Anti-Oppressive Social Work
A Guide for Developing Cultural Competence
- Siobhan Laird - Sheffield University, UK
Anti-Oppressive Social Work: A Guide for Developing Cultural Competence aims to improve social work training and practice by arguing that a thorough understanding of people's values, social norms and family arrangements are crucial to achieving culturally sensitive practice. The book moves beyond traditional conceptions of anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice by exploring the cultural heritages of some of the main ethnic minorities living in the United Kingdom, and by identifying the many forms that racism can take.
The book includes:
" an introduction to the context and history of ethnic minorities living in Britain
" a discussion of the nature of racism
" individual chapters on: communities with roots in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Caribbean, and China.
" a separate chapter on economic migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
" a range of practice examples which encourage students and practitioners to identify general principles which underpin cultural competence.
Critical, yet acessible, the book opens up possibilities for more culturally aware and more effective social work practice. It will be essential reading for all those training to become social workers as well as practitioners wishing to engage with fresh perspectives on anti-oppressive practice.
Siobhan Laird is a lecturer in social work at the University of Sheffield. She has previously worked in practice and academic roles in Northern Ireland and Ghana.
A useful text which will be on the reading list for 1st year students
The key text for AOP. Practical and useful.
A non-threatening and approachable introduction to the concepts of minority ethnics and cultural competence. The clear guidance notes for the largest non-white minority groups in the UK is well formatted. Whilst the cautions around not reducing individuals to cultural stereotypes is appropriate and clear. The case studies at the end of each section are particularly good for helping the reader consider cultural competence as complex and individual. Although the rationale is clearly justified by the author for focusing on the minority groups most strongly represented within the 2001 census, it is the smaller groups and the minorities within minorities which should perhaps be receiving more attention within this book. Particularly, as these are the groups probably most at risk of marginalisation and at risk of not reciving appropriate attention in practice.
Excellent text for Social Work Module on Values and Ethics.
