SW 8100 Social Work with Diverse Populations

 

 

 

Taping Project

 

 

The purpose of this project is for you to do an initial assessment of your own ideas and attitudes about racism.  In order to do this project, you will need the attached interview guide, a tape recorder (I have one which can he used in the building), and a blank tape. This is to be an audio tape but if you prefer to make a video tape you may.

 

Instructions:

 

1.  Answer each of the questions in the attached interview guide as though you were being interviewed by someone else.  Try to make you answers as complete as possible so that if someone else were listening, s/he would understand what you meant by your response.

 

2.  Be sure to tape all of your answers.  If you need to go beyond 60 minutes, you will need to use additional tapes.

3.  Turn in the tape (you can leave in my box or bring it to class) labeled with your name or other identifying information by the third class meeting.

 

4.  Although the tape will be collected, you will be the only person who will listen to the tape.  Your confidentiality is assured.  Feel free to be as candid in your responses as possible.  The tapes will be returned to you near the end of the semester. At that time you will be asked to listen to your own tape and do a written analysis of it according to guidelines that will be provided at that time.

 

 

 

This exercise has been adapted from an activity by Beverly Daniel Tatum (1992), and is used with her permission.  Further editorial changes have been made by the Simmons Dynamics of Racism faculty.  The interview: guide was originally adapted by Ms. Tatum from an interview guide in Wellman, D. (1977). Portraits of white racism.  Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

 

 

INTERVIEW GUIDE

 

A. Background

 

1. Demographics:

a. Age

b. Birthplace

c. Current job or source of income

d. Racial identity

e. Ethnicity

f. Gender

g. Sexual orientation

h. Religion

i. Other

 

2. Beliefs:

a. What is your understanding about what oppression is about (e.g. sources, function, effects)? What do you think characterizes someone or a group that is "oppressed"?

b. In regards to racism as one kind of oppression, the U.S. Riot Commission Report (Kerner Commission) concluded that America is a racist society.  Do you think that this is a fair statement?  Why?  Why not?

c. Do you think there are differences between individual racism and institutional racism?  If no, why not?  If yes, what do think those differences are?

 

B.  Experience and Contact

 

1. When did you become aware of people being treated differently because of:

a.  race, ethnicity or culture?

b.  socioeconomic class difference?

c.  gender?

d.  for having a disability?

e.  sexual orientation?

f.  religion?

g.  age?

2. Do you remember your first contact with a person whose "difference" (see above) was associated with negative stereotypes? What kind of relationship was it?

3. What was the social composition (i.e. race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, sexual orientation):

a.  In your neighborhood where you grew up?

b.  Of your parent's co-workers or employees?

c.  In your grade or elementary school?

d.  Junior high or high school. college?

e.  In the military?

f.  On jobs that you have held?

Note: Explore frequency of contact, how close those relationships were, how you got along with them, what you thought about the people from a different ethnic/racial group than your own.

4. At present, does your social network include people from different racial/ethnic cultural groups?  Different class? Sexual orientation? Other diversities?  Have you thought that you would like to have more friends from groups different than your own?

5. At present what is the situation with respect to race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation where you work, go to school or have an internship?

a.  What kind of patterns are there regarding types of jobs that people of color, women, gay/lesbian/bisexual hold? Do the types of job positions seem to be equitably distributed (e.g. diversity on all levels of jobs such as line staff, management, executive positions)? Why or why not?

b. What kinds of jobs are they in? Any thoughts on this?

c. How would you feel about increasing the presence of people of color to 25% (work, school, neighborhood)? 40%? 60%?

d. Are there any efforts to change the diversity balance where you work or go to school?

6. Suppose your company was going to employ a person of a different ethic racial group than your own to work along with you, in the same job as yours.  Describe the ideal characteristics of this per son.

7.  What makes you comfortable with people of different backgrounds (i.e., racial, ethnic, cultural, class, sexual orientation) than your own (i.e. attitudes, behaviors)? What makes you feel uncomfortable?

8. If you were to have a family of a different ethnic, racial, cultural group than your own as a neighbor, describe the qualities that you would want in that family. In a homosexual couple?

9. Are most people that you know prejudiced or unprejudiced? Do you think of yourself as prejudiced or unprejudiced?

10. When was the last time that you talked about race or diversity? When and where did that occur? About what group(s)? What was the discussion about? What did you say? How often do you talk about these issues?

 

C. Attitudes about contemporary oppression issues.

 

l. In general, what do you think about the experience of people of color and gay/lesbian/bisexuals in this society?  That is, how are they perceived and treated? In your opinion, do people of color have legitimate grievances?

2. Do you think there has been much progress on issues of social justice?  If yes, what are some examples of this progress? (Be specific about particular groups, e.g., women, African Americans, Latinos, gay/lesbians). If no, what are some examples?

