Power Biases Social Work

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Social biases, power and privilege are concepts that are extremely important terms that social workers come face to face with, on a daily basis. Therefore, it is of upmost importance that social workers obtain a substantial understanding of these terms, as it will assist them greatly when approaching their clients and in particular, clients that are from a diverse background. This will be further illustrated through defining each of the terms and how they are interrelated, examining how the profession of social work itself comes from a place of white power and privilege and may affect the interaction between social workers and diverse clients, analysing the ways in which the social biases of social workers can differ from those of their clients …show more content…
Author Karen Keifer argues that people with lighter skin tend to hold more privilege and power than people with darker skin. In order to further Illustrate this, Keifer uses the example of how people with lighter skin can easily access and purchase books and magazines, featuring people of their complexion, whereas this is not the same for people with darker skin. This example highlights the ways in which social biases can be formed around particular cultures and races in relation to power and privilege. It is important for social workers to be aware of these social biases, because when working with diverse cultures, it is likely that many could have experienced oppression, social exclusion and bullying as a result of these social biases that perceive a particular race as privileged and others not so privileged. In addition, it is also important for social workers to understand how the profession of social work itself comes from a place of privilege and power as it was established on the basis of white customs and practices. This point is further demonstrated in an article by Maggie Walter’s, who argues that the predominance of whiteness in Australian social work is a crucial issue for both the profession and the practitioners within this area, specifically when engaging in practices related to Indigenous Australians and other diverse cultures. Moreover, a major issue that Walters recognises in relation to the whiteness of social work, is the invisibility of this whiteness in social work, due to the fact that white practices have become so deeply rooted and normalised in
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