First Blog for Foundations for Social Justice: Diversity and Individuality

Thanks to my parents, I've had the privilege of experiencing so many different cultures and interacting with people from so many different walks of life. From a young age, they emphasized the importance of diversity and percieving people as individuals. I must credit them for the fact that today, I make a conscious effort to avoid casting people under labels and get to know them for who they are instead.

For this reason, Pelton's article resonated within me. He discusses the importance of seeing someone as an individual, even though they may share a common identity with a certain group of people (i.e. race, religion, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, etc). He emphasizes that as social workers, it is our moral obligation to recognize that there are so many different people. Stereotypes may prevent these people from getting the resources they need. That's not to say that analyzing group patterns is completely useless---as he mentions in his article, Social Security legislation has helped the elderly population a great deal. However, in the case of mothers on welfare, casting people under a label has led to stereotyping and ultimately misinformation. Since the number of children women on welfare are thought to have isn't accurate, some of a woman's children may recieve benefits while the other children may not. Thus, the policy was formulated on the premise of a generalization. It's mind-boggling how others' misperceptions can alter the lives of so many people!

I think it is important for us, as social workers to be able to recognize individuals and their needs and only analyze group patterns to help them. Pelton eloquently states that the community's obligation is the well-being of the individual, and it is crucial that we remember this. That being said, I think that Scanlon's response offers a few helpful suggestions as to how we can use the group to help the individual. It may seem as if analyzing groups is akin to stereotyping, however, this isn't the case. Stereotyping implies a negative connotation and suggests making hasty generalizations without truly understanding the situation. Analyzing groups, however, implies genuinely trying to understand the plight of a certain group of people and utilizing research and statistics to help them further their cause. For instance, Scanlon discusses the plight of women and African-Americans throughout the course of history. By lobbying for themselves as groups, millions of individuals eventually recieved the right to vote. Thus, I'll conclude today by stating what I took from the readings---in the field of social justice, the individual comes first. The group is a tool to empower and advocate for the individual. As long as we avoid classifying people under a category prematurely, understanding the needs of different groups may help us make a difference in the lives of many individuals in the long run.