what is being argued, spotting and explaining common fallacies in reasoning and applying basic methodological principles of scientific reasoning.
Deconstruction
a process of analyzing “texts” or perspectives “that is sensitive…to marginalized voices” and “biased knowledge”; identifies the biases in the text, views them as problematic, and ‘decenters’ them. This requires us to not accept the constructs used as given: instead we look at them in relation to social, historical, and political contexts; tearing something apart and putting it back together
Race-as biological vs. social:
Genotype- genetic structure or foundation
Phenotype- physical characteristics and appearance
Race & power: The sorting of people into different races or that in the modern era has generally been done by powerful groups for the purposes of maintain and extending their own power. Race can be powerful too, either for oppression or for group self-actualization.
Social work and cultural competence
- a set of cultural behaviors and attitudes integrated into the practice methods of a system, agency, or its professionals, that enables them to work effectively (to broad of range) in cross cultural situations. *This is one of the most critical aspects of social work practice.
Surface structure:
use people, places, language, music, food, and clothing familiar to and preferred by the target audience; attracting the target audience. Example: Pro’s Ranch Market
Deep structure
understanding the history; involves socio-demographic and racial/ethnic population differences and the influences of ethnic, cultural, social, environmental, and historical factors on behaviors. Example: Enlace Communitario, address barriers for undocumented people
Ethnicity
a social identity based on the culture of one’s ancestors’ national or tribal groups as modified by the demands of the culture in which one group currently resides.
Ethnic classification
how people view you at sight; “outside to in”
Ethnic identity
how you choose to identify; source of pride “inside to out”
Race
scientists have concluded that “race is primarily about culture and social structure, not biology…while it has some relationship to biology…it is primarily a sociopolitical construct”.
Characteristics of the traditional, dominant paradigm:
Positivistic
belief that knowledge is gained through objective observations about the world around us; trained to see things in the environment; learn things via our senses (no emotional connection)
Characteristics of the traditional, dominant paradigm:
Scientific
series of steps for conducting research and a set of prescriptions about how scientific knowledge should be created and judged; use of data;
Characteristics of the traditional, dominant paradigm:
Objective
viewing things as they “really” are; studying; unbiased
Characteristics of the traditional, dominant paradigm:
Qualitative
all materials are potentially quantifiable; gathering data; measurable qualities; seeks answers to questions by making generalizations about people and things “based on precisely measured quantities”
Characteristics of the traditional, dominant paradigm:Masculinity/Patriarchy
Emphasis on valuing masculine attributes has led to patriarchy; The ideal of independence, pull yourself up by the boot straps, will, strength, emotionally reserved, aggressive, integrity, sexual potency, dominance, in-charge; *Consequence for women: Inferior, controlled, and culturally devalued
Characteristics of the traditional, dominant
Whiteness
people have come to be judged according to standards that reflect the values, attitudes, experiences, and historical perspectives of white persons, particularly of European decent; whiteness is the standard (Refer to ethnocentrism and levels of racism)
Characteristics of the traditional, dominant paradigm:Separate/Impersonal/Competitive:
seeing world through dichotomies/binary oppositions (“in or out”, “us/them”, “either/or”, “we/they”); Separateness is seen in the traditional concern for separation of mind (thought) from body (physical); not cooperative or reciprocal; separation of realms of self; SW has a history of struggling with dualities; Impersonality and separateness are also associated closely with such valued masculine attributes as independence, autonomy, and individuality.
Characteristics of the traditional, dominant paradigmPrivilege
the benefits that accrue to those who define fit, and enforce the processes, attributes, perspectives, standards, and ways of relating that characterize the traditional paradigm; having access to services (housing, qualification, health, insurances, economic capital);
Characteristics of the traditional, dominant paradigm: Standard of rightness
the norm used to judge all other persons
Characteristics of the traditional, dominant paradigm: Standard norm
not necessarily a majority
Characteristics of the traditional, dominant paradigm:White privilege
in the US society, the ability to exert power and control over others is often associated with whiteness
Characteristics of the alternative paradigm:
the alternative paradigms we explore evaluate persons’ worth and importance according to standards of the inherent worth and dignity of all humans, and specially recognize the benefits of human diversity.
