Promoting Anti Oppressive Practice

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Promoting Anti Oppressive Practice

• Pulling it all together

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Julia Phillipsons framework

• heightened (self and general) awareness
• plus
• developing knowledge
• plus
•  developing skills in challenging sexism
• leads to 
•  
• practising in gender aware and gender
  equality-enhancing ways
•  

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interlocking circles of oppression and privilege

• The ways in which our differing social identities
  can reinforce or dilute our experiences of
  oppression, discrimination and privilege over
  time and between situations

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liberalising or liberation?

• Anti-discriminatory practice describes practice
  where discrimination and unfairness are
  challenged (liberalising practice)
• Anti-oppressive practice describes practice where
  the intention is to enable service users to
  become empowered (liberating practice)

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Sociological explanations
Psychological explanations
Behaviour explained in social group terms
Behaviour explained in individual or family terms
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The PCS Model
Personal Psychological Practice Prejudice
C
Structural Social divisions Social
forces Sociopolitical
Cultural Commonalities Conformity
S
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The RAC approach to intervention.

• Recognition
• Active rejection
• Continuous re-evaluation

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Assessing anti-racist practice

• Anti-racist practice (Level 5)
• ??
• Racism awareness (Level 4)
• ??
• Ethnically sensitive practice (Level 3)
• ??
• Multi-culturalism (Level 2)
• ??
• A colour-blind approach (Level 1)
• From E Arnold (1998) 'Anti-Racist Practice
  Teaching Equipping the Practice Teacher for the
  Task in H Lawson (ed) Practice Teaching -
  Changing Social Work. London, Jessica Kingsley.
  pp80-81

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Section 3 IPLA

• 3. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
• Every effort should be made to ensure that each
  student has an equal learning opportunity. This
  is an important aspect of the learning agreement
  meeting and should be discussed fully. Power
  relationships, similarities and differences
  between the practice teacher assessor, workplace
  supervisor and student should be explicitly
  addressed. In particular, the needs of disabled
  students should be fully acknowledged and
  discussed before work begins in the agency.
• Please use the box below to detail specific
  considerations and agreements in relation to
  promoting equal opportunity in learning and
  assessment and methods to be used to address
  difference and power imbalances.

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Example 1

• There is an organisational commitment to equal
  opportunities which is exemplified through a
  range of policies and the Improving Working Lives
  benchmark standard accreditation.
• Issues of power will be identified and explored
  through supervision sessions. Ground-rules will
  be set for supervision at the first session and
  these rules should encourage and allow a safe
  atmosphere for feedback from both parties.

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Example 2

• The agency will offer a dyslexia test to assess
  whether student has any dyslexia. A learning
  styles test will be taken to inform the Practice
  Teacher Assessors approach to assisting the
  students learning. The agency will work to meet
  any needs that are found throughout placement.
  Power balances will be addressed as the placement
  progresses.
• Student will be able to get regular development
  feedback and will be able to ask for feedback on
  development.

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Example 3

• I have talked to the staff team about xxxs role
  in our organisation as a student and we have
  discussed expectations of her both in terms of
  being open and responsive to questions and the
  kinds of work she will be expected to do.
• I have completed the Masters Course at the
  University of York myself, and so have an
  awareness of the demands of the course,
  particularly now that days have been added on to
  the placements. I am sure that xxxx and I will
  find many other similarities and differences
  between us, age, gender, background and so on. I
  do not foresee any of these issues causing
  difficulties but would encourage xxxx to talk
  openly about any concerns she may have. I shall
  do the same and we will address this directly in
  supervision at the start of the placement.

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Example 4

• The organisation will make sure that l do not
  suffer any form of discrimination
• The organisation will take into account power
  differences in terms of gender and ethnicity
• l will have regular and clear feedback on my
  performance
• l will take responsibility in raising any issues
  affecting me while on placement

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IPLA Section 7. Students previous experience and
interests Example 1

• I use a person centred approach to practice and
  follow an egalitarian value system. I respect
  social and cultural difference and acknowledge
  how difference can operate at a personal and
  structural level. I also understand that
  difference is influenced by social, cultural,
  economic and psychological factors. I feel that
  all these need to be taken into account in any
  analysis of how individuals or groups gain
  influential access to resources and positions of
  power. In my role as Social work student and
  eventually Social worker I am concerned with
  reducing the deleterious effects of structural
  inequalities upon peoples lives.

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Example 2

• My previous experience working in a Sure Start
  programme instilled in me a commitment to the
  principles of empowerment and social justice, and
  a recognition of the importance of interventions
  that are led by the service user. These ideas
  have been backed up through the course so far
  especially in my learning around anti-oppressive
  practice. I recognise the need to be aware of
  the different oppressions that influence the
  lives of individuals and their interactions with
  others, and the impact that the professional can
  have in either tackling or exacerbating these
  power differentials. I have been interested to
  learn about the various levels on which power
  operates and am keen to develop skills in putting
  in place effective interventions which take into
  account the individual, the community and wider
  societal factors also.

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Example 3

• I strongly believe that a person should not be
  discriminated against because of their race,
  religion, culture, gender, sexual orientation,
  disability, age or illness. I also believe it is
  important to challenge my own beliefs and to try
  not to make assumptions about people.
• I chose Anti-Oppressive Practice as the subject
  for the Frameworks for Practice essay. Therefore
  have done reading into theories on the subject. I
  may need help in learning ways of implementing
  these theories into my practice.
• My understanding of Anti-Oppressive Practice is
  that many of the people I am likely to work with
  may already be oppressed. It is therefore
  important not to discriminate and therefore
  disadvantage them further through my practice. I
  feel it is also important to identify oppression
  on personal, cultural and structural levels, and
  be able to challenge those oppressions and the
  misuse of power in a way that doesnt alienate
  the people who may be oppressing.

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Example 4

• We have done sessions on power, oppression and
  discrimination. We had further sessions focusing
  on equal opportunity, cultural awareness and
  issues relating to general discrimination, which
  can exist in work places.
• Areas for development
• Understanding the values and ethics which impact
  on practice

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• Building a culture of human rights is about
  making rights connect with our everyday lives.
  Its about deepening and strengthening awareness
  of what respect for human rights actually means.
• Human rights is relevant to each and every
  person in this country, whether or not the courts
  are involved. It applies to everyday attitudes.
  The principles of human rights fairness,
  respect for individual human dignity, balancing
  rights and reciprocity is what we are looking
  for
• David Lammy, Minister at Dept for Constitutional
  Affairs speech to public authorities about their
  responsibilities under Human Rights Act, 4.2.2004