Social Work Practice with Culturally Diverse People

Book excerpt: The image of society is rapidly changing, challenging the social worker to adjust to a more culturally diverse clientele. Social workers are dealing with individuals who are from more diverse backgrounds, better informed, more politically active, and more aware of his or her rights. How does today's helping professional address the growing gaps in societal needs? Social Work Practice with Culturally Diverse People addresses the ambivalent and ambiguous changes in society, which have conditioned and constrained the willingness, ability, and efforts of social workers to provide culturally competent services to those different from mainstream society. Dhooper and Moore outline each of the major disadvantaged groups and give a historical overview, highlight the major needs, identify intragroup differences, and discuss intervention at the micro, mezzo and macro levels. They discuss how the social worker needs self-awareness of his or her own culture to treat clients as culturally equal to them. This is an essential text for students entering social work at both the direct and community practice levels. Additionally, it is an excellent reference for the practitioner dealing with these changes in his or her own practice.