The social work profession and human services

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The social work profession and human services
The social work profession is a helping profession which involves working closely with clients with a view of helping them attain an optimal functioning in their respective environments. Clients in this case may refer to individuals, groups, families, communities or organizations. A social worker has a responsibility to help the client maximize his/her opportunity and potential for change. This profession is based on a unique problem-solving approach evidenced in research, policy planning, policy administration, and direct clinical practice. The nature of the social work profession means that social workers act as the advocates for change in the respective environments and systems they operate (Bisman 115)
The distinctive nature of this profession is attributed to the strong ethical and professional core values. The profession is guided by a strong valuation of the human diversity. As a result, more emphasis within this profession is put on integrity and social justice. Social workers should thus observe competency in service provision to the clients. Other core values in this profession are the need to observe the worth and dignity of the client and the need to understand and value human relationships. Personally, I have extensively incorporated these social work values in various human services. These include volunteering to offer human services at a metropolitan state hospital, volunteering at a muscular dystrophy event, as well as volunteering at a children hospital in Los Angeles.

My other human services experience include being a behavioral therapist, a residential counselor intern at a mental and behavioral health center as well as a mentor and tutor for refugee and immigrant children. In all my human services experiences, I have always incorporated the social work values, especially focusing on the important facets of human diversity (Bisman 117)
Systems of oppression are the cultural habits and values which contribute to the oppression of some individuals in the society. These systems include gender, class, and race. Most cultures tend to value men above women. This leads to the oppression of women in terms the opportunities for involvement in the society or access to social power. Classism is a situation which involves the extension of privilege to individuals based on their level of influence or wealth. This leads to the oppression of the individuals with less or no influence in the society. For example, the disenfranchised communities, which include the low-income earners, immigrants as well as homeless individuals are mostly perceived to have little influence on the societal matters and are likely to be oppressed. Race, as a system of oppression, leads to the discrimination of the people of color. This originates from the era of slavery where blacks were mostly taken as slaves by the whites.
The disenfranchised communities in the society are the most likely victims of the systems of oppression. This is mainly contributed by social justification where acts of oppression are upheld by the dominant group and viewed as the appropriate way for upholding social stability. When there is a dominant pattern of abuse in the society, a system of abuse is created, in which case, the least dominant groups would be oppressed by the dominant groups. For example, unfair labor practices and years of discriminatory laws create a pattern of abuse in the society where the disenfranchised communities would not receive equal treatment as the dominant groups. Systems of privilege divide the society based on the quality of life, levels of income, safety, health, and wealth. The systems of oppression can only be abolished if we challenge the dominant oppressive behavior both at the individual level and in institutional policies (Berila 57).
References
Berila, Beth. “Contemplating the effects of oppression: Integrating mindfulness into diversity classrooms.” The Journal of Contemplative Inquiry 1.1 (2014).
Bisman, Cynthia. “Social work values: The moral core of the profession.” British Journal of Social Work 34.1 (2014): 109-123.