Discrimination and Anti-Oppressive Practice in a Youth Work Setting - Essay Example

Discrimination and Anti-Oppressive Practice in a Youth Work Setting Discrimination One would not make a mistake, suggesting that discrimination is able to be manifested through different forms. The one that most people have in mind is direct discrimination which can be defined as follows: “treating someone with a protected characteristic less favourably than others” ("Discrimination: your rights", 2015). For the purposes of this paper the above mentioned protected characteristic will be sexual orientation. Indeed, those who belong to LGBT should not be subject to direct discrimination in youth work setting: they should be able to receive the kind of care that other youth would regardless of their sexual orientation. Another point that should be mentioned is that some specialist might not be willing to work with such youth. There are several reasons for that. For example, they might feel that they are not able to overcome their personal bias and, therefore, would not work with LGBT youth. Another reason is that a youth worker may not have sufficient amount of practical experience to provide effective assistance. The youth might conceal their true sexual orientation; so, it will take time understand the true nature of problem which might appear to be direct discrimination that they experience. Lastly, the existence of direct discrimination may also become an obstacle on the way of enjoying various benefits. For example, youth may be denied of personal sessions with a youth worker. In spite of the fact that the staff will not be able to do that explicitly, some people who are guided by their prejudices will make sure that the client will not be able to receive the proper treatment. However, there might be another form of discrimination that is different from the previously discussed one; it is called indirect discrimination. As one can easily guess from the very name, it does not complicate one’s life in a direct way, but the outcome is still the same: a person feels that something hinders one’s development. Thus, a young person who reported one’s sexual orientation might be required to wait a ridiculously long queue and denied of assistance without any explanation. In spite of the fact that this may not be seen as a direct violation of the rules, a person will feel that he or she is not welcome in the youth work setting. In other words, the hostile environment that will be created can hardly be detected; however, it will surely have negative consequences for the person who belongs to a sexual minority. One may also think of a different example of an indirect discrimination. It often happens that a young person who experiences some problems may call to receive assistance or learn some kind of information. Having learned about sexual orientation of the client, the youth worker who answers the phone might provide one with information that does not reflect the reality or is distorted which will prevent a person from receiving the much needed treatment. In this case, the latter will hardly receive the required help from youth workers who deal with the young. It may also be the case that a young person may be willing to conceal one’s sexual orientation, but a youth worker would somehow reveal it so that other people learn. This will cause a considerable amount of discomfort to the person in question. As a result, one might refuse to receive help for a certain agency. As one can easily see, no rule is violated in this case, but the outcome is still negative. This means that a person will not experience direct discrimination, but eventually one will be denied of proper care and can hardly prove that this was done deliberately. Speaking of more evident forms of discrimination, one might note that it often can be expressed in harassment, both physical and verbal. For example, a young person who belongs to a sexual minority might be assaulted by other people or receive messages with threats. There is not doubt that this is likely to diminish one’s quality of life as well as desire to live an active social life. That is why this form of discrimination should be taken care of immediately after it has been reported by youth workers. In addition to that, harassment may be facilitated by an individual person or an entire group of people. In this case it is particularly important to determine the number of people who are involved and punish every single one of them. Harassment is a significant offence and should be prosecuted accordingly. Just like direct discrimination it ruins the relationships in the society and brings only negative outcomes for the company. As a result, the latter should be highly interested in getting rid of it. Furthermore, there is one more form of discrimination that should be taken into account. It is called victimization. It primarily happens when a person has to suffer negative consequences for reporting an instance of discrimination. In other words, an individual is blamed for doing the right thing, namely fighting a phenomenon that brings negative consequences for everyone. However, the passive majority of people is not likely to treat such a person in a positive way. That is why young people should not be afraid to become victims of their sexual orientation. In the course of victimization, a person might suffer from lack of proper communication with other people. For example, friends may refuse to great one or help in any way. In spite of the fact that they do not violate any rules, they will cause a great deal of emotional damage to a person who wanted to stand up for the right. As a result, one is likely to find himself or herself in an unpleasant environment. One of the most negative outcomes of such situation is the emergence of negative reputation that is associated with a person. Indeed, the entire concept of reporting a misconduct in any organization whether it is done by a client or a worker is a rather controversial one. However, in case of victimization, a person is denied not only appreciation, but also the acknowledgement of proper conduct which urges one to re-evaluate one’s action. As a result, an individual might question steps that are correct, but the true meaning of which is distorted by the environment. That is why any manifestation of discrimination should be taken care of. Anti-Oppression Practice Now it may be advantageous to turn to examination of Anti-Oppression Practice that can take place. To begin with, it may be advantageous to provide a definition of it: “anti-oppression is the work of actively challenging and removing oppression caused by power inequalities in society, both systemic and on an individual level” ("Anti-oppression", 2015). As one can easily see from the definition of it, the primary goal of it is to remove oppression on different levels. Thus, LGBT youth might be discriminated against by its peers and not be seen as a part of the population. For example, these teen might be ostracized and forced to create groups of their own which will ultimately lead to further exclusion of them from the social environment. A well thought through social work is likely to ease the oppression and facilitate the dialogue between the majority and minority in youth, making sure that the former fully accepts the latter. The existence of direct discrimination goes against the fundamental aspects of relations in young work setting. Thus, according to the general provisions, the latter is supposed to provide young people with a comfortable setting that would help them cope with different issues that they might face. Anti-Oppression Practice may also be directed against indirect discrimination. For example, the government is trying to ensure that “all young people have the tools and opportunities they need to fulfil their potential, regardless of background or life circumstances” ("Young people", 2015). This means that it is important to make sure that the youth workers are able to provide their assistance to anyone who needs it and is willing to receive it. Moreover, it is crucial to check whether companies all over the country utilize the