Reflective Essay On Discrimination

1380 Words3 Pages

Individuals having biased opinions about a certain group can be identified as prejudice; however, the individual 's lack of knowledge about the group is astonishing. Prejudices against certain groups are the cause of oppression in those groups. Oppression can be defined in many ways, such as, "the by-product of socially constructed notions of power, privilege, control, and hierarchies of differences" (Appleby et al., 2001). One way to change oppression is through education. Education can come in many forms, such as advocacy and changes in legislation. By taking a Social Justice class, there is an increase in education and knowledge of those that are being discriminated against. The knowledge of oppression and ways in which individual groups …show more content…

Additionally, I had to explore the work that will be done with future social work practice and the ways in which I would prevent discrimination from occurring in that work. In order to conduct social work without discrimination, I hope to empower clients to speak up for themselves and train staff on prejudices, discrimination, and oppression.
Summary
Unfortunately, I would have never have identified myself as prejudice, but I have discovered there are some hidden prejudices. One of the prejudices I realized was ingrained in my beliefs is that slavery took place so long ago; yet, there is so much talk surrounding racism that the problem will never get any better. The reality is the lack of talking about this social issue will only increase the problem (Wood, 2016). Undoubtedly, I grew up and still live in a small town with very little diversity. Therefore, the experiences I had as a child in regards to racism are consistent with my upbringing. Although I did not have much diverse influence, I did not experience prejudices or discrimination against others. The topic of race was not discussed; …show more content…

As student social workers, we are taught about empowering our client 's, to focus on their strengths, and to work together as equals. Being a social worker, these are the strengths I would want to bring into practice so that work is being conducted without prejudice. As long as staff and client are educated on people are entitled to have their own opinion, but respect is required then there will be an understanding of expectations from the start. To ensure that respect is taking place, all staff will be trained on biases, stereotypes, and discrimination. Social Workers need to safeguard vulnerable people while considering the person 's economic, political, and cultural background. By working together as a team in social work practice, the team can work towards empowering people by offering

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