Equality-of-oppressions and anti-discriminatory models in social work: reflections from the USA and UK

Abstract

Although the equality-of-oppressions paradigm in the USA and the anti-discriminatory framework in the UK are progressive steps in affirming the lives of many groups, they are limited in their ability to highlight the continued significance of racism in contemporary social work education. This comparative paper examines how universal frameworks of oppression in social work have helped to diminish the significance of racial oppression and begins by discussing their evolution in both countries. The next section is concerned with the rise of postmodern theory and its influence in reshaping issues of oppression. Finally, a model of differential vulnerability is offered as a way of identifying how the multiplicity of oppressions varies in frequency, intensity and pervasiveness. The authors suggest that this model can make a difference by reconfiguring models of oppression which interweave differential vulnerability to not only make the necessary connections between forms of oppression but also to reaffirm social work's commitment to racial equality.

Teaching ethnicity in social work education: teachers’ experiences in Sweden

“…In England and the USA, the argumentation is based on social terms where ethnicity has a great impact. Key concepts in this context are anti-racism, cultural sensitivity, and anti-oppressive theory and practices (Dominelli, 1997;Dominelli et al, 2001;Graham & Schiele, 2010;Williams & Parrott, 2014). The social work practice in Sweden is strongly regulated by the Swedish Social Services Act.…”

“…In-line with these developments, researchers have voiced reservations as to whether and how international perspectives on ethnicity, race, and diversity become integral parts of social work education and practices of the classroom (Dominelli, 2010;Graham & Schiele, 2010). In a newly published research article from an American context, the authors claim that these aspects do not appear in social work education as frequently as they should.…”

Use of Antiopressive Approach in Czech Social Work With Homeless People

“…Intersectionality becomes not only a point of interest but also an analytical tool aiming at the crossing and multidimensional power relationships for antioppressive social work (Grillo, 2013). In fact, any form of oppression is not and cannot be considered less important in anti-oppressive social work (Graham & Schiele, 2010). The anti-oppressive approach is frequently used in foreign practice with homeless people (Gerson, 2007), while in Czech social work only a minimum of contributions dealing with this approach can be found.…”

“…The result is the birth of social inequality. Oppression is therefore structural in nature (Graham & Schiele, 2010) and an individual identity is produced through it. Lots of socially constructed forms of oppression are the basis for creation of an individual identity.…”

“…Their life situation and lived experience cannot be understood through experience with only one form of oppression, for their understanding, the interaction of all experience with oppression is important; their intersectionality. The anti-oppressive approach in social work, whose overarching principle is critical social work, is focused on intersectionality (interconnection/intersection) of various forms of oppression (Graham & Schiele, 2010). Intersectionality becomes not only a point of interest but also an analytical tool aiming at the crossing and multidimensional power relationships for antioppressive social work (Grillo, 2013).…”