1. Class 4: Macro generalist practice: theories, values, and perspectives UTA SSW, SOCW 5306: Generalist Macro Practice Professor Dick Schoech Suggest printing slides for class using: Print | Handouts | 3 slides per page | grayscale options Copyright 2005, Not to be used without permission

2. Overview of Class Values Perspectives Theories, specifically Systems Theory Social Work Change Process (in group) Hold 2 nd task force meeting meeting Firm up condition, community, roles Discuss vision and principles Next week= Further explore condition

3. Values *What are social work value? * What are social work values & how are they defined? How do they affect macro practice? * How can we tell if we need additional information on values? * Review items: These should have been covered in other courses.

4. What are Social Work Values? A value is a belief or principle to which the social work profession adheres and which guides practice Core social work values are: Service: all seek to improve humankind Social and economic justice Dignity & worth of person ($ exercise) Importance of human relationships Integrity and competence in practice CSWE EPAS p6 Diversity: understand, affirm, respect differences Democratic participation

5. Value: Diversity Systems definition: A system with a variety of inputs can survive better than one with fewer inputs (requisite variety) Relevant terms for cultural diversity ] Race (biological concept not very useful in human services, except for genetic predisposition) ] Culture (symbols by which we structure reality) ] Ethnicity (socio-history) useful concept in human services

6. Diversity Principles Diversity is a strength, not a weakness. It becomes a weakness if extremely high or low All cultures are valid but some cultural practices are not People’s opinions and actions are influenced by their concept of race, e.g., Racism exists Theories and values are not culturally neutral Understanding culture helps understand human situations Source: Wright, R. Jr., Saleebey, D., Watts, T., & Lecca, P. (1983) An introduction to the transcultural perspective, in Transcultural Perspectives in the Human Services, Springfield, IL: Thomas, pp. 3-25.

7. Why is Diversity Important? Improve practice if we understand our/client’s values & culture Helps eliminate “group think” and narrow perspectives

8. Do I need more on Diversity? Do I have friends from various cultures so I can understand their culture? Do I understand the influence of my culture on my values, work practices and clients? Do I understand the influence of the dominant culture on myself, my clients, and my work? Do I make attempts to enhance my understanding of cultures? No to these questions indicate more diversity training is needed

9. Value: Democratic Participation Democratic The will of the majority influences most heavily The rights of the minority are protected Participation People have a right to be involved in decisions that affect them People have a right to information that affects their lives People presented with options and supporting information can make good decisions for their lives

10. Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation 1. Manipulation 2. Therapy 3. Informing/training/educating 4. Consultation 5. Placation 6. Partnership 7. Delegated power 8. Consumer/Citizen control Note: ranked from lowest to highest participation Source: Arnstein, S.R. (1971) Eight Rungs on the ladder of citizen participation, in E. S. Cahn & B. A. Passett, Citizen Participation: Effecting Community Change, NY: Praeger.

11. Value: Social/economic Justice People have a right to the necessities of life: food, shelter, health care, and protection from violence Where people live without options, social and economic justice does not exist The well being of people belongs before profits, e.g., elected governments control corporations Earth’s resources and the environment should benefit all rather than a few Access to resources and options based on religion, age, gender, disability, political opinion, and sexual preference is wrong

12. Perspectives Strengths Empowerment Win/Win

13. Strengths Perspective: Concepts People/communities are resilient (relatively healthy despite exposure to a variety of severe risks and stresses) People are doing the best they can It’s as wrong to deny potentials (protective factors) as it is to deny the problem (risk factors) Every crisis contains an opportunity Better to focus on gains than on problems Assessments, taxonomies, etc., must include capacities and interventions must build on capacities Note: can we learn from the psychic

14. Strengths Perspective: Principles Focusing on needs disempowers, focusing on strengths empowers Even the most distressed person/program has strengths and successes on which to build Find a strength, no matter how small, and begin building on that strength (horse whisperer) Strengths are found more in histories, stories, dreams, hopes, and myths than in data/research Source: Saleebey (see coursepack), McKnight and Kretzman, and others

15. Empowerment Perspective: concepts Power = capacity of individuals/groups to act on their own behalf and control their destiny. Implies a transformation of ‘definition of self’ as having power and the capacity to bring about change Process more than product, e.g., show how to fish than to give them a fish Expands the personal to the interpersonal & then to the political Parsons, R.J., Gutierrez, L.M., & Cox, E.O., (1988). A model for empowerment practice. Staples, L. H. (1990) Powerful Ideas about Empowerment, Administration in Social Work, 14(2), 29-41.

