From the start of my social work education, I have always gravitated to two methods in particular; the feminist theory and the strengths perspective. These are two methods that both play into social work practice regularly, and have shown to be extremely beneficial for service-users. Depending on the service-user, the regularity of these theories might differ, but any social worker in the field should be well-versed in both. They often go hand in hand, especially when working with women, to give them the resources and tools to navigate and overcome a patriarchal society. Both of these theories provide guidelines for analyzing and developing practice responses. “Feminism” is a term that can be used to describe a cultural, political or economic …show more content…
First, the media was so focused on her appearance rather than her intellect or qualifications and even her male boss asked her she wanted a consultant to improve her image. However, no males were ever targeted for their looks and were only talked about for their experiences and education. Secondly, Marcia’s parenting skills were often scrutinized in the media and in the courtroom. She was often working late because of her extreme workload, so she wasn’t able to spend as much time with her two sons. The media called her a bad mom, and said many said she should lose custody of her children. Yet, almost all the other male lawyers were fathers and never once were criticized for their parenting efforts. Lastly, many micro-aggressions were said throughout this series, including many by strangers to her face. One example that sticks out in my mind is when she is at the register at her grocery store buying tampons. The male clerk looks at the tampons and said, “The defense better watch out”, implying her period will influence her emotions and her anger. Society looked at Marcia’s appearance, parenting styles and her hormones. She was not seen as a person with a law degree more than capable of being a prosecutor on this case. While I have only mentioned a few, there are many other examples scattered throughout the show that illustrate how society treats woman in the
Social workers address people’s problems every day, but it’s the identification of people’s strengths that provides clues for how to solve their problems and improve their life situations (Saleeby, 2013, pp.17-20).
Weick (1992) states “every person has an inherent power that may be characterized as life force, transformational capacity, life energy, spirituality, regenerative potential, and healing power, which is a potent form of knowledge that can guide personal and social transformation” (p. 24). No matter the crisis or oppression, it needs to be brought to client’s realization that they are strong, resilient and can overcome. They may not be aware of this inner power due to the constant stress and overwhelming sense of impending doom in their lives, but with the help of the strengths perspective, we can assist clients in realizing that they have strengths as well as weaknesses. Clients want to know that they can rely on social workers to provide adequate resources and respect their current situation, no matter how difficult it may be. Clients want to know that we can empathize with their situation and provide support, care and concern for the issues they are going through; they need to know that we will help them achieve their goals and not give up on them as many may have before in their lives. Saleeby (2013) states “your cli...
Feminism is one of the most prominent areas in contemporary sociology. By linking sociological theory and political reform, feminists aim to end inequalities between men and women in both public and private environments. Feminist theory is where things such as gender, class, and race meet. Emphasis is placed on masculine versus feminine
The purpose of this essay is to connect the feminist theory to the film “The Help,” and underlie certain ideas that are demonstrated throughout the film. I specifically chose this film, because it takes place in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 19060s during the time Jim Crow laws were still very much alive, and practiced. Skeeter, a young white Caucasian woman has just graduated and returned home from attending Ole Miss to take care of her fairly sick mother. Aside from her associates and colleagues, who are more into finding a husband on their time off from Ole Miss, Skeeter focuses all of her time into becoming a journalist. Throughout the film family servants are well within each white family social circle, they are referred to as “The Help,” and are exclusively black women. As tradition the servants are passed down throughout family generations, which means the child they raised would become their boss in the future. Each servant had their own story to tell and conflicts of their own to deal with, including Skeeter. As time progresses Skeeter decides to write a column on the black servants in relation to their white bosses, with the help of her fifty-year-old servant Aibileen Clark. Hesitant to help, Aibleen along with other black servants gather to tell their different stories while accepting the consequences it will bring. As a feminist, it is one who supports feminism, which is the advocacy of women’s right on the grounds of politics, social, and equality to men, but in this case white women as well. Throughout the essay are explorations of the different issues relevant to feminism.
“Feminism”, as defined today, is “1: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes,” and “2: organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.”2 Many critics claim that feminism has been active longer than the word itself has existed.3 The word, “feminist” was not in true use until the late 1800s and early 1900s, but activism for women’s rights was alive and well a...
