Carol Meyer

INTRODUCTION

            Carol Meyer was born 1924 to 1996. Meyer’s pioneering efforts covered in-service training staff development and teaching. Her works reflects on race, culture, ethnicity, and privilege. She was able to create a conceptual framework that benefits the social workers with regards to the techniques, practices, and approaches. Meyer was also involved in the evolvement and formulations of the ecosystem orientation in practice (The paper focus on how to implement social work).

               In the year of 1960, Carol Meyer was employed in public welfare agencies. She introduced a rationale for the use of agency-trained staff to balance professional social workers. Meyer differentiated the specific roles between an agency-trained staff and professional social workers to reach effective and efficient service to the community.

RACE

            Social works regarding the issue on races implies racial discrimination / racism. In social work, people cannot eliminate racial discrimination. Within the social work framework / education, it is better to apply strategies of support and social change that advance social units (National Association of Social Workers, 2004). The issue on race does includes; separation, diversity, domination and, social injustice. Thus, such differences resulted to discrimination and domination of these people towards the minority individuals. The marginalized people were compromised little attention to society.

            Social justice must be given importance to address the problem on racial differences. Although racism has been present in any society, policies and justice can be employed to eliminate the problem, create multi-culturalism (National Association of Social Workers, 2001). This approach standardizes policies regarding social work. Meyer emphasizes voluntary work to the people regardless of race.

Class

            The cultural diversity always reflects on racism, ethnicity, and social classes differences. Social workers should prevent and eliminate oppression, exploitation, abused, and discrimination between classes or groups of people. Although different people do have different beliefs, what is important is to help needy people.

              The awareness on this subject matter and inclusion of better programs in the social units may introduce new actions in advocacy and alleviation of social work in a large societal framework. The need for understanding the differences of people creates a way for betterment of social needs (National Association of Social Workers, 2001).

Culture

            Culture implies an integrated pattern of behavior, thoughts, communication, beliefs, actions and customs. The cross-cultural knowledge describes the culture of different races. Knowledge of different cultures leads to a well understanding of different people and eliminates biases towards social work. In addition, social workers would practice regardless of culture.            The question of culture expertise, the reflexivity of society’s risk opens the category of knowledge to the society. Knowledge is no longer defined by the culture of expertise but instead everybody becomes an expert.

The responsibility of social workers is to help enhancing the quality of human life. This includes food, shelter, clothing’s, and medicines. Social workers should develop human well-being and gives importance to the needs and empowerment of poor, abused, and oppressed people regardless of his / her culture.

Ethnicity

The ethnicity describes the differences in the belief of people. What is right in one class may be wrong / incorrect to other classes. The social services should be culturally sensitive to cover the differences of people. The subject matter on race, class, culture, ethnicity, and privilege should be resolved (National Association of Social Workers, 2004). The social work has to; tolerate differences in individual behavior, respect to the diversity of each culture, resolves problems regarding ethnicity.

Privilege

The real social work does not identifies people they (social workers) wanting to help but, lending a hand to those underprivileged. The social work needs to have a range of skills and capability to support the needs of people without contemplating on differences (in culture, traditions, and classes). Working for social change must develop skills, techniques, and better approach to the people. (National Association of Social Workers, 2004).

REREFENCES

National Association of Social Workers. (2004). NASW Social Work Pioneers. NASW Foundation. URL http://www.naswfoundation.org/pioneers/m/meyer.htm. Retrieved October 4, 2007.

National Association of Social Workers. (2001). NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice. NASW. URL  http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/standards/NASWCulturalStandards.pdf. Retrieved October 4, 2007.