535678688-HBSE-105-EMPOWERMENT-PERSPECTIVE-1.pptx

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1. S EMPOWERMENT PERSPECTIVE

2. I t is complex and multifaceted, and is both a process itself and an outcome of a process of change. Empowerment is central to social work. Social workers strive to empower individuals so they can overcome personal challenges It also aims to empower groups and communities, particularly those with histories of oppression and marginalization. Social work can—and should—involve advocating for policies that promote greater social justice and equity. EMPOWERMENT

3. E mpowerment perspective of social work focuses on promoting self-development and awareness and helps people address the oppressive forces that block them from thriving. EMPOWERMENT

4.  I nvolves using intervention methods to guide people toward achieving a sense of control . People may feel helpless in their lives for any number of reasons, but empowerment theory focuses on how oppression contributes to this experience . It centers on helping marginalized people at individual, group and community levels gain the personal, interpersonal and political power to improve their lives. Additionally, the model seeks to challenge systems that prevent or hinder people from having their needs met . EMPOWERMENT PERSPECTIVES

5. Direct Power Blocks   structures that stop people from achieving goals such as better employment, advanced education or safe housing . Social workers can help promote awareness of direct power blocks and energize social movements against them by developing programs that help individuals overcome marginalization.  IMPORTANT CONCEPTS

6. Indirect Power Blocks   refer to internalized oppression G roups with histories of mistreatment often absorb the negative messaging of the abuse they receive. They develop stories about their limited options and ability to achieve and then pass those ideas down across generations. However challenging, these deeply ingrained thoughts need to be resolved . Social workers can investigate proven interventions, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), which evidence shows can change thinking patterns to help clients work through their internalized oppression. IMPORTANT CONCEPTS

7. Self-Efficacy  Individuals must build their power by cultivating the belief that they can change their circumstances. This requires addressing some of the indirect power blocks interfering with their self-actualization. Social workers can guide individuals through therapies that help clients explore their beliefs, why they hold them, and how to change them. They can also help individuals develop coping skills to adjust to their environments. DIMENSIONS OF EMPOWERMENT

8. Critical Consciousness   Individuals need to develop a deep understanding of the complex social, economic and political realities in their environments that negatively affect them. This involves examining their roles in these environments and seeking out potential ways to work around the structures blocking them. Establishing this type of consciousness allows people to share their experiences and connect with others in the same or similar situation . DIMENSIONS OF EMPOWERMENT

9. Tool Development Building awareness is important, but without the interventions that address negative thinking patterns and unfair social and political realities, people can only get so far. DIMENSIONS OF EMPOWERMENT

10. Micro-level Tools Therapy  that uses techniques to emphasize peoples’ strengths, helps them develop skills needed to confront social and political difficulties, and offers alternatives to dysfunctional and self-defeating thought patterns can cultivate self-worth and empower people to overcome indirect power blocks. Case management  can empower individuals to become their own advocates. Social workers can encourage clients to take an active part in identifying their needs and teach them how to register with an employment agency or find health services that can empower them to become their own advocates. Establishing this autonomy is key to social work, which strives to build strength and independence . TOOL DEVELOPMENT

11. Micro-level Tools Insight  techniques, which social workers implement when they deliver case management, therapy or social programs, can empower clients to achieve their goals through a self-examination process in which clients evaluate how they can change their situations and solve problems. TOOL DEVELOPMENT

12. Macro-level Tools Political advocacy  engages government agencies in efforts to change laws and policies that disproportionately impact marginalized or disadvantaged groups in negative ways. Program development  can be used to educate the public about social issues and engage community members. This might involve working with community members in a program to revitalize a neighborhood, organize a social campaign, or canvass for a proposed law. Research projects  can identify factors that contribute to social inequities or measure the effects of discrimination and other oppressive forces on specific populations, providing data that informs evidence-based practices. TOOL DEVELOPMENT

13. Empowerment theory social work uses a five-step problem-solving model to achieve its goals: 1. Identify problems. 2. Define strengths. 3. Set goals. 4. Implement interventions. 5. Evaluate successes on a collaborative level. To successfully implement the model, social workers must develop key understandings, consider diverse perspectives and ask critical questions. Empowerment Theory Social Work in Action

14. K now the group’s history of oppression. How did the oppression originate? How does this oppression manifest in the present? Understand the group’s strengths and resilience. How have the people adapted and coped with the oppression? What has allowed the community to survive and succeed in the face of the stress and abuse they’ve encountered? Recognize the diversity within the group. How do elements such as race, class, gender and sexual orientation complicate and change the impact of oppression on different members of the group? In what ways can these factors affect the way oppression plays out? How Can Social Workers Empower Groups and Communities?

