CSI Constructing Social Integration

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CSI (Constructing Social Integration)

• Presenters Dr. Cathy Harner and Assistant
  Professor Michele Mallett
• Taylor University
• March 9, 2006

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Unleashing the Oppressed

• The course is designed to provide the student
  with the necessary knowledge, values, and skills
  to empower people who fall into at-risk
  population groups.
• At-risk are mental disabilities, physical
  disabilities, developmental disabilities, women,
  elderly, LGBT, and religious diversity.
• Students have the opportunity to meet and learn
  from people who are members of these diverse
  groups. Students then have the opportunity to
  teach others about what they had learned and
  experienced.

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Key course objectives

• Demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills
• Demonstrate understanding of and tolerance for
  differences based on gender, ethnicity, religious
  creed, sexual orientation, and age.
• Develop awareness of self that utilizes strengths
  and works on limitations

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Lets Construct

• Enhance appreciation for cultural diversity and
  improve cultural awareness
• Understand the consequences of oppression
• Reinforce the meaning of social justice
• Build Relationships

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Enhance Appreciation for Cultural Diversity

• Recognize influences of racism, sexism classism,
  heterosexism, ableism, and religious oppression
  that limit people from reaching their full
  potential.
• Barriers to the relationship include
  discrimination, prejudice, stereotyping,

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Understand the Consequences of Oppression

• Repeated exposure, subtle or indirect, may lead
  vulnerable members of the oppressed group to
  internalize the negative self-images projected by
  the external oppressor.
• The external oppressor may be an individual or an
  aspect of society.
• Oppressed people may develop a victim
  complexviewing all actions and communications as
  further assaults or simply other indications of
  their victim status.

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The Challenge to achieve Social Justice

• All human beings because they are such must be
  treated the same way.
• The meaning of social justice is found in the use
  of social justice-- in thought and action, in the
  description and interpretation of behavior.
• Persistent failure should not be seen as
  deficiency in the individual but rather in
  inequitable practices.
• We have a collective responsibility to respond to
  the diversity of the human condition.

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The Point of Discoveryits not what it seems

• Why Build a Relationship?
• To discover the issues related to the persons
  area of diversity and how they deal with those
  issues.
• To increase awareness of their own prejudice,
  stereotypes and bias.

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The Point of Discoveryits not what it seems

• Achieving a Balanced Relationship
• Factors that affect the process
• Preconceived perceptions of roles
• Values and beliefs concerning power and status
• The ability of both parties to identify and
  appreciate each others strengths
• The ability of both parties to accept and respect
  diversity

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The Point of Discoveryits not what it seems

• Achieving a Balanced Relationship
• Factors that affect the process
• The ability to overcome judgmental
  interpretations regarding weaknesses perceived in
  each other.
• The ability to demonstrate an understanding of
  the dynamics of powerlessness and its
  consequences.

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Examine the evidence--What are the questions to
ask?

• Who are you?
• With what racial, ethnic, religious, gender, age,
  social class, and sexual orientation do you
  identify?
• Into which of these groups were you born and
  which have you joined since birth?
• What unique characteristics do your affiliations
  have that others do not?

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Examine the evidence--What are the questions to
ask?

• What do you like about your culture and what do
  you not like about your culture?
• Have you ever experienced discrimination as a
  result of your affiliation with one or more of
  the cultures to which you belong?
• What was the nature of that discrimination?
• Consider the language that you use. What terms
  do you use to refer to other diverse groups? What
  terms are used to refer to you?

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Theoretical Framework

• Cultural Identity Development
• Constructivism
• Social Construction

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Cultural Identity Development Theory

• Members of a particular cultural group go through
  different stages or statuses marked by different
  attitudes toward their own and other cultural
  groups
• Attitudes and behaviors are the result of a
  cognitive and emotional process surrounding
  relationship to their own cultural group

• That relationship determines their relationship
  to other cultural groups
• Racial (cultural) identity is a group collective
  identity based on common heritage with that
  group.

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Adapting to Dominant Culture

• Individuals choose to deal with living in the
  dominant culture that is different from their own
  by
• Moving toward
• Moving against
• Moving away

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Adapting to Dominant Culture

• Lack of identification with the dominant culture
  may result in
• Isolation
• Passivity
• Increased stress
• Anxiety
• Depression

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Constructivism

• Constructivismunderstanding others within the
  context, within the group or culture in which
  they function
• Access the meaning clients give to experiences
  within their culture
• There are multiple truths, meanings, and
  constructions and one story is not considered
  truth over another.
• Building the relationship is an effort to
  construct meanings that can provide for more
  cultural harmony.

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Social Construction

• Social construction focus is on mutually-agreed
  upon meaning of a particular group and their role
  in shaping individual constructions.
• For example
• Social construction says that most differences
  attributed to sex are really the result of
  socially defined gender roles.
• Heterosexuality has been designated as natural
  and thus superior to homosexuality, which is
  perceived to be unnatural or deviant.

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Social Construction

• Social differences may change over time because
  they are socially constructed and inaccurate
  therefore subject to change.
• Ask the hard questions
• Is a person considered homosexual if he/she never
  acts on his/her desires?

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Fear Factors

• Assumptions that all people from a specific
  cultural group are the same
• Assuming that one approach is applicable in all
  situations.
• Questioning competence in working with culturally
  diverse clients
• Being unaware of cultural dynamics and their
  impact on psychosocial development.

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Constructed Social Integration results in

• Warmth
• Empathy
• Becoming more in tune with the person
• Conveying understanding.
• Adopting anothers internal frame of reference.
• Genuineness
• Improved communication

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Constructed Social Integration results in

• Becoming more Culturally Aware
• Everyone has distinct cultures and backgrounds
• Be honest about your own thoughts and feelings
• Gain knowledge and skills to work with other
  cultures
• Know that you will make mistakes
• Recognize differences as a resource
• Recognize that you and the person may be
  uncomfortable with cultural differences

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Reference

• Das, Ajit K. Rethinking Multicultural Counseling
  Implication for Counselor Education. Journal of
  Counseling and Development, 07489633, Sept/Oct
  95, Vol. 74 Issue 1 retrieved from Academic
  Search Premier June 29, 2005.
• Gutierrez, Working with Women of Color An
  Empowerment Perspective, Social Work March 1990,
  pp. 149-153.
• Kirst-Ashman, Karen K. and Grafton H. Hull, Jr.
  Understanding Generalist Practice. (3rd ed).
  Pacific Grove, CA. Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning.
• Lee, C.C. (1997). Multicultural Issues in
  Counseling New Approaches to Diversity. 2nd ed.
  Alexandria. Va. American Counseling Association.
• Sciarra, Daniel T. (1999). Multiculturalism in
  Counseling. Itasaca, Illinois. F. E. Peacock
  Publishers, Inc.
• Segal, Elizabeth. Gerdes, Karen. Steiner, Sue.
  2004. Social Work an Introduction to the
  Profession. Belmont, CA. Brooks/Cole-Thomson
  Learning.