SPR 470 - Gender Perspectives in Social Work Practice Magda Frišaufová, Ph.D. Spring semester 2016 Lecture on Gender Sensitive Social Work SPR 470 - Gender Perspectives in Social Work Practice Outline nEnvironmental perspective nSocial work paradigms nPower nEmpowerment nSeminar assignment + questions n What is Professional Social Work? nPayne, Malcolm 2006. What is Professional Social Work? Bristol: The Policy Press. n nWhat differs social work from other helping professions? n(e.g. doctors, nurses, psychologists, teachers, counsellors) n What is Professional Social Work? nPoliticians, economists, journalist, campaigners etc. aim social change, but do not work with individuals. n nSocial workers in the middle between social and personal. They connect personal help with social change (Payne 2006). n Person-in-Environment nEnvironment/ social structure nsource of oppression as well as source support and resources n nPerson/individual nindividual agency: capacity to act and use the resources for own benefit n´person´ - employ intersectionality nnot ´only´ coping n Definition of Social Work as a Profession: n“A service and practice using social and psychological sciences in interpersonal interactions with people, especially from deprived social groups and experiencing practical and emotional difficulties in social relationships. Social work balances three objectives: maintaining social order and providing social welfare services effectively, helping people attain personal fulfilment and power over their lives and stimulating social change.” n(Payne 2006: 5) Views on Social Sork nlink between liberal vs. socialist feminism or rational choice and structuralist view n nrelated to the broader discussion in social sciences about the relationship between the individual and society n nperson-in-environment approach n Therapeutic Views on Social Work nseeking the best possible well-being for everyone by facilitating growth and self-fulfilment n Transformational Views on Social Work noppressed and disadvantaged people can gain power over their own lives n nidentify and work out how social relations cause people´s problems n nmake social changes so that the problems do not arise n Social Order Views on Social Work n nsocial work as maintaining the social order in society n nproviding help or services so that clients will fit in better with general social expectations Can we help without power? How various power relations look like? n Power nFoucault: power not only repressive, but also productive n npower non zero-sum-entity (victim / agent) n nDominelli (2002): power over/to/of/ n ‘Power over’ npower that social workers can hold over their clients nhierarchical powerful position nthey can make crucial decisions about client’s life nsocial worker – client / also women oppress other women n (Dominelli 2002) ‘Power to’ ncapacity to do things or take action n nmore equal distribution of power n nneither party is considered completely powerless n neach has the capacity to exercise agency and exert some control of what will happen n ‘Power of’ nidentity-based collective action n ne.g. creation of activist group of women who have personal experience with sexual abuse and work collectively to challenge the violence against them n n (Dominelli 2002) n Empowerment n„Empowerment is like democracy: everyone is for it, but rarely do people mean the same thing by it.“ n (Young 1994: 48) n n “does not correspond to a single existing social work method, although it can be shown to have links with all of them.” (Adams 2003: 5) n 1) Empowerment as a Psychological Quality n“a psychological quality that provides individuals with the feeling that they can control the direction of their lives.” (Pollack 2000: 76) n nsocial work practice is then aimed to enhance client’s feelings of self-worth, self-control, autonomy and confidence n 2) Empowerment as a Social Change nIndividuals are seen as “empowered through sharing experiences, raising consciousness, collective action and advocacy.” (Pollack 2000: 76). n nCrucial is “development of a sense of collective influence over the social conditions of one's life” (Young 1994: 48) n nself-help groups, human rights movement and social activism n 3) Empowerment as Social Work Method na set of practitioner skills n ndesired outcome or product of a social service intervention (Pollack 2000) n Empowerment / Common Characteristics n ncollaboration between worker and client n nfocus on strengths, capacities and resources n noppression not a permanent state n n n n Empowerment / Common Characteristics nagainst individualising social problems = blaming individuals for problems that arise from structural problems (disempowering) n nclient is not the only one experiencing the problem / not an individual failure n n Social Worker as a Source of Dis/Empowerment ncritical view on social workers as possible sources of empowerment n nempowerment not as something ´which is done to you´ (Adams 2003) n n“Power might not be given to people, they must be helped to take it for themselves.” (Payne 2005: 296). n Social Worker as a Source of Dis/Empowerment nsocial workers are mediators between clients and society n ncrisis of identity / social workers as source of support, but also control and oppression n none person’s empowerment may be another person’s disempowerment n Examples of empowering practices nAgainst further victimisation nexperiences of victimisation and oppression not perceived as permanent state n nvictimisation and oppression as dimension of experience, not as an individual identity / woman is not oppressed but has experience with oppression n ndomestic violence: battered women described as survivors rather than victims n Examples of empowering practices nDeconstruction of rigid categories and negative stereotypes nchallenging the idea of ´typical client´ nclient in wide variety of relations and roles not only negative and pathological relations nunderstanding form client´s point of view / subversive stories / clients as important source of knowledge nlearned helplessness among helping professionals themselves if they believe that clients have no choices or power n Examples of empowering practices nMany ways to be woman/man nworkers themselves need to challenge their own assumptions and expectations of what being female/male means (Crinall 1999) nany rigid adherence to any singular, prescribed or defined code for being a woman has the potential to be strongly oppressing npostmodern feminism oppose any kind of fixed identity, and supports variety of options and ways to be women n Examples of empowering practices nSelf-help groups / clinical model: n“a means by which individuals or small groups can deal with their own problems and survive in the world for which they are seen not to be ideally suited.” (Ettorre 1992: 133) n ne.g.: AA, imbedded in the disease model of addiction n nnot taking the structural inequalities into account n Examples of empowering practices nSelf-help groups / structural model: nsupport communities to organise themselves, raise collective awareness and refuse the victim role. ne.g.: women’s rights or gay rights movement n (Ettorre 1992) nDiscuss the possible advantages and disadvantages of women only or men only (self-help or therapeutic) groups, or services designed only for male or female clients. n Pros and cons of specialized women’s programmes nmixed-sex groups can be complicated for men and women to discuss some specific issues nbut other differences important too (e.g. age) ntreating two groups differently is not necessarily discrimination if the two groups have different possibilities ntreating two groups in the same way can be discriminatory if the same treatment gives the groups different opportunities n Seminar 2 / Compulsory Reading: nPollack, Shoshana 2000. Reconceptualizing Women’s Agency and Empowerment: Challenges to Self-Esteem Discourse and Women’s Lawbreaking. Women and Criminal Justice, Vol. 12, No. 1, 75-89. n nYoung, Iris Marion 1994. Punishment, Treatment, Empowerment: Three Approaches to Policy for Pregnant Addicts. Feminist Studies, Vol. 20, No. 1, 32-57. n Seminar 2 / Questions: nBased on the readings, write what empowerment means to you. How would you define it? n nGive an example of situation when you felt disempowered (victim) and one example of situation when you felt empowered. Try to explain what was the cause of feeling dis/empowered. When you felt disempowered, try to think what could help you in that situation. n Seminar 2 / Questions: nWhich are, according to Young (1994), the necessary program elements to make services empowering? n nLength: 750 words. nPlease upload your assignment to the Homework Vault no later than on Monday 21st March. n