Racism and Privilege

Racism and Privilege
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Racism and Privilege
A connection exists between racism and privilege in the society. In many cases, the members of the race considered to be the majority are associated with a certain privileged status not accorded to the minority races. Racism leads to unearned advantages or disadvantages by certain individuals by virtue of their identifying to a specific group. It also leads to the majority group perceiving themselves as being superior to other groups hence leading to discrimination and prejudice (“Understanding Race and Privilege,” 2018). In the case of Mary, racism has led to skewed personal judgments and interactions. Her family members perceive themselves as being unique and black people as evil. Black people, in this case, are accorded an unearned disadvantage as they as labeled untrustworthy on the basis of race.
Race and privilege can affect the effectiveness of social work practices to promote social wellness, especially if workers have privilege-based biases. If a social worker is not aware of his/her unconscious bias, he/she can be a source of stigma when handling clients from different groups (“Understanding Race and Privilege,” 2018). As a social worker, I would use the empowerment perspective in the case of Mary. This perspective involves identifying the clients’ strengths and encouraging him/her to overcome life challenges. I would strive to empower Mary to achieve independence and autonomy in decision-making.

To accomplish this, I would avoid judging her on the stance of her family regarding relationships with black people, as her first therapist did. This would help in building trust and a strong personal relationship with the client. Effective communication and listening skills would be crucial when dealing with Mary to understand her main issues and strengths. One of Mary’s strengths is the fact that she has no problem with racism and privilege as explained her romantic relationship with the black man. I can use this strength to help her overcome her emotional issues by making her understand that dating black man is not as downgrading as her family made it seem.
Reference
Understanding Race and Privilege. (2018). Retrieved from
https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/diversity/social-justice/understanding-race-and-privilege