Identify some of the social groups to which you belong. How have you been or are influenced by your own social group memberships? Write about a time at least two of them intersected to have an impact on you. Provide an example when belonging to one social group had a more pronounced impact on you than belonging to one of your other social identities.

  1. An individual’s social identity is made of membership in multiple, overlapping and intersecting social groups. At times, an individual may identify with one or more social groups to which they belong more than another.
    • Identify some of the social groups to which you belong.
    • How have you been or are influenced by your own social group memberships?
    • Write about a time at least two of them intersected to have an impact on you.
    • Provide an example when belonging to one social group had a more pronounced impact on you than belonging to one of your other social identities.
  2. What does it mean to say that commonly held beliefs about social groups are “socially constructed”?  Share an example other than one from the chapter that illustrates social construction.
  3. Box 5.4 summarizes five core values that may impact a client-practitioner relationship. Among these, which will you need to strive to gain understanding of in order to engage in culturally competent practice with clients who are different from you. Provide an explanation .

 

 

  1. List and briefly explain the significance of two examples of historical practices or policies discussed in this chapter that have taken away the rights of certain social groups.

 

  1. The chapter introduced several areas of social injustice that compel social work involvement. As an aspiring social worker or other human service professional, what do you see as the sphere of influence that you might have related to one of these issues? What can you do to act as a change agent?
  2. Respond to Box 5.5, “What do you think.”

 

 

  1. Read Box 5.6. If a similar comment was made to you, how would you respond?

 

 

  1. The authors state that cultural awareness of self and others is imperative to becoming an effective human services professional (required for social workers) who seeks to build cultural competence in his or her practice. What practice can you initiate and maintain during your social work education or education to become a human services professional to gain cultural awareness of self and others?