Characteristics of the alternative paradigm:
Interpretive Knowledge-
how a person interacts with society in regards to behavior, culture speech, and institutions
Characteristics of the alternative paradigm:
Hermeneutics
the science of interpretation; the discipline concerned with the investigation and interpretation of human behavior, speech, institutions, etc., as essentially intentional; understanding the meaning of the human experience; being a good listener and very intentional;
Characteristics of the alternative paradigm:
Self-awareness-
an awareness of the influence of our personal worldview on our own behaviors and on our perceptions of the behavior of others
Characteristics of the alternative paradigm:
Intuitive Knowledge
based on direct, nonintellectual experience of reality arising in an expanded state of awareness. It tends to be synthesizing, holistic, and nonlinear; being able to see things as the “big picture” *very essential for social work knowledge and practice;
Subjective understanding
respects personal experience as an important/valuable/valued influence on what is known and how we view the world; using personal experiences to change your understanding of something; looking for meaning of life;
Subjective understanding
Religion- the “formal” institutional contexts of spiritual beliefs and practices
Spirituality- the general human experience of developing a sense of meaning, purpose, and morality
Theism- the belief in the existence of God, an immortal soul, or any other type of deity or deities
Atheism- the belief in the nonexistence of God, which in the modern world is often expressed as the materialist hypothesis that matter is the only reality
Agnosticism- the belief that the question of whether or not God exists either has not been or cannot be answer
Qualitative approaches
an approach to the study of human behavior that relies on the analysis of narrative data to create an interpretation of the meaning of these behaviors from the perspective of the participants themselves, within their own social context; researcher is engaged in the lives of the people studies
Naturalistic inquiry
uncovers stories told by real people, about real events, in real and natural ways.
Postmodern
traditional ways of knowing are increasingly question at many levels
Heuristic research
any problem-solving strategy that appears to lead to relevant, reliable, and useful information; recognizing there are multiple ways of getting information; encompasses aspects of traditional and alternative perspectives;
Inductive Reasoning
from particular to general
Deductive Reasoning
from general to particular
Positivism
that knowledge is gained through objective observations of the world around us; a more narrow concept, always based on use of scientific method to determine knowledge.
Ethnocentrism
the tendency to see one’s own group as more important, more valuable than others; powerful influence in traditional dominant paradigm;
Patriarchy
the rule of the fathers”; is a society in which formal power over public decision and policy making is held by adult men; embodiment of masculine ideals and practices;
Racism
results from the transformation of race prejudice and/or ethnocentrism through the exercise of power against a racial group defined as inferior, by individuals and institutions with the intentional or unintentional support of the entire (race or) culture.
Individuals Racism
one considers that Black people (or people of color) as a group are inferior to Whites because of physical (genotypical and phenotypical) traits. [She or] he further believes that these physical traits are determinants of (inferior) social behavior and moral or intellectual qualities, and ultimately presumes that this inferiority is a legitimate basis for interior social treatment of Black people (or people of color in American society.
Institutional Racism
those established laws, customs, and practices which systematically reflect and produce racial inequalities in American society…whether or not the individuals maintaining those practices have racist intentions. The clearest indication of institutional racism is disparity in the circumstances of Whites and people of color, which continues from the past into the present.
Cultural Racism
the belief in the inferiority of the implements, handicrafts, agriculture, economics, music, art, religious beliefs, traditions, language and story of African (Hispanic, Asian, and Indian) peoples;… (and the belief that) Black (and other non-White) Americans have not distinctive implements, handicrafts, agriculture, economics, music, art, religious beliefs, traditions, languages or story apart from those of mainstream white America.