16. Empowerment Perspective: Principles People must empower themselves, but we can guide them Implies change agent and client are egalitarian partners. Contrast with authoritarianism or paternalism Recognizes all forms of inequity/oppression and respects diversity Group empowerment is more powerful than individual empowerment It is hard to remedy collective inequity with individual empowerment Group empowerment leads to individual empowerment, rarely vice versa

17. Win/Win Perspective: Concept Definition: perspective that assumes resources are not limiting and disagreements can move from lose/lose or win/lose to win/win Benchmarks Both sides feel like they are a winner Both sides feel negotiations were fair Both will enjoy future work with the other Both feel other side kept commitments

18. Win/Win Perspective: Principles Differences between win/win vs. lose/lose views Losers narrow differences to one issue Losers feel they have the weaker position Losers jump to conclusions about other side’s needs Losers lack information about needs of the other side Losers are unwilling to understand/appreciate others positions Losers never offer the opposition a ‘face saving’ way out Source: Dawson, R. (1985). How both sides can win, Ch. 12 from You Can Get Anything You Want, NY: Simon & Schuster, pp. 224-233.

19. EBP Perspective: Concept First do no harm There is not such thing as common sense (what’s common to me makes sense) Some social work practices work better than others and we can determine those Organizational learning strategies help address the issues of turnover & lack of specific expertise Measurement and feedback are powerful

20. EBP Perspective: Process Asking answerable questions about the decision/situation Tracking down the best evidence to answer the questions Appraising the validity, impact, applicability of evidence Determining if something needs to or can be done Informing those involved, considering their opinions, values, and expectations Integrating all evidence into an action plan Monitoring and evaluating processes and outcomes

21. Evidence Based Practice EBP conceptually Link: http://www2.uta.edu/ssw/trainasfa/http://www2.uta.edu/ssw/trainasfa/ EBP applied to Child Protective Services Link: http://www3.uta.edu/sswtech/test/http://www3.uta.edu/sswtech/test/

22. Theories What are theories and why are they important? Systems Theory Definition Types Concepts Application

23. Theories and their importance A theory is a set of assumptions or principles that have been repeatedly tested to explain or predict facts or phenomena Theories: Provide a conceptual framework Provide a common vocabulary Guides action Assists comprehension or judgment Challenge practice wisdom

24. Systems Theory Definition Systems are elements in interaction Systems thinking vs. traditional thinking

25. Systems concept: Open vs. Closed An open system interacts with its environment. A closed system receives no inputs from its environment & entropy or decay sets in. Systems have different levels of being open or closed. A variety of inputs is required to help a system to remain open.

26. Systems Concepts: Hierarchy Systems are nested in a hierarchy, that is, systems consist of subsystems and systems operate within environments (e.g., Russian Nesting Dolls)

27. Systems Concepts: Boundaries Boundaries are the interface between a system and its subsystems or a system and its environment. Friction occurs at the boundaries of a system, e.g., Where rubber hits the road, when planes take off and land, between an agency and its client. By examining the boundaries of a system, we can often isolate the friction and its causes.

28. Systems Concepts: Goal Seeking Systems tend to be goal seeking, that is, they move in the direction of goal achievement. Systems without well defined goals often go in many different directions. The primary goal of a system is survival. All goals will be sacrificed in order for a system to survive.

29. Systems Concepts: Inputs-process-output All non-random functioning systems have: Inputs  processes  output   feedback loop with criteria  By identifying and mapping the cycles of inputs, processes and outputs, we can define a system better and learn a lot about how it behaves

30. Systems Concepts: Cybernetics For a system to work properly, it must have feedback and control mechanisms Feedback and control mechanisms Accept information about system outputs Evaluate information using goal related criteria Use evaluative information as additional inputs Cybernetics is the study of feedback & control

31. Systems Concepts: Equilibrium Systems tend toward a state of non-change called homeostasis or equilibrium Thus, we should assume that no system will change unless it receives new inputs Systems that are most amenable to change are those that are failing (survival is threatened) and successful and can take risks without threatening survival

32. Systems Concepts: Elaboration When systems change, they tend to move in the direction of differentiation and elaboration Systems like change only if it allows them to become larger entities like themselves

33. Systems Concepts: Synergy Systems working well experience synergy where the total system output are greater than the sum of all inputs. For synergy to occur, subsystems must not optimize, but cooperate for the good of the overall system, e.g., Teamwork. Synergy is also called nonsummitivity

34. Systems Theory Application: Discussion SSW system, subsystems, environment, inputs, processes, outputs, feedback loops & criteria (coursepack) Analysis Results of the analysis Resulting capacities (strengths) Resulting needs Options for change (intervention) What is the goal of a community??

35. ‘New’ Systems Thinking It is more important to do the right job than to do the job right Innovation is more importation than optimization To discover the unknown, must abandon the successful known Things more plentiful are more valuable (fax machine) Wealth follows things that are free (shareware, open systems) Abandon a product/occupation/industry when it is at its best Seek sustainable disequilibrium to keep things in “churn” Seeking opportunities is more important than solving problems Source: Kevin Kelly, Wired Magazine, Sep 97, p. 140+

36. Ecological Systems Theory Applies systems to living systems and focuses on people interacting with their environment Entities must stay in ecological balance with their environment for functional adaptation; Imbalances result in dysfunctional adaptations Social sciences should formulate the laws of functional adaptation (person in environment) Source: Theorist = William Sumner, folkways ( See Brueggemann)

37. Questions and Comments