Feminism can simply be defined as a range of movements and ideologies in which share a common ground in terms of defining, establishing and achieving equal opportunities to that of males, in regards to economic, cultural and social rights. It is a critique of male supremacy with efforts in changing this to end the social oppression of women. (Hooks, 2000)
Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. In simple terms, it is the ideology of women being equal to men and it is often misinterpreted as the belief of women being above them. Feminists believe in diminishing patriarchy which is a system of society and or government in which men are considered more powerful than women. When people are against feminism they are supporting sexism which is why it is important to educate ourselves on the matter and to understand why we need it.
Feminism, in its simplest definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. (Webster) Feminists fight for equality for women to men socially, politically, and economically. At the peak of feminist discourse is equality for men and women in education and in employment. However, feminism also focuses on more than issues regarding the rights of women in relation to men. Issues of gender equality and women’s right to control their sexuality are also at the core of feminist theory. A key argument made by many feminists is how women have very little control over their sexuality, mainly being defined and controlled by men. T...
This is why social workers must also be critical thinkers. Critical thinking applied to the social work profession involves “the ability to define an issue, stressor, or problem; to distinguish, appraise, and integrate multiple sources of knowledge to formulate a tentative practice direction” (Gitterman & Knight, 2013). Theories, as well as research, “about phases of individual, family and group development; about ethical, racial, religious, spiritual, and sexual identity development; and about individual, family, and group development” provide social workers with a basic starting point for a more complex and situational-based intervention plan that will later be developed. In social work practice, intervention plans and assessments are not blindly developed, but rather based off theory and research. Therefore, although social work is a profession of artistry and creativity; it is also a scientific profession enhanced by the use of theory and
Feminism is a perspective that views gender as one of the most important bases of the structure and organization of the social world. Feminists argue that in most known societies this structure has granted women lower status and value, more limited access to valuable resources, and less autonomy and opportunity to make choices over their lives than it has granted men. (Sapiro 441)
Feminism is the movement towards women’s equality. It fights for equal rights in the social, political, cultural and economical aspects for women. Feminism also fights for equal opportunity for women in employment and education. A feminist is someone who advocates their support for women’s rights but is not restricted to only women; anyone who supports women’s rights and equality are feminists, including men. Feminism is not only about the females, it fights for gender equality for all. Feminist movements, or Women’s movements, campaign for reforms in household issues with domestic violence, political issues with equal pay, employment and maternity leave, and reproduction rights. All feminism movements fight for equal rights, but it cannot be conquered or be made known all at once. First wave feminism was mostly about women’s suffrage and political equality in general. Second wave feminism went more in depth about the social and cultural inequalities.
Social Work and Social Care Practice. London, England: Pearson Education, Australia. Iris Marion Young, A.D. A. 2005, October 19. Feminist Perspectives on Power. Retrieved from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminist-power/. Michaelson, A. 2011, January 27 - ongoing.
Empowerment can be defined as a technique employed by social workers to allow individuals to help themselves and regain social functioning. It helps them understand themselves as a person as well as give them the freedom to make decisions for them to become self-actualized. The social worker who is empowerment-focused aims to bring about social justice. Advocacy can be defined as the role given to a social worker who aims to bring awareness and interest to institutions about the needs of client/s. Since most times these institutions make it difficult for clients to access help, the social worker aims to bring about change in these institutions by sharing what the client’s needs and requests are, challenging the institution’s decision to not provide services and pushing for their adjustment of their policies overall. According to (Cross, 1988) cultural competence can be defined as a set of behaviours, attitudes and policies that enable a system, agency, or professional to function effectively across cultural difference. Cultural competence, does not solely recognise gender, race, ethnic background etc but it also recognises people who may have the same perspective or shared values and beliefs. Within the context of the agency, empowerment, advocacy and diversity/cultural competence
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, feminism “is the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way.” But feminism should be the act of returning the rights that have been torn from the hands of women for centuries. Women have the right to stand equal to men across all aspects of life, whether in an office, a home, the classroom, or a field. Feminism is still not a pur...
Feminism is defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. It began as an organized activity on behalf of women?s rights and interests. This concept was developed to help women earn a place in a predominantly male society. Unfortunately over the years, the intentions of feminism have become distorted, not only by anti-feminists, but also by the feminists themselves. The principle of equality for women and men has turned into a fight in which feminists wish to be better than men. Feminism has been twisted and misunderstood so much that it has become a harmful idea.