Privilege-
those who benefit are those who define, fit, and enforce the processes, attributes, perspectives, standards, and ways of relating that characterize the traditional and dominant paradigms. is that powerful but often unspoken and taken-for-granted sense that one fits, that one is an active and powerful participant and partner in defining and making decisions about one’s world; privilege is gained and maintained at the expense of others.
Feminism
a conceptual framework and mode of analysis that has analyzed the status of women (and other disempowered groups), cross-culturally and historically to explain dynamics and conditions undergirding disparities in sociocultural status and power between majority and minority populations
Peggy McIntosh
she talks about an individual knapsack which we carry on our backs that gives us access; a feminist scholar, who offers dramatic, real-life examples of the benefits that accrue to those of us who reflect characteristics of the “norm of rightness” (“skin-color” privilege, also known as “whiteness”. This is a form of privilege and how it can often be taken for granted on a day-to-day basis. Refer to page 58!) and who “fit” the dimensions of the traditional and dominant paradigm.
Personal as political/conciseness raising:
consciousness raising that occurs when people explore their own stories or the stories of others in troubling circumstances; this creates a synergy in which people cannot help but want to act, you cant just sit and do nothing; group consciousness v. individual consciousness v. group consciousness v. movements & policy changes
Language:
As social workers we need to read and deconstruct the world and how meaning applies to social work; meaning is constructed through language; people represent and understand their own world (communication);
Language as/and:
Exclusive or inclusive:
who is in or who is out
Minority-
- a. uniqueness of groups (people w/disabilities, indigenous, black, LGBTQ, etc.) b. the idea that these people share certain characteristics (not always the case); may also be inaccurate in reference to many groups such as women, who are the numerical majority. *Majority can take away the individuality and uniqueness, causing less access;
Labeling theory
describes the ability of some groups to impose a label of “deviant” on certain other members of society; often time’s people believe they are truly something that they are told… “you are nothing but a….” Thus they begin to internalize this label.
Mental health
- has implications
Disability-
a physical, mental, emotional, or sensory condition that limits the person in any major are of life. Limit based on whatever that disability might be. For example: glass ceiling effect
Sexual Orientation
- there is a lack of information/language/meaning; socially constructed;
Functional Theory
that society is a whole unit, made of interrelated parts that work together
Conflict Theory
views society as composed of groups fiercely competing for scarce resources; sees as the basis of social order the coercion of less powerful groups and classes by more powerful groups and classes
Interactionist Theory
takes a micro (individuals or small groups) than macro (societal) approach to attempting to explain human behavior; behavior is much less scripted, instead it appears more fluid, more tentative, even negotiable;
Exchange Theory-
proposes that human interaction involves rational calculations; people are able to calculate how much pleasure or pain they are likely to experience in current social situations based on previous experiences in past situations.
Symbolic Interaction Theory-
proposes that in addition to any objective assessment of the costs and benefits of interacting with other people, you also are involved in a subjective, symbolic process…symbolic interaction theory proposes that, before interacting, human beings size up one another in terms of these symbolic meanings. Example: women, instructor, student
Dramaturgical Theory
more theatrical view of human society… portrays people as actors in the literal sense. We act out our everyday lives on a succession of stages (social situations). We script scenes (interaction episodes) to serve our interests. We dress ourselves in the costumes of the characters we play.
Role Theory
seeks to explain behavior as action taken in accordance with agreed-upon rules of behavior for persons occupying given positions.
Psychoanalytic Theory
a traditional theory of individual development focusing on internal and often unconscious origins of human behavior;
Behavior/learning Theory
sees human behavior as almost entirely determined through learning that takes place as a result of reinforcement of our behaviors by others or as a result of our observation or behaviors modeled by others.
