Power, Privilege, and Classism

Power, privilege, and classism are interconnected. The more privilege you enjoy, the more power you have to access opportunities that build wealth. The more wealth you can amass, the higher your social standing. It is important to note that having wealth is not an indictment. However, the privileges that have often led to inequalities in wealth distribution are real. As a social worker, you may find yourself working with clients who do not enjoy the privileges you knowingly or unknowingly enjoy. The more you understand your own relationship to power, privilege, and class, the better you will understand your clients’ realities. For this Discussion, review how classism is represented in the Hernandez family.

By Day 5

Post

An explanation of how classism is demonstrated in the Hernandez video.
Identify specific barriers to social services that the Hernandez family experiences because of their class status (e.g., working poor).
Explain how the intersection of class (e.g., working poor), ethnicity (e.g., Hispanic), and migration history (e.g., move from Puerto Rico to mainland) may further impact the Hernandez’s experience.
Identity 2-3 strengths in the Hernandez family.
Provide recommendations for how social workers might address issues of classism present in the Hernandez case.
Explain how recommendations would address class issues.

By Day 7

Respond to at least two colleagues by critiquing their analysis and providing alternative recommendations for how social workers might advocate for change and address classist policies in their agencies and society at large.

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Applying Leondar-Wright and Yeskel’s (2007, as cited in Adams et al., 2019) definition of classism, the cultural and individual practices of the Administration for Children Services (ACS) worker demonstrated classism as soon as she assigned a differential value to the Hernandez’s by referring to them as “the Mexicans” (Adams et al., 2019; Laureate Education, 2013; Plummer et al., 2014). Classism is also revealed and discussed between the social worker and her supervisor when they agreed the PPP class schedule may not fit a working family’s life (Adam et al., 2019; Plummer et al., 2014). This also exemplifies an institutional practice of classism assuming everyone can attend a mandatory class once per week at the same time without regard to the people working long shifts with no status to miss work without repercussions (Adams et al., 2019).

Although the Hernandez’s experience with the biased ACS worker wasn’t a barrier to social services, it behaved similarly since the ACS may have overreached on the Hernandez’s PPP requirement based on her biases (Adams et al., 2019; Plummer et al., 2014). The other barrier, discussed above in terms of classism, was the required PPP class meeting once per week on the same day each week, without consideration that some people work long daily shifts and do not have the privilege of taking time off (Adams et al., 2019; Plummer et al., 2004).

Sadly, the behavior of the ACS worker in this case study is more common than we care to admit. The Hernandez family will continue to be judged and “classified” before they even attempt to speak. They are considered a minority in every facet of class, i.e., working poor, being Hispanic, migrating from Puerto Rico – adding to the hurdles and challenges ahead (Adams et al., 2019).

The challenges they have endured and the barriers that remain also highlight the significant strengths of the Hernandez family. First, they are a close nuclear family with married parents who both work hard. Second, the parents have survived many years with challenges and uphill battles yet have persisted. And third, though Juan Sr. had his defiant behaviors, he eventually came around and demonstrated a willingness that matched his family’s open-minded approach (Plummer et al., 2014).

The first recommendation for how social workers might address classism in the Hernandez case, is to take the time to listen, ask questions, and get to know the client from their perspective. The Hernandez’s didn’t understand that their method of discipline, which was culturally taught to them, was wrong (Plummer et al., 2014). It had, after all been part of their upbringing, and the social worker should recognize and respect the cultural differences between he or she and the Hernandez’s and empathize with their perspective while demonstrating cultural competence (Adams et al., 2019). By truly recognizing cultural differences and not judging others based on them, social workers recognize the perspective of the client as the story and not the stories assumed through classist assumptions and generalizations (Adams et al., 2019).

My second recommendation for social workers addressing classism present in the Hernandez case, would be to advocate for people in similar circumstances by working with other agencies (in this case the ACS), to offer multiple meeting options ensuring everyone a chance to attend (Adams et al., 2019, Plummer et al., 2004). Scheduling a mandatory class that meets one night per week, without any other options for varying client schedules is classism. The institution/agency is assuming every participant can attend without conflict and has the power or status to address such conflict if it arises in the future (Plummer et el., 2004). By increasing the availabilities of class scheduling options, you are making it easier for more people to attend regardless of working-class dynamics with employers and lack of status to alter a work schedule (Adams et al., 2019).

References

Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W., D. C. J., C., DeJong, K., Hackman, H., Hopkins, L., Love, B., Peters, M., Shlasko, D., & Zúñiga Ximena (Eds.). (2018). Readings for diversity and social justice. Routledge.

Plummer, S. B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Hernandez Family (Episode 26) [Video file]. In Sessions. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

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