3. What are your thoughts and feelings on the following:

a.  Etiology and maintenance of violence and crime in communities of color. Why do you think crime and violence levels are escalating? Be specific regarding the kind of crime that you discuss.

b. Gays in the military?

c. Poverty levels in populations of color and immigrant groups?  Presence of these groups on welfare rolls?

d. The growing focus on a "multiculturalist perspective" in the United States. Do you think that there is a need? Why or why not?

e. The integration of bilingual programs into elementary schools?

f. The concept of "reverse discrimination"?

4. Do you enjoy watching television programs (or hearing radio programs) that deal with diversity issues (i.e. ethnic, racial, cultural, gay/1esbian, etc.)?

5. Regarding the civil unrest (i.e. riots) in the 60's, 70's, 80's (Miami), 90's (Los Angeles,):

a.  How you feel about them?

b. What do you think 1eads to these outbursts?

c. What should be done about them?

6. In your opinion:

a. Are the rates of unemployment, infant mortality, mortality among people of color the same, lower or higher than of whites? Why or why not?

b. Wage levels the same between men and women? Why or why not?

c.  Legal treatment of homosexuals fair? How?

7. What do you think should be done about U.S. immigration policy? Do you agree with the perspective that the U.S. economy depends on a surplus pool of cheap labor within the U.S. and in developing countries?  What are the implications of calling immigrants "illegal aliens" vs. "non-documented workers/immigrants"? Be specific.

8. What is the meaning of "integration" to you?

 

D. Images of Oppressed Populations

 

1. What person of color, woman, gay/lesbian in America do you admire most?

2. Do you know of any leaders and organizations that represent diverse groups (racial, ethnic, gay/lesbian etc.)? What is your evaluation of their effectiveness?

3. There are a lot of different words that people use to refer to various groups of color (i.e. African Americans, Latinos, Asians, American Indians), women, older people, gays/lesbian/bisexuals.

a. Which come to mind for you?

b. What term(s) do you usually use?

1. In groups where there is diversity

2. When you are with friends or family.

4. Identify 3 - 4 stereotypes that you hold about African Americans, Latinos, Asians, American Indians, gay/lesbians/bisexual, and older people. Can you recall where you learned these images? What evidence are you aware of that supports these stereotypes?

 

E. Social Identity

 

1. What do you identify with in terms of nationality, culture, ethnicity, socioeconomic class? What do you identify with (e.g. region, religion. social movements)?

2. Have you ever thought about your skin color? How often? What do you think about it? Do you ever feel good or bad about not being born a different color?

3. What does it mean to you to be a person from your racial, cultural or ethnic group? Is this a source of pride for you? Do you think it has made any difference in your life? If yes, how?

4. What is positive about being a member of the group(s) that you identify with? What negative stereotypes are held about your ethnic, cultural, racia1 group?

5. How you feel about other members of your own ethnic, racial, cultural group?

6. Do you consider yourself as holding prejudiced beliefs or feelings? Towards what group(s)?

 

F. Social Change

 

1. What would be the consequences (i.e. cost) of acting against oppression? With friends, family? At work, school?

2. What concerns do you have about the cost for you for holding racist or oppressive attitudes?

3. Do you currently challenge or reinforce oppressive practices, attitudes, behaviors? What else can you do? What holds you back from action?

4. What is your worst fear of what society would be like if power was shared or if oppressed populations were in power?

5. What is your best vision of what society would be like if power was shared, or if different groups were in power?

 

G. The Interview Experience

 

1. What was it like to answer these questions?

2. Were there any questions that you feel were inappropriate, irrelevant or should have been left out? Are there any additional questions that you think should have been asked? If so, what are they?

4. What questions were helpful?

5. Do you feel confident about your current capability to work effectively as a social worker with all oppressed populations? What are your concerns, if any?

 

 

 

Feel free to discuss any questions and/or responses to the interview experience with the instructor.

 

 

 

Note:

 

During the semester you may want to keep an informal journal, for yourself about the experiences and learning that you are having in relation to your learning and insights about oppression. This journal would be a. way for you to document various "milestones" and passages in your learning. This journal is for your own reference and will not be submitted to me.

 

For instance, in any learning process, particularly the kind that can involve emotional work, as in this course, there are "moments" or "critical incidents" in which something happens inside and/or outside of class. These are moments that indicate personal progress, process or change (e.g. change in how one thinks about oneself or the world one lives in).  One area in which this change can be observed may be in regard to obstacles to confronting oppressive attitudes in self or in others.

 

Ideas for informal personal log:

1. Keep track of any moments or incidents that you observe in yourself.  (There may be weeks where nothing happens.)
2. In your final paper describe the incidents that you feel were the most significant in your learning process.  Discuss your understanding of the importance of these incidents in relation to the concepts you have learned this semester.