Human Development
a. changes in the structure, function, or behavior of the human organism; b. that occur over some period of time (which may be of long or brief duration); c. and are due to an interactive combination of maturation and learning (heredity/environment interaction)
Life Span Perspective
most often used in discussing human behavior at the individual level; used interchangeably with life cycle or state theories about human behavior; a. growth occurs at every period of life, from conception through old age; b. individual lives show continuity and change as they progress through time. An awareness of processes that contribute to both continuity and change is central to an understanding of human development; c. understanding of the whole person by studying the major internal developments that involve physical, social, emotional, and thinking capacities and their interrelationship; d. every person’s behavior must be analyzed in the context of relevant settings an personal relationships, meaning must be interpreted in regards to significant physical/social environments in which it occurs
Social Systems/Ecological-
interrelatedness; all occurs in the in the matter of time and location; Refer to diagram!!!! looking at society as a whole; general systems theory: includes the entire physical world as well as the human world; ecological perspective: explicitly defines the environment as including physical (nonhuman) elements; these two systems help us bridge the gap between traditional and alternative paradigms; Give examples of what these are and give an example at each level.
Alternative theoretical approaches:
Life Course
things like living through the great depression and military participation during the WWII, have demonstrable effects on subjective outcomes (e.g. sense of self, levels of psychological distress, attitudes toward work and family life; social and historical factors play a role; focus on intersections of historical factors embedded within a biological biography; looking at people in the context of time;
Alternative theoretical approaches:Transitions
changes in status (most often role transitions) that are discrete and relatively bounded in duration, although their consequences may be observed over long time periods
Alternative theoretical approaches:Trajectories
long-term patterns of stability and change that can be reliably differentiated from alternative patterns; trajectories often include multiple transitions… and transitions are always embedded in trajectories that give them distinctive form and meaning
Strengths-based perspective- (alternative approach to pathology) (asses based) What advantages do we have going for ourselves;
emands a different way of looking at individuals, families, and communities, which requires an accounting of what people know and what they can do; it requires composing a roster of existing resources within and around the individual, family and community; re-vision focus on resilience, rebound, possibility, and transformation; creates a collaboration between client/worker relationship by working alongside one another; asserts that the client’s ‘meaning’ must count for more in the helpful process, and scientific labels and theories must count for less; Look at criticisms of perspective in book!!! The idea that people are sugar coating things.
Strengths-based perspective Resilience
the skills, abilities, knowledge, and insight that accumulate over time as people struggle to surmount adversity and meet challenges; example: the fact that people walk in the door for a counseling session means they are not resistant and thus this is a strength.
Strengths-based perspective Membership
that people need to be citizens—responsible and valued members in a viable group or community; to be without membership is to be alienated, and to be at risk of marginalization and oppression.
Strengths-based perspective
Wellness-
recognizes the extremely strong and important relationship between “body, mind, and environment and health and wellness”; the unit of attention is the physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being of the individual, family, and/or specific population involved in the intervention process; wellness as how it applies to a community;
Strengths-based perspective
Constructivism
the theory that “for any single even or situation” there are multiple perceptions of reality all of which have validity;
Strengths-based perspective
Psychoneuroimmunology
a biological perspective that informs wellness theory and focuses on “the reciprocal relationship between mind and body”; it assumes the mind and body are inseparable and that continuous reciprocal communication occurs between the mind and the various organ systems of the body via the brain’s chemistry.
Strengths-based perspective
social development theory
recognizes the societal and political aspects of human functioning and attempt to address inequities caused by oppression or discrimination targeted toward certain subgroups of society.
Strengths-based perspective
Empowerment
focuses on changing the distribution of power and it depicts power as originating from various sources and as infinite because it can be generated in the process of social interaction. Empowerment it:
1. Both a theory and practice that deal with issues of power, powerlessness, and oppression and how they contribute to individual, family, or community problems and affect helping relationships.
2. A perspective whose goal is to increase personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals, families, or communities can take action to improve their situations.
