Rethinking Social Work Practice With Multicultural Communities

With research showing that clients from diverse racial and ethnic groups disproportionately experience barriers in their interactions with social services and that providers recognize the need to be better prepared to work with these groups, this book invites us to rethink current approaches to social work practice with multicultural communities. We begin with a synthesis of the current evidence on the provision of care to multicultural communities that provides an in-depth look at both client and provider experiences. The following chapters offer tangible, research-based approaches to engaging with multicultural clients and reveal often unrecognized problems with current models of social work practice. A unique compilation of rigorous qualitative, experimental, and community-based studies demonstrate the effectiveness of culturally grounded interventions and identify the specific factors associated with positive outcomes. Areas covered include disability, marriage and couple relationship problems, domestic violence, and mental illness within Latinx, African American, First Nations, and South Asian communities. As the authors in this book show, the stories of multicultural communities are narratives of unprecedented resourcefulness and reinvention. Yet, social work underutilizes rich family and community cultural resources. By not facilitating their involvement, social service systems compromise these vital resources which social services cannot replace. In arguing that we need to expand professional boundaries to encompass indigenous practices, family and extended kin, and therapeutic relationships that make sense to different cultural groups, this book will be of interest to those studying the ways in which social work practice can be improved to better suit the needs of a racially and ethnically diverse population. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work.

The world is now a global village, yet cultural diversity is at the forefront of social work practice within and across countries. Professional social workers in different countries increasingly have to relate to a multicultural society, and to develop culturally relevant and appropriate practices with individuals and families, groups and communities. In addition, social workers have to work across different national boundaries or with issues which emanate from forces both within and beyond the countries they are from. Social work education therefore has to be able to prepare graduates to work in varying cultural and socio-economic contexts. In two parts, Cross-Cultural Social Work: Local and global addresses contemporary issues that are at the forefront of community care and development. Part 1 discusses theories and perspectives for culturally appropriate practice, education and research, whilst part 2 contains approaches to working with culturally diverse groups and practice areas. Issues addressed in these parts include: Part 1 Culture in social work, cultural competence, whiteness in social work, biculturalism, working with diversity, and culturally based methods of inquiry. Part 2 Marginalised indigenous communities, social and economic barriers, new and emerging communities, end-of-life issues, international adoption, and culturally diverse aged care. Combining theoretical discussions and practical knowledge building materials Cross-Cultural Social Work facilitates the development of cultural competence among social work students, educators, practitioners and researchers. The book engages readers to critically reflect on cultural underpinnings of dominant social work theories and methods, and to challenge the way we think about culture and cross-cultural practice. Key Features • A collection of works from contributors from different practice settings and different countries which facilitates the development of 'cultural competence' among social work students and educators, practitioners and researchers • Reflects the stipulations of professional accreditation bodies, such as the Australian Association of Social Workers, to include cross-cultural practice as well as standards of practice with minority communities in curriculum content • Combines theoretical discussions and practical knowledge building materials to aid in understanding theories in practice and prepare graduates to work in varying cultural and socio-economic contexts.

Macro Social Work Practice: Working for Change in a Multicultural Society explores the dynamics and practice implications of increasingly diverse communities, organizations, and social service networks and helps students develop the skills to work successfully in these contexts. The book gives students the foundational skills and knowledge required for effective practice in social service and human organizations, healthcare settings, communities, social networks, and social movements. It emphasizes the relationship between structural and institutional inequalities and the experiences of individuals, families, communities, and organizations. Through case examples the book illustrates how principles of social justice, empowerment, and cultural awareness can be applied in different cultural contexts. Through various exercises, students will apply critical thinking to resolve practical and ethical dilemmas and make the type of difficult decisions that practitioners confront every day. The book also addresses how recent political events, cultural developments, and social changes have altered both the context and the content of macro social work practice in the United States. Macro Social Work Practice is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate courses in social work, family and community development, public health, nursing, and human services. Michael Reisch is the Daniel Thursz Distinguished Professor of Social Justice at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He earned his master's degree in social work at Hunter College, and his Ph.D. in modern European history and the history of ideas at the State University of New York, Binghamton. He has held leadership positions in multicultural national, state, and local advocacy, professional, political, and social change organizations His publications have appeared in journals such as Social Work, Social Service Review, the British Journal of Social Work, and the Journal of Social Work Education. His most recent books are Social Policy and Social Justice: Meeting the Challenge of a Diverse Society and Social Work and Social Justice: Concepts, Challenges, and Strategies (co-authored with Charles Garvin). In 2014, he received the Significant Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council on Social Work Education and, in 2016, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.

