In a 3-5 page APA style paper, you should address the question of how group workers can demonstrate anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice in group work. This paper is designed to apply CSWE Competency 3 (see full text of Competency 3 below) to group work contexts. Using course materials and at least 4 outside scholarly sources, you must identify at least three ways that group workers can demonstrate that they are applying this Competency in practice.
You will need to find and apply outside sources in order to complete this assignment. Your reading from Week 5, Ieva et al. 2021-1.pdf might be helpful here as well.
You may want to consider the following format for your paper:
Introduction (1/2-1 page): Your goal here is to clearly lay out the need for anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice. You may also want to let the reader know what’s coming by briefly summarizing the three strategies/approaches you’ve chosen to focus on.
Three ways to demonstrate anti-racist and anti-oppressive group work practice (should total about 2-3 pages) NOTE: The three strategies or approaches you identify should each include a concrete example. For instance, if you identify “facilitator self-reflection” as a way to demonstrate that you are practicing in an anti-racist way, you should also include an example of what this would look like: “For example, the facilitator could practice self-reflection through providing written notes after each session. These notes would be discussed in supervision to determine whether and how subconscious racial bias or other kinds of bias may have appeared. The facilitator may also examine how they felt in their body during the session.”
Conclusion (1/2 page): Provide a brief summary and answer the following question: having explored the issues surrounding anti-racist and anti-oppressive group work practice, how would you summarize your obligations as a social worker in this area? What is one strategy, tactic or skill that you could see yourself using in practice?
You should also ensure that you are using APA 7th edition formatting and citation style throughout the paper. The paper should be well written and well organized.
Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice:
Social workers understand how racism and oppression shape human experiences and how these two constructs influence practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels and in policy and research. Social workers understand the pervasive impact of White supremacy and privilege and use their knowledge, awareness, and skills to engage in anti-racist practice. Social workers understand how diversity and intersectionality shape human experiences and identity development and affect equity and inclusion. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of factors including but not limited to age, caste, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, generational status, immigration status, legal status, marital status, political ideology, race, nationality, religion and spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that this intersectionality means that a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege and power. Social workers understand the societal and historical roots of social and racial injustices and the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination. Social workers understand cultural humility and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, racial, technological, and cultural exclusions, may create privilege and power resulting in systemic oppression.
Social workers:
a. demonstrate anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, community, research, and policy levels; and
b. demonstrate cultural humility by applying critical reflection, self-awareness, and selfregulation to manage the influence of bias, power, privilege, and values in working with clients and constituencies, acknowledging them as experts of their own lived experiences.