Colonial legacies greatly impact our understanding of different cultures because history is often written by the ‘victors’ or oppressors. Colonization and the history of a colonized culture can be influenced heavily by Western values and norms, so something that is a cultural norm in a colonized culture will be understood as ‘weird’ or out of the norm by the culture of the colonizer. I think an interesting example that is relevant to this aspect of cultural colonization is the major differences in how land was viewed by the Europeans who colonized Native American land. Native Americans viewed land as sacred and it was something they had deep connections to through their identities, spirituality, and culture however, Europeans viewed it as a commodity and while colonizing the land they were able to claim land with the idea of private ownership and exploitation.
I think social work, in its traditional forms, can perpetuate colonial views by prioritizing Western values which might be imposed on clients from diverse cultural backgrounds and the result of this is a lack of cultural sensitivity which in turn can lead to perpetuating colonial power imbalances. Another way that traditional social work can perpetuate colonial views is the issue of a Eurocentric education or training in social workers. A limited framework, like a Eurocentric worldview, can contribute to cultural insensitivity and a narrow understanding of cultural diversity.
Revolutionary social work needs to be transformative, and I think an important strategy to achieve transformation would be to have community-led initiatives where the community is emphasized and included because a community can communicate its culture better than an outsider can and social work can be done in a way that suites not just individuals but rather an entire community that also addresses individual issues. Mandatory training in things like intersectionality would also go a long way in transforming social work as it is vitally important to approach social work issues with a mindset that addresses the interconnectedness of identities like race, gender, class, and sexual orientation.
This would be transformative and revolutionary as it would acknowledge and address the complexity of individual lived experiences and it would better serve to take on the challenges that people face. In addition to mandatory intersectionality training, I think social workers should also receive training or education in things like bias. Social workers should be completely self-aware of their own unconscious biases as well as cultural biases that Western culture has towards diverse cultures because it would aid social workers in the ability to address pre-conceived notions of specific races or socio-economic classes. This would also go a long way to help in the de-colonization as colonial views are deeply entrenched in America’s current education system.
Intersectionality can also be useful in helping to avoid cultural determinism as this approach goes beyond just one single identity but addresses the multifaceted nature of human identity. Revolutionary social work can be much more engaged within the communities of the people they are working with to recognize and celebrate the culture without just seeing mere cultural stereotypes. I think it would be very beneficial for social workers to attend community events that hold cultural significance to the communities they are working in. So, for example if a social worker finds themselves working in a largely Hispanic community, attending traditional and culturally significant events like Dia De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, to experience this culturally significant holiday with the community would help to achieve a deep understanding and appreciation of the cultural values of the community they are working in but it would also allow social workers to experience the culture of a very deep personal level where they can gain a brand new perspective that is much more personalized.
The researchers of this study wanted to research the effects of untreated syphilis and they did this by allowing black men to go untreated for the disease and this study lasted forty years. The researchers had a racial bias and chose a participant group, that would endure pain and suffering, based on race. Racial bias is a very relevant factor in systems of care as health care or mental health care was larger focused on treating white people in the 2000th century.
Racial bias also plays a big role in things like child welfare as there is a disproportionate removal of children from families of color. A revolutionary social work approach would demand system changes that include anti-racist work that addresses policies that marginalize people of color while promoting practices that preserve the family and community. Another way that social work can be revolutionary is to include diverse representation in leadership and decision-making roles. These systems that are flawed and result in marginalization, need to include the people who have been marginalized by them to achieve true change.
Reflecting on the cultural humility blog, I would like to believe that there is a way to connect with people that is above ourselves, which involves constant self-examination and self-criticism, along with a willingness to learn from others. It translates to entering into a relationship with another person to respect their beliefs, customs, and values. It means acknowledging the differences and accepting that person as they are.
Christine Ryan
Bias is something we all need to be aware of them hard to say we do not have any. Where and how we were raised, what and who we hang around. We just need to be aware and how we approach people. Hate to think I have them, but the older I get, the more I notice them popping up. Just educate yourself and always be open to change.
Events, you mentioned training and workshops. UAF is hosting the 50th Festival of Native Arts from 2/22-2/24.
Trinity Podbicanin
Your blog was very informative. I like how you brought up that revolutionary social workers should utilize training. I brought that up in my blog; I did my blog on race and ethnicity and said that revolutionary social workers should complete trainings to help increase their knowledge and become more modernized on topics. You mention that revolutionary social workers should attend traditional and culturally significant events, which is such a great idea; as you said, this would “help to achieve a deep understanding and appreciation of the cultural values of the community they are working in,” and I agree. I appreciate that you elaborated on everything you talked about. It really shows your knowledge and understanding. Even with the examples, your examples were also relevant and provided a good sense of what you were talking about. Overall, your blog was really good and provided a lot of great insight.
Mel Maendel
I liked that you brought up that the history of this country and many was seen and taught through the eyes of the oppressors, and I do think that the culture and how this country is set up is set up for the oppressors and settlers. I also like that you mentioned the specific example of health care and studies done that include the biases and uninformed consent. One sentence that you wrote that stood out to me was your conclusion saying that there is a way to connect with other from other cultures that is above our-selves. This sentence really made me go wow because in order to connect with all people we put step outside of our shoes and be open to learning, understanding and growing. Thank you, this blog was very well written.