This text offers a comprehensive overview of the key aspects of globalisation, their impact on social work and the resulting challenges in practice. The authors draw on post-colonialism to consider the global issues facing social work, such as mass migration, and the ways in which social workers can respond to such difficulties.

Encompassing community development, organizing, planning, & social change, as well as globalisation, this book is grounded in participatory & empowerment practice. The 36 chapters assess practice, theory & research methods.

The groundbreaking new text for culturally competent social work practice In Multicultural Social Work Practice, author Derald Wing Sue, one of the most prominent and respected pioneers in diversity research and practice, explores and synthesizes the important theoretical, political, and philosophical concepts related to cultural competence in the field of social work. This comprehensive yet practical text offers students definitive guidance on culturally sensitive social work practice. This important new work challenges the reader to consider the different worldviews of a highly diversified population, and achieve cultural competence through increased awareness, knowledge, and skills. It provides specific definitions of multiculturalism, cultural competence, and multicultural social work that clearly guide discussion, analysis, and debate. It also highlights the sociopolitical and social justice aspects of effective practice, and closely examines how social work theories, concepts, and practices are often rooted in and reflective of the values of the dominant society. Multicultural Social Work Practice features sections on: * Conceptual dimensions of multicultural social work practice * The political dimensions of social work practice * Racial/cultural identity development--social work implication * The practice dimensions of multicultural social work * Systemic and ecological perspectives of multicultural social work * Profiles in culturally competent care for diverse populations In addition to the aforementioned coverage, this innovative text features unique chapters on barriers to effective practice, cultural styles in intervention strategies, and indigenous healing strategies. It also employs generous clinical and real-life examples to illustrate important concepts. A lively, provocative guidebook that challenges traditional social work practice, and featuring a foreword by Monica McGoldrick, Multicultural Social Work Practice is a benchmark text for students of social work, professional social workers, and others in the helping professions.

Critical multicultural practice, rather than being a specialism, is integral to Australian social work. Drawing on critical race theory, critical multiculturalism, intersectionality and critical reflection as practice theory, this major new edited collection challenges many of the dominant assumptions of cross-cultural social work and provides instead a new model of transformative engagement. Key concepts are considered, including identity, culture, diversity and superdiversity, how power and privilege shape everyday interactions and what is meant by citizenship in the contemporary context. Part One explores the changing nature of multicultural practice in Australia, including our society's changing demographic profile, the impact of asylum and refugee migrations, race and racism and cultural identity. Indigenous perspectives and the relationship with multicultural practice are examined, together with the ethical and legal basis for multicultural practice. This part concludes with an outline of the editors' framework for critical multicultural practice. Part Two draws on contributions from a range of practitioners and offers new perspectives on diverse fields, including child protection, mental health, disability, ageing, homelessness and rural and regional practice. Featuring case studies and insights drawn from across the spectrum of practice, this book is a vital resource for all social workers practising in Australia today. '[A] rich and nuanced analysis of what is happening at the interfaces of our work and the lives of Australian citizens, [it] articulates ways forward that are genuine, bold and empathetic.' From the foreword by Professor Kerry Arabena, The University of Melbourne

The underlying frame of social work is the nation state, and it is from within the state that welfare strategies and social policies are devised and implemented. However, post-colonialism, globalisation, migration and the associated implications for human rights, social justice and social welfare policies contest the idea of a clearly defined space for social work and present new challenges for researchers and practitioners. Transnational Social Work and Social Welfare argues for the increased importance of the transnational perspective in social work theory and practice. The book challenges the idea of the nation state as a given entity and argues that globalization and an increasing number of people crossing borders must have an impact on the theories and strategies of social work. The international contributors are critical of a restricted focus on a geographically defined space and the impact on work with clients. With cases covering China, France, India, UK, Germany, Malaysia, Israel, Turkey, the book highlights the challenges as well as the opportunities this new perspective can open up for theories and strategies in social work. It will be of interest to students, researchers and social workers interested in migration, social care, poverty and cultural competency in health and social care.