A Critical Reflection: Exposing Whiteness in Child Welfare Practice
This critical reflection is based on my practice encounter as a white settler social worker within the context of Child Welfare, in rural Canada during the late 1990s. This paper is in line with Karen Healy’s (2001) notion of critical social work, as a means to enhance systemic and related child wel...
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First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada
2022
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ftjfpcfr:oai:fpcfr.journals.sfu.ca:article/507 2023-05-15T16:16:48+02:00 A Critical Reflection: Exposing Whiteness in Child Welfare Practice Kalvari, Lauren 2022-12-21 application/pdf https://fpcfr.com/index.php/FPCFR/article/view/507 eng eng First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada https://fpcfr.com/index.php/FPCFR/article/view/507/363 https://fpcfr.com/index.php/FPCFR/article/view/507 Copyright (c) 2022 Lauren Kalvari First Peoples Child & Family Review; Vol. 17 No. 1 (2022); 51-61 Revue des enfants et des familles des Premiers peuples; Vol. 17 No 1 (2022); 51-61 2293-6610 1708-489X social work Canada white settlers social justice professional development systemic racism info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion research-article 2022 ftjfpcfr 2023-01-01T18:41:52Z This critical reflection is based on my practice encounter as a white settler social worker within the context of Child Welfare, in rural Canada during the late 1990s. This paper is in line with Karen Healy’s (2001) notion of critical social work, as a means to enhance systemic and related child welfare social worker practice. More specifically this paper addresses, through a specific case encounter with an Indigenous mother, how white settler social workers are systemically entangled in perpetuating acts of oppression. This critical reflection enables the reader to become aware of how mainstream social work practice, has the ability to unintentionally harm those service receivers that it actually intends to help. This paper critically addresses discourse around professional innocence, the risks of professional knowledge, representational violence and ethical practice dilemmas, within the context of a disguised practice encounter. The relevance of this critical reflection may be seen as a social justice initiative, catered predominantly towards white settler front line practitioners. These challenges are originating from within our own practices. Our practices are historically embedded in systemic colonial forms of discrimination and racism against First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. I bring light to how white settler social workers should confront their own personal and professional pre-conceived notions, biases, and misconceptions and instead, implement anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practices within their work. This process begins with critical self-reflection. Article in Journal/Newspaper First Nations inuit First Peoples Child & Family Review Canada |
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First Peoples Child & Family Review |
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ftjfpcfr |
language |
English |
topic |
social work Canada white settlers social justice professional development systemic racism |
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social work Canada white settlers social justice professional development systemic racism Kalvari, Lauren A Critical Reflection: Exposing Whiteness in Child Welfare Practice |
topic_facet |
social work Canada white settlers social justice professional development systemic racism |
description |
This critical reflection is based on my practice encounter as a white settler social worker within the context of Child Welfare, in rural Canada during the late 1990s. This paper is in line with Karen Healy’s (2001) notion of critical social work, as a means to enhance systemic and related child welfare social worker practice. More specifically this paper addresses, through a specific case encounter with an Indigenous mother, how white settler social workers are systemically entangled in perpetuating acts of oppression. This critical reflection enables the reader to become aware of how mainstream social work practice, has the ability to unintentionally harm those service receivers that it actually intends to help. This paper critically addresses discourse around professional innocence, the risks of professional knowledge, representational violence and ethical practice dilemmas, within the context of a disguised practice encounter. The relevance of this critical reflection may be seen as a social justice initiative, catered predominantly towards white settler front line practitioners. These challenges are originating from within our own practices. Our practices are historically embedded in systemic colonial forms of discrimination and racism against First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. I bring light to how white settler social workers should confront their own personal and professional pre-conceived notions, biases, and misconceptions and instead, implement anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practices within their work. This process begins with critical self-reflection. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kalvari, Lauren |
author_facet |
Kalvari, Lauren |
author_sort |
Kalvari, Lauren |
title |
A Critical Reflection: Exposing Whiteness in Child Welfare Practice |
title_short |
A Critical Reflection: Exposing Whiteness in Child Welfare Practice |
title_full |
A Critical Reflection: Exposing Whiteness in Child Welfare Practice |
title_fullStr |
A Critical Reflection: Exposing Whiteness in Child Welfare Practice |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Critical Reflection: Exposing Whiteness in Child Welfare Practice |
title_sort |
critical reflection: exposing whiteness in child welfare practice |
publisher |
First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://fpcfr.com/index.php/FPCFR/article/view/507 |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
First Nations inuit |
genre_facet |
First Nations inuit |
op_source |
First Peoples Child & Family Review; Vol. 17 No. 1 (2022); 51-61 Revue des enfants et des familles des Premiers peuples; Vol. 17 No 1 (2022); 51-61 2293-6610 1708-489X |
op_relation |
https://fpcfr.com/index.php/FPCFR/article/view/507/363 https://fpcfr.com/index.php/FPCFR/article/view/507 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2022 Lauren Kalvari |
_version_ |
1766002657435058176 |