Читать книгу Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice - Prospera Tedam - Страница 22

Having articulated what oppression is, and outlined the forms and types of oppression, we focus now on what anti-oppressive practice is and how social workers can engage with service users in an anti-oppressive way.

According to Dominelli (2002, p6), anti-oppression is:

A methodology focusing on both process and outcome, and a way of structuring relationships between individuals that aims to empower users by reducing the negative effects of hierarchy in their immediate interaction and the work they do.

This definition centralises the value of human relationships by empowering service users and minimising the impact of oppression, discrimination and injustice. In Chapter 4, we will examine various models and frameworks which social workers can use to support anti-oppressive practice.

Writing about anti-oppressive practice from the perspective of service users, Wilson and Beresford (2000) states that service users have been minimally involved in the development of anti-oppressive practice, which is both ironic and unfortunate as they are often claimed to be the beneficiaries of anti-oppressive practice. For this reason, it is important for the service user to explain their own reality and experiences, and for you to avoid stereotyped responses to oppressive practice. Instead, you should ensure that you work with each service user to understand their specific and unique experience of oppression.

As a social worker, if you do not know what your service user is entitled to, or you do not understand the legislation that underpins your practice with them, you will most likely be practising oppressively. Here again, we are reminded of the definition by Barker (2003) which refers to oppression as placing severe restrictions on individuals. By not knowing the services available to your service users, you are placing restrictions on the direction of the intervention and the scope of possibilities.