15. While developing autonomy and self-determination can play a crucial role in overcoming obstacles to one’s empowerment, this type of work alone cannot overcome widespread social injustice. People must take a critical look at the systems of oppression and find strategies that lead to change. Challenging societal norms allows individuals and communities to discuss the economic models and other structures in society that affect equity and then consider alternatives. Public Policy Reform and Empowerment

16. Social workers can engage groups and communities in discussions about issues that affect them locally and globally and encourage them to take action. Public policy reform is often a necessary part of fixing systemic problems that keep people marginalized and perpetuate power imbalances. Making changes to laws, policies and systems may be the only way to reduce or eliminate some barriers to equality. Public Policy Reform and Empowerment

17. Empowerment theory social work can create opportunities for advocacy that address social, economic and political inequalities. It can also help build awareness of the stressors placed on oppressed groups. Such awareness can spur on the examination of the national, state and local policies that disempower people, and inspire collective action against those policies. Public Policy Reform and Empowerment

18. Empowerment theory social work can create opportunities for advocacy that address social, economic and political inequalities. It can also help build awareness of the stressors placed on oppressed groups. Such awareness can spur on the examination of the national, state and local policies that disempower people, and inspire collective action against those policies. Public Policy Reform and Empowerment

19. Mechanism Definition Knowledge Access to education, training and information from formal or other sources Agency Self-identity Decision-making (c) Effecting change Capacity to act independently and make choices – comprised of three components: self-confidence and self-efficacy to set and achieve goals (b) ability to make informed decisions that are recognised and respected (c) belief in own ability to take action to effect change based on own goals Opportunity structure Existence of an enabling environment of social, political, institutional and community support to foster individual and community development MECHANISMS OF EMPOWERMENT

20. Mechanism Definition Capacity-building Harness community capacity to provide or advocate for services or self governance, and to seek accountability from government service provision agencies Resources Access to physical and financial resources, or skills for seeking resources, to develop communities Sustainability Ability of communities to develop and support initiatives towards long-term sustainability MECHANISMS OF EMPOWERMENT

21. MECHANISMS OF EMPOWERMENT A different combination of mechanisms operates depending on who is being empowered – an individual; a community; or an organisation .

22. MECHANISMS OF EMPOWERMENT Individual empowerment: Individual empowerment was described as a process of transformation that enables individuals to make independent decisions and take action on these decisions to make changes in their lives. A core mechanism identified for individual empowerment was agency . In these data, individual agency comprised three core components – an individual’s self-identity; their decision-making capacity; and their ability to effect change Individual empowerment is not achieved with agency alone; knowledge and the presence of an enabling environment for change were also identified as mechanisms .

23. MECHANISMS OF EMPOWERMENT Individual empowerment: Knowledge contributed to informed decision-making, self-confidence, and self-efficacy, which enables individuals to recognise problems, understand potential solutions and identify sources for assistance. Existence of an enabling environment of institutional structures and social norms was shown to facilitate or hinder individual empowerment. The relationship between agency and an enabling environment was seen as the core to individual empowerment.

24. MECHANISMS OF EMPOWERMENT Community empowerment : Community empowerment was described as the process of enabling communities to mobilise towards change. Five mechanisms were seen to foster community empowerment: agency; capacity building; resource provision; opportunity structure; and sustainability. Community empowerment was described as the ability of a community to set its own priorities, make decisions, and take action. However, it was seen as broader than individual agency as it also involves a community advocating for, or providing, resources or services for itself.

25. MECHANISMS OF EMPOWERMENT Community empowerment : Community empowerment also involved capacity building , whereby communities build networks or community groups, then mobilise these groups to take action on certain issues. Resource provision is another mechanism of community empowerment identified, which involved direct provision of supplies or services to a community to facilitate capacity-building initiatives. It was acknowledged that community empowerment requires an enabling environment that recognises community groups, is responsive to community advocacy, and is accountable to the community itself.

26. MECHANISMS OF EMPOWERMENT Community empowerment : Sustainability was also highlighted as a component of community empowerment that enables a community to be self-sufficient. Sustainability was seen both as a mechanism for community empowerment and an outcome of it.

27. MECHANISMS OF EMPOWERMENT Organisational empowerment: Empowerment of organisations was described in two contexts: 1. where empowerment of a local partner organisation is a focus of collaboration 2. where it is a by-product of collaborative activities. The five mechanisms that foster community empowerment were also described for organisational empowerment Organisational empowerment was described as the ability of an organisation to set goals and priorities, make operational decisions and take action to implement programmes or activities. Capacity building, resources and sustainability were seen as critical components of achieving organisational agency and were often inter-linked.

28. MECHANISMS OF EMPOWERMENT Organisational empowerment: An enabling environment was seen as an important mechanism for organisational empowerment. This was described as the existence of effective partnerships between local and national or international organisations to develop activities or deliver services and create financial sustainability . As in community empowerment, there were mixed opinions on whether resource provision promotes capacity or creates dependence on external support, potentially reducing sustainability.