We don’t want to make assumptions about our clients but we must learn how they see and experience the world, especially if they are minority persons in a society that still gives preference to white people. As social work practitioners, we need to enter the world of our clients using a non-expert stance and curiosity-what some are now calling cultural humility (Ortega & Faller, 2011 see this blog, 9/10/13). Why do we need to know about the daily experiences of others? There are professional and personal reasons. White privilege can keep me from thinking about or experiencing racial discrimination in everyday life thus it is important to understand these things that are easy for me to be oblivious to. I have also talked about racial injustice with African American friends and colleagues. As a white female, this has been a way for me to enter the world and experiences of these authors. I have been particularly interested in racial justice and have read widely, both the fiction and non-fiction works of African American writers especially. I have always had a strong interest in social justice, which is fairly common among social workers, and a reason that many go into the profession. I am realizing how much micro and macro social work are intertwined and to be effective in either one, one must have the knowledge and skills of both. Becoming the Director of the School of Social Work has certainly moved me more into the macro realm. I always find myself amused when writing or talking about macro social work, as I am definitely more of a micro kind of person, having studied, taught, and researched Motivational Interviewing (MI) (an interpersonal communication method) for the past 15 or so years.
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