3. A process that can take place on the individual, interpersonal, and community levels of intervention. It consist of the following sub processes:
• Development of group consciousness
• Reduction of self-blame
• Assumption of personal responsibility for change
• Enhancement of self-efficacy.
Strengths-based perspective
Cultural Competence-
the continual learning/ evolving process to create multicultural knowledge; continuous growth; the experiential awareness of the worker about culture, ethnicity, and racism: knowledge about historical oppression and related multicultural concepts; development of skills to deal effectively with the needs of the culturally diverse clients;
Strengths-based perspective
Postpositivsim
reality is something that we can understand and capture probabilistically using the right tools.
Strengths-based perspective
Constructivist
reality is constructed through social interaction and dialogue
Strengths-based perspective
Critical thinking
reality is produced through historically based social and political processes that serve the purposes of the powerful
Strengths-based perspective
Postmodernism
suggests that reality is a moving target that cannot be reduced to reassuring regularities.
Strengths-based perspective
Solution-Focused
looking for solutions rather than fighting problems; do not dwell on problems (history is not very important); assessment is very deep and a quick process; *miracle question; the main therapeutic task is helping the client to imagine how he or she would like things to be different and what it will take to make that happen. Little attention is paid to diagnosis, history taking , or exploration of the problem. Solution-focused therapists assume clients want to change, have the capacity to envision change, and are doing their best to make change happen. Further, solution-focused therapists assume that the solution, or at least part of it, is probably already happening…treatment is brief, usually lasting less than 6 sessions
Transactionalism
people shape their environment just as the physical environment influences them
Simulation theories
focus on the physical environment as a source of sensory information that is essential for human well-being; stimulation may be light, color, heat, texture, or scent, or it may be building, streets, and parks; stimulation influence thinking, feelings, social interaction and health;
Stimulation overload- too much stimulation Stimulation deprivation/restricted environmental stimulation- lack of stimulation
Control theories-
focus on the issue of how much control we have over our physical environments and the attempts we make to gain control; humans desire control over their physical environments; some persons-environment configurations provide more control over the physical environment that others.
Privacy
selective control of access to the self or to the one’s group
Territoriality
the behavior individuals and small groups as they seek control over physical space; a pattern of behavior and attitudes held by an individual or groups, based on perceived, attempted or actual ownership or control of a definable physical space, object, or idea;
Personal space
physical distance we choose to maintain; changes with age
Crowding
unpleasant experience of being spatially cramped
Behavior settings theories
claims that the setting has a more powerful influence on the behavior than characteristics of the individual; consistent, prescribed patterns of behavior develop and are maintained in many specific settings; behaviors of different persons in the same setting are more similar than the behaviors of the same person in different settings; Example: concert setting, black Friday shopping;
Behavior settings theories
settings
-behavior occur in particular places
Behavior settings theories
Programs
consistent, prescribed, patterns of behavior—devlop and are maintained in many specific settings; behavior programs are socially constructed, developed by people in interaction, and not determined by the physical environment;
Behavior settings theories
Staffing
different behavior settings attract different numbers of participants, or staff; it is important to have a good fit between the number of participants and the behavioral program for the setting; overstaffing occurs when there are too many participants for the behavioral program of a given setting; understaffing occurs when there are too few participants;
Accessibility-
ease in movement through and use of an environment
Legibility
ease with which people can conceptualize key elements and spatial relationships within an environment and effectively find their way;
Sociofugal spaces
designs that discourage social interaction
Sociopetal spaces
physical designs that encourage social interaction
Place attachment
the process in which people and groups form bonds with places
Policy of normalization
what can we do to make environments “normal” for the people we are serving; elements of ones life and bringing them to where they are at. Example: in a nursing home/facility brining elements such as furniture pieces, pictures, etc.
Features of the natural environment that influence emotional states:
water, trees, and sunlight;
Ecotherapy: exposure to nature and the outdoors as a component of psychotherapy;
Biophilia- humans have a genetically based need to affiliate with nature;
