Privileged and Marginalized Identities that Shape an Individual’s Perspective as a Social Worker

Reflection for a Social Work Class
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Reflection for a Social Work Class
Privileged and Marginalized Identities that Shape an Individual’s Perspective as a Social Worker
Through self-exploration, I have learned that the growth of a social worker significantly depends on a person’s relationships with others and one’s ability to foster equality. Different social identities, such as gender, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, age, and race, are critical to shaping an individual’s worldviews, behaviors, experiences, and attitudes (Watts-Jones, 2010). In that light, as I plan to participate and work in democratic and diverse environments, I need to understand how my privileged and marginalized identities and that of others relate to social locations and how they affect my interactions with others. Privileged identities, such as being white and upper social class, and marginalized identities, such as working-class, skin color, and race, shape a person’s social identities. I appreciate my privileged and marginalized identities since they have helped me become the best social worker who understands others well without being biased by race, religion, ethnicity, skin color, gender, and sexual orientation.
Limitations and Benefits I Anticipate in My Interactions with Clients or Colleagues Based on Identities
Specifically, I understand that one benefit of interacting with clients who have similar social identities is the ability to comprehend their needs easily. For example, being a Chinese international student gives me the privilege of relating to Asians well due to our common cultural beliefs, norms, and values. Another benefit is that I will find it easy to develop an effective solution for individuals who have similar privileges since my contributions to their issues will be based on my life experiences. On the contrary, the limitation of interacting with clients or colleagues that have different identities is ineffective communication at the beginning (Watts-Jones, 2010). I will be required to take time to observe a person to avoid possible conflicts due to our differences. The other limitation would be differing opinions on how to approach a specific problem since every individual aligns with his or her cultural values and beliefs.
Lessons I Hope to Learn This Year
The three primary lessons I hope to obtain this year are applying my privileged identities when interacting with others, eliminating racial discrimination as a social worker, and oppression of marginalized groups. In particular, I have realized that identity politics play significant roles in the way individuals interact with social workers (Crenshaw, 1994). For instance, clients with the same social identities might find it easy to approach me and share their problems. However, marginalized people might hesitate to be transparent with me since they perceive me as if I will not understand their issues well. I also need to learn how to create a safe and discrimination-free environment such that all people would feel comfortable when expressing themselves. Consequently, obtaining the...