An intro to Social Work and Social Services: Help me to Understand Cultural Competence

 

As a descendent of a Cherokee grandmother, I am familiar with stories of lost land, hard struggles and the fight to maintain one’s dignity, but then that was all.  Adults often told the children horrible stories of being taken from home in the middle of the night by the locals or the fight for equal education.  However, I was rarely told things about the culture or ways of the Native American.  I only became familiar with the term “Cherokee Nation” because of a ‘Cher’ song.  However, reading the article, Indigenous People and the Social Work Profession: Defining Culturally Competent Services by Hilary N. Weaver, inspired me to have hope for the future of America’s first inhabitants.

Prior to reading this article, I had heard alcoholism was a problem for Native Americans; however I was unaware of the reason.  I had not heard about containment, although it explains my grandmother’s favorite expression, “If you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything nice at all.” 

My views, as a woman, a person of color, and a descendent are sympathetic and empathetic to Native Americans.  I believe in the integration of cultural competence into the social work profession, for any indigenous population.  It is of extreme importance to have historical knowledge to best know a client; it is necessary to understand the client’s perspective.  The statement, social workers must understand the “effect of oppression” stuck out in my mind.  I think that one line explains everything; if a social worker is able to understand the overall effect of oppression at the micro, mezzo and macro level, they should be able to effectively empower any client.

I am very pleased with NASW’s move toward cultural competence; if more people with Eurocentric values began to truly understand the varied perspectives of the others around them, then we, as a society, could begin healing from a long history of pain.  Professor McMahan says, “Social workers are the people who educate other professions…” and if this is true, I welcome an opportunity to work with Native Americans.  Only when I have the support to empower Native Americans to make a change towards their idea of “better,” would I work with this population, otherwise it would be emotionally stressful.  I consider myself a macro level worker; I am too sensitive, but I am interested in learning more about the Native American culture.   

Now, I understand the social work profession has matured through-out the years and is working to recognize individual worth by understanding the individual’s cultural make-up; their environment, social realities and historical presence.  NASW is acknowledging the profession’s ethnocentric foundation and is advising social workers, Caucasian or otherwise, to display an openness to divergent beliefs, norms and value systems.  Social workers should understand and appreciate diversity among any population, display humility (a quality often lost by people with higher educations), a willingness to learn and the most important component, a respectful, nonjudgmental, open state of mind.