Running head: PERSONAL WORK PLAN

Personal Work Plan Katie Brogan Wayne State University

PERSONAL WORK PLAN Self-Assessment

Prior to taking this course I did not put much thought behind why people have different beliefs and values. I never questioned why certain individuals from different backgrounds valued family relationships or family roles differently. I always just accepted people are different and hold different values never knowing why. Taking this course my eyes were opened up to the reasons why different ethnicities and races hold the beliefs and values they do and how people are affected by another persons words and actions. This course has explained the theory of practice system and how it is used to explain human behavior. What have I learned from this course I have taken away from this course that all ethnic groups contain strengths and weaknesses, are resilient, and have been subjected to oppression and social justice along with social injustice throughout history. When looking at individuals both the individual and their environment need to be accessed using the ecological perspective. When using the ecological framework, 5 domains are reviewed, which consist of historical, environmental-structural, cultural, family and individual. (Appleby, Colon, & Hamilton, 2011) It is also important to use the diversity and strengths perspective when working with clients, utilizing their own strengths to help them along with recognizing how the individual is diverse. In order to access a client the person-in-environment system (PIE) should be used to identify problems within the social role, environment, mental health, and physical health. What I already knew prior to this class is that you cannot separate a person from their environment, each constantly affect each other. I still want to learn more about how culture affects individual beliefs, norms, and values. When I ask my friends what are their cultural beliefs they struggle to answer that question. How do people not realize their culture has

PERSONAL WORK PLAN influenced who they are and the life style choices they make? If people themselves do not

understand their own culture how can others? I agree that there are a large number of individuals that have very strong cultural beliefs and know why. What does this mean for my practice I myself do not hold any cultural values as strongly as other individuals do. I am open to opportunities and experiences, believing that sometimes you need to try things that go against the way you were raised. I have gone to different denomination churches; befriend individuals that came from different backgrounds, different socio-economical statuses and educational levels. I dont believe personally of having my marriage arranged, living with my parents till Im married, only eating certain foods, not being able to wear pants because Im a female or that I have to be subordinate to a male. I think that a client that I would have a problem helping would be one that held such strong cultural values that could possibly be destructive yet refuse to examine their cultural belief. The clientele that I would find the most beneficial to work with is young children with disabilities. I believe that early intervention is the key to helping a person live up to the fullest potential and want to be the person to help parents and children open doors that they did not think was possible. The best way to provide services to the population that I view as the hardest for me to serve would be to learn more about the history of different cultures, why certain cultures where created and why they are still practiced today. What are the strengths and weaknesses of different cultural beliefs, how are cultural beliefs changed? I do believe that this is something that I can overcome with greater knowledge and more experience.

PERSONAL WORK PLAN What more do I need to know I want to learn how cultural normatives started in different cultures and how these cultural norms have changed over time. The best way to learn more about different cultures would be to research different cultural back grounds and talk to people from different cultures that span different generations. One thing in particular would be the cultural norm that women are subordinate and men are dominating. I understand why this started when women stayed home to care for children and men provided for the family, but why does this pattern still exist. How can the stereo-type of women be changed and the oppression stop? I believe that gender differences will always exist and that studying these differences will help me in trying to lessen the gender inequality. This knowledge can be acquired through research articles, social interaction, classes, and personal experiences.

Action Steps Action steps that I can take to increase my cultural competence would be to join groups that Im the minority in and socialize with people from different cultures. I will also continue taking college classes that emphasize cultural awareness. I will apply what I learn and try to look at people in a different way, trying to understand what is behind their cultural beliefs. I will also continue reading books that discuss different cultural lifestyles.

PERSONAL WORK PLAN References

Appleby, G. A., Colon, E., & Hamilton, J. (2011). Diversity, Oppression, and Social Functioning Person-In-Environment Assessment and Intervention. Boston: Peatson Education Inc.