Putting Yourself into the Work - Essay Example

? Due Introduction I have been in the company of many people in my life of different backgrounds and different career paths. There nothing more disturbing than when someone who chose an occupation where helping people is the priority speak ill or offensively about the very people that he/she are supposed to be helping. These negative attitudes and “energy” can be inadvertently transferred to the very people who are in need of your assistance. Someone with such negative feelings about, for example, other ethnicities, cultures, religions, belief systems, the down trodden, or mentally ill should not be someone who works in a system intended to help others. She may not even realize how “jaded” and judgmental he/she has become. This is clearly someone who has never taken the time to realize and address their own ignorances, assumptions, and embraced stereotypes that could make them less helpful and more of a hindrance. Such people lack the self-awareness that, I think, is so important to the field of social work and the kind of worker that I hope to be. Alice Miller, in Anne Bishop’s Becoming an Ally: Breaking the Cycle of Oppression in People, says that without self awareness and an ability to connect with those you aid can become just part of a routine and that, ”…morality and performance of duty are artificial measures…”(2002) In my mind this is a prime example of this line of thinking. This woman does her job, but she lacks empathy or even sympathy, but can, probably, fake it under the right circumstances. This is why it is essential for social workers to have an understanding of their own histories, backgrounds, biases, founded or unfounded, before they will ever be truly effective in their position. How effective a social worker will be in helping others is directly related personal beliefs, attitudes and outlooks, and how self aware they are.(Heydt & Sherman, 2005) It would be very easy for someone with discriminatory thinking or unresolved personal issues be inadvertently expressed in ways that cam impede the “good works” that a social worker is supposed to do. A social worker must take the time to self-evaluate, even if it means discovering things about yourself that you are not necessarily proud of. Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and flaws make you a more complete person that can actually be beneficial to those with whom they are working. Having the right tools are essential to completing any task. A plumber is of little use without a pipe wrench. Social workers are no different, except the tool that they use to complete their tasks and achieve their goals is themselves.(Heydt & Sherman, 2005) “Self awareness is the core of ethical practices.”(Lipschutz, 2012 ) That said, it may be difficult to genuinely perform their jobs ethically unless they are committed to becoming self-aware. In 2003, Sheafor and Horejsi, listed the eight most common factors that can be an interference in the helping of others and are recommended as part of a social workers self-awareness check-list; personal issues, appearance (clothing and grooming), behaviors that devalue or degrade others, distracting personal habits, difficulties in verbal communication, difficulties in cognitive functioning, problems in written communication, and poor work habits. Having reviewed all of these items, I find that I have no overwhelming or overpowering personal issues that might negatively affect my future works. I, always, attempt to dress and present myself professionally and appropriately for the work environment. I do not participate in intentionally degrading or insulting behaviors. I have never been told that I have any distracting personal habits. I am a strong communicator, both, verbally and in written endeavors. Lastly, I think I have, both, positive and efficient work habits. That said, I am by no means perfect. There is much that I still need to learn, about my work and the people that I may eventually help. Still I am comfortable with myself and believe I have a strong foundation to be of service to others. In today’s society the greatest bias comes in the form of the “isms,” as Ruth Lipschutz, a licensed clinical social worker, in her article, Ethics Corner: Cultural Competence and Social Work Practice with Older Adults, explained. Where you stand on race, religion, and gender can play a huge role in how one approaches some people one way and others another when it comes to people’s of differing cultures. It is not enough to be just competent, one must be “culturally competent.” Meaning that individuals, and the system structure, is respectful and effective for people of all cultures, backgrounds, races, religions, classes, and any other diversifying factors that, both, recognizes and values the people, families, and communities that they intend to benefit. (Lipschutz, 2012 ) Anne Bishop explains that sometimes it is completely unintentional to make errors in dealing with other cultures. There are workshops that she has participated in that helped identify the “ism’s,” that Lipschutz mentioned, in participants that did not believe that they were “suffering from” an “ism.” However, she explains that people can change, society can change, and it does not require generations, or even a single generation to show pronounced change. Even if you have invested in self awareness, it is still possible for ignorance of others that you may be interacting with become somehow dissatisfied with your behaviors and you may not understand why. When Bishop explained what happened with her friend that visited the Native Americans and was going to participate in a “Sweat Ceremony.” This ceremony is very sacred. Not intending any disrespect, one woman had to rush out because she was becoming claustrophobic while in the sweat lodge. The Elder who was overseeing the ceremony became angry. He says that this ritual is not a game. This woman, in his opinion, was the same as “all whites,” they have no respect for the ceremony or any of their traditions. This was hardly true. The visitors intended no disrespect, but culturally speaking offenses were made. If I knew that I was going to participate in any cultural ceremony or ritual that is not my own, I would make every effort to understand its details and importance before I would ever participate. I would research, if necessary, to avoid unintentional happenings, like the situation above. Conclusion In the end, I think that self awareness is absolutely essential in performing the functions of a successful social worker. It is basically necessary for anyone who will be dedicating their lives to helping others must make certain that they are truly fit to be doing such an important task. A social must be able to come to terms with themselves on all levels in order to be effective in that career path. However, the self awareness being suggested can be extended well beyond the occupation of social work. If people spent more time trying to understand themselves on the deepest levels, asking themselves why they think and act in certain ways, then maybe people’s interactions on a day to day basis would be a lot more successful. The lessons that Anne Bishop, and others in the field are sharing, could be beneficial to social work but, also, to all people living in diverse communities. “The dream is a vision of the world I would like to live in, a world based on cooperation, negotiation, and universal respect…”(Bishop, 2002) Such a world may be hard to create, but it is definitely worth the effort of aiming for. References Bishop, A. (2002). Becoming an ally: Breaking the cycle of oppression in people. (2nd ed., pp. 18-77). Halifax: Fernwood Publishing. Heydt, M. J., & Sherman, N. E. (2005). Conscious use of self:tuning the instrument of social work practice with cultural competence. The Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 10(2), 25-40. Retrieved from http://www.mcnellie.com/525/readings/heydtsherman.pdf Lipschutz, R. (2012 , May 1). Ethics corner: Cultural competence and social work practice with older adults. NASW: The National Association of Social Workers- Illinois Chapter, Retrieved from http://naswil.org/news/networker/featured/cultural-competence-and-social-work-practice-with-older-adults/ Read More