The importance of culture among social workers is to recognize how culture affects the behavior of individuals and groups, culture can be used as a source of strength to distinguish the differences that can create social boundaries. According to the Council on Social Work Education, Policy 2.1.4 states that, “Social workers understand how diversity characterizes and shapes the human experience and is critical to the formation of identity.” As we read the case of Isabella aka Izzy, we will use her story to further explore how culture structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, and create or enhance privilege and power.
Isabella is a 32-year-old woman from Mexico who was born in the Unite States, her identity alone is enough to …show more content…
When people are oppressed for long periods of times their self-image of themselves not only becomes distorted but also leads to internal oppression. Many of the stereotypes and forms of discrimination that others have about the oppressed eventually becomes true and people tend to treat themselves the same way. This case takes us to other issues such as marginalization, targeting individuals who have difficulty getting jobs and maintaining them. In Isabella’s case her family had difficulty with employment by working as contractors for a construction company and the seasonal employment with the department of transportation. Isabella and Ramon struggled with unemployment, homelessness, drug abuse, and commitment issues. The social structures of race and class affected Isabella in terms of having a stable job that was enough to support herself and …show more content…
In Isabella’s, she experiences a high form of isolation when all of her children are taken and placed into custody and when her husband is taken to prison. Not only does Isabella deal with this but so does each of her family members as they are torn apart from each other. Her twins, Sally and Jesus are placed in a juvenile shelter while her other daughter, Susanna, is placed in foster care. Prior to intervention when Isabella and her children are sent to the women’s shelter, her son Jesus was told he could not stay there because he was not only a male but also one year older than what they typically allow. For the benefit of her family, this was something that required a lot of thought as this was a difficult decision making process of what needed to get done for her family. Isabella’s stay at the treatment was sort of like a contract, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” Despite the separation, Isabella knows that there are some benefits such as her sobriety and children’s grades improving. As a social worker, I would also attempt to find a facility that not only accepts women, children and their families but also kept them together despite age and gender differences. It is important to also keep the children safe, alienating just Jesus may cause more harm than
Isabella is a 32-year-old woman from Mexico who was born in the Unite States, her identity alone is enough to …show more content…
When people are oppressed for long periods of times their self-image of themselves not only becomes distorted but also leads to internal oppression. Many of the stereotypes and forms of discrimination that others have about the oppressed eventually becomes true and people tend to treat themselves the same way. This case takes us to other issues such as marginalization, targeting individuals who have difficulty getting jobs and maintaining them. In Isabella’s case her family had difficulty with employment by working as contractors for a construction company and the seasonal employment with the department of transportation. Isabella and Ramon struggled with unemployment, homelessness, drug abuse, and commitment issues. The social structures of race and class affected Isabella in terms of having a stable job that was enough to support herself and …show more content…
In Isabella’s, she experiences a high form of isolation when all of her children are taken and placed into custody and when her husband is taken to prison. Not only does Isabella deal with this but so does each of her family members as they are torn apart from each other. Her twins, Sally and Jesus are placed in a juvenile shelter while her other daughter, Susanna, is placed in foster care. Prior to intervention when Isabella and her children are sent to the women’s shelter, her son Jesus was told he could not stay there because he was not only a male but also one year older than what they typically allow. For the benefit of her family, this was something that required a lot of thought as this was a difficult decision making process of what needed to get done for her family. Isabella’s stay at the treatment was sort of like a contract, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” Despite the separation, Isabella knows that there are some benefits such as her sobriety and children’s grades improving. As a social worker, I would also attempt to find a facility that not only accepts women, children and their families but also kept them together despite age and gender differences. It is important to also keep the children safe, alienating just Jesus may cause more harm than