work force that they have available to its fullest. For example, if there is a person in the youth work setting does not perform one’s duties properly, this is likely to cast a negative shadow on the entire industry. As a result, some people might think that youth work is prejudiced against youth with a different sexual orientation. Speaking of the issue in a broader context, one might suggest that Anti-Oppression Practice should not be targeted against a particular issue, but rather make sure that everyone is treated in a fair way. Indeed, the latter might seem somewhat idealistic; however, it should be regarded as a way to ensure the prosperity of the country as well as harmony in the social relationships. That is why elimination of discrimination in youth work setting should be viewed as merely the tip of the iceberg that should be taken care of in case the social environment is willing to get rid of the problems that it experiences. One might point out that the issue of harassment is the one that should be taken care of immediately as it has the most devastating consequences if compared to other forms of discrimination. Indeed, Anti-Oppression Practice is able to become a useful tool in this quest. It was found many a considerable number of employees were forced to conceal their true sexual identity in order to avoid harassment (Sargeant, 2011, p. 217). The same can be projected onto the social environment as well. All this leads to a proper understanding that youth should feel safer while being in the youth work setting. Indeed, they should not be afraid that this environment is likely to react negatively and express this aggression in an uncontrolled way. Moreover, it should not be regarded as some kind of platform where people are forced to comply with the conventional values which means that they should be allowed to be who they are and expect no retaliation for this. Therefore, youth work setting should be seen as a comfortable place where people are able to express their concerns and receive the necessary assistance from the youth workers. In other words, such simple concept as comfort should put taken into consideration when designing relationships between people at work. There is no doubt that a young person will not be able to feel at ease, knowing that one is able to become a victim of harassment. That is why the latter should become history. Lastly, the issue of victimization should also be taken care of. At the present moment, there are certain steps that are made in that direction. For example, according to National Occupational Standards one of performance criteria is the ability to “identify and challenge constructively oppression and discrimination amongst and against young people within own areas of responsibility” ("Youth Work National Occupational Standards", 2015). This means that youth workers should be able to react adequately as well as timely towards any manifestation of discrimination and make sure that a person does not suffer from any. One of the major applications of Anti-Oppression Practice is the support of those who found the courage to stand up for the right cause. This means that such people should be treated with respect and their deeds should be recognized as correct ones. Indeed, they did nothing wrong: they pointed out the existing discrimination and this way contributed to improvement of the system. In spite of the fact that this improvement might be expensive or difficult to perform, it is important to keep in mind that these people did a favour to the society when reported a misconduct. One more thing to include is that a successful Anti-Oppression Practice is likely to be effective in case is adopts a proactive approach towards dealing with the issues. Indeed, it may be highly important to promote the spirit of equality and diversity in the society so that there would be no people who would like to discriminate others. For example, if a young person who have a different sexual orientation, enters youth work setting, one will be able to rest assured that he or she will not be harassed in any way as people are already ready for acceptance of it. Discussion As it has been pointed out several times before, the existence of discrimination have a negative impact on young peoples notion of self. First of all, it make one think that something is wrong with this person. Deviance in sexual orientation should not be treated as a disease or a mental condition: it is a peculiarity of one’s nature. That is why when a person faces such aggression, one starts doubting if what one feels is normal. In addition to that discrimination in youth work setting often diminishes one’s significance as a person. It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that recognition from other people should be regarded as in irreplaceable prerequisite for full realization. That is why if a person is not able to gain this recognition from other, one is likely to struggle with building one’s identity, especially if it involved elements that are different from the rest of the society. All this results in the unfortunate outcome that hinders one’s development. Indeed, a young person who was able to acknowledge one’s true sexual orientation should be able to move forward on the path of personal evolution. However, the attitude of the people in the society is able to put obstacles which can hardly be overridden. One should also not that Anti-Oppressive Practice is likely to have a positive impact on performance of youth worker as well as idea of self. First of all, in case it is implemented properly, a young person who belongs to a sexual minority will feel more protected in the setting in question. In this case, one will be able to rest assured that his or her future will not depend on actions that are performed by other people. In other words, this will give one a basis for personal development which is likely to be reflected in performance. Secondly, the implementation of Anti-Oppressive Practice will show that the relationship with the clients should be guided by the conventional rules and a person should never suffer form aggression that is expressed by other people. This means that the social environment adheres to the rules and regulations that provide everyone with equal opportunities and allow one to express one’s potential to its fullest. That is why successful socialization is guaranteed for every person no matter what sexual orientation one has. Thirdly, the above mentioned practice has a considerable positive effect on self of a person. It shows that one’s uniqueness is protected by the law and, therefore, one should not be ashamed of it. In other words, it proves that sexual orientation is a private aspect of one’s life and the society is not able to dictate anything when it comes to it. Moreover, a person will be delighted to learn that there is an effective mechanism that protects such a person and allows one’s to enjoy life even that one is different from the majority of the population. References Anti-oppression. (2015). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.otesha.org.uk/about-us/what-we-stand-for/an-anti-oppression-manifesto Discrimination: Your rights. (2015). Retrieved April 23, 2015, from https://www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights/how-you-can-be-discriminated-against Sargeant, M. (2011). Age discrimination ageism in employment and service provision. Farnham: Gower. Sears, J. (2005). Youth, education, and sexualities: An international encyclopaedia. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press. Who says nothing ever happens around here? (2015). Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://www.nya.org.uk/resource/says-nothing-ever-happens-around/ Young people. (2015). Retrieved April 23, 2015, from https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/increasing-opportunities-for-young-people-and-helping-them-to-achieve-their-potential Youth Work National Occupational Standards. (2015). Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://www.nya.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/National-Occupation-Standards-for-Youth-Work.pdf Read More