Women’s Roles, Feminist Theory, and Social Work Practice

Feminism contributed to a vast number of changes in women’s lives over several decades. From the kitchen to the boardroom and back again if women choose, feminism has empowered women to examine how they want to live in this world and encouraged them to seek that life. Despite this progress, there are frequent events that still challenge women’s roles in society. What is your understanding of women’s roles in society? How might your biases and your research into feminist theory influence your work as a social worker?

 

For the Discussion, review this week’s resources. Search reputable sources, including the Walden Library and the Internet, in order to select an article that focuses on a current event involving the role of women in society. Then, select a feminist theory from this week’s reading and reflect on how it relates to social work practice. Think about how that has influenced your understanding of women’s roles in society and whether your understanding has changed as a result of your research. Finally, think about how the selected feminist theory and your understanding of women’s roles might inform your work with Tiffani in the Bradley Family video case.

 

Note to Students: Reputable sources include scholarly peer-reviewed journals, other scholarly texts, and websites hosted by educational institutions (.edu) and reputable organizations (.org).

 

·       Post a brief of the article you selected that focuses on a current event involving the role of women in society.

 

·       Then, provide a brief description of the feminist theory you selected and how it relates to social work practice and an explanation of how that feminist theory has influenced your understanding of women’s roles in society. 

 

·       Finally, explain how feminist theory and views of women’s roles inform your next steps with Tiffani.

 

Bradley Family Episode 6

Program Transcript

 

FEMALE SPEAKER: How long have you been a lawyer?

 

MALE SPEAKER: 10 years. I’ve been representing young women at Teens First

 

about the last two years.

 

FEMALE SPEAKER: I’ve never had a lawyer before.

 

MALE SPEAKER: Well I’m glad to be working with you.

 

FEMALE SPEAKER: It is always this awful?

 

MALE SPEAKER: What do you mean? Did something happen?

 

FEMALE SPEAKER: No. The people here treat me great.

 

MALE SPEAKER: What’s wrong then?

 

FEMALE SPEAKER: Well the people here, like you, you listen to me and say all

 

this isn’t my fault. But then when we were in court the police, those other lawyers,

 

they may be sound like kind of horrible person.

 

MALE SPEAKER: Listen to me, Tiffany, you’re the victim here, not a criminal. But

 

under the current law, even though you’re only 16, you’re still seen as someone

 

who’s committed the crime of prostitution, regardless of the fact that others

exploited you and put you in that position.

 

FEMALE SPEAKER: It just doesn’t seem fair.

 

MALE SPEAKER: I promise that I will do my very best in court to emphasize the

 

circumstances that helped get you in this trouble.

 

FEMALE SPEAKER: They could all go to hell.

 

MALE SPEAKER: I totally understand your anger. But it’s important that you

 

always show respect to the police in the court always. It’s the law. No matter how

 

unjust it may be. Do you understand?

 

FEMALE SPEAKER: Yes.

 

MALE SPEAKER: Good.

 

FEMALE SPEAKER: Did you notice how most of them saying those nasty things

in court about me were men?

 

References (use 2 or more)

 

Robbins, S. P., Chatterjee, P., & Canda, E. R. (2012). Contemporary human behavior theory: A critical perspective for social work (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Allyn & Bacon.

 

 

Turner, S. G., & Maschi, T. M. (2015). Feminist and empowerment theory and social work practice. Journal Of Social Work Practice, 29(2), 151–162.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

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

o   Part 2, “The Bradley Family”

 

Kulkarni, S. I., Kennedy, A. C., & Lewis, C. M. (2010). Using a risk and resilience framework and feminist theory to guide social work interventions with adolescent mothers. Families In Society, 91(3), 217–224.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

 

Discussion 2: Treating Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety levels range dramatically from individual to individual and from situation to situation. To illustrate the spectrum of normal to psychopathological anxiety, consider the fear of dogs. Many people are reasonably cautious when encountering an unfamiliar dog, rationalizing that the animal has some potential to inflict injury and will therefore not approach an unattended dog. However, some people avoid even the possibility of encountering a dog by never leaving their homes. In addition, some people may turn to available substances, such as alcohol, to self-medicate to overcome their fear, creating the potential for developing a comorbid addictive disorder. In short, anxiety disorders present a complex range of challenges for the mental health professional and require a multifaceted approach in creating treatment strategies.

 

For this Discussion, view the media case studies “Anxiety Disorder Case Study: Willy” and “Anxiety Disorder Case Study: June.” Select one case study and consider the general challenges in assessment, differential diagnosis, and use of psychopharmacological treatment for the symptoms demonstrated. Think about the uses and benefits of anxiolytic medications in the treatment of panic disorders, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety.

 

·       Post the challenges of treating the anxiety disorder of the client you selected.

 

·       Then describe at least three potential anxiolytic medications that may be effective in treating this client and explain the potential addiction risk of each.

 

·       Explain how this information might influence a mental health professional’s approach to counseling this client.

 

·       Finally, explain the role of the mental health professional in communicating concerns to other health care professionals.

 

 

Anxiety Disorder Case Study: Willy

Program Transcript

 

WILLY: My name is Willy. I’m 35 years old. I’ve been divorced for five years and I

don’t have any children. I am not seeing anyone at the moment.

 

My biggest problem is reliving events from my past. I joined the army when I was

18 years old. I love the structure of military life and the resources the army

provided. I enjoyed the educational opportunities. And I also knew I would have a

roof over my head and something to eat.

 

I was doing well in the military. So I stayed in for about 10 years. During that

time, the US became involved in a number of foreign conflicts and initiatives. I

was deployed to Afghanistan during one of my last years in the army.

 

In Afghanistan, my perspective on what I was accomplishing shifted dramatically.

In one instance, I witnessed my best, most trusted friend shoot a young,

unarmed girl just because she wore hijab. My fears after witnessing this event

changed me forever. I became disenchanted with the army as I thought about all

the people who were killed.

 

In the face of that girl, I saw my sister’s daughter, Heather. It seems now that

every night I had dreams of war and genocide. Occasionally, during the worst

times, I thought about whether it would have been better for me to have died in

that country instead of returning to this miserable life. I wonder every day, if I had

turned in my friend, would I not be haunted by this girl’s memory.

 

I panic at some point most days. I become agitated and lash out when my mind

is on the past. It interferes with my work and my relationships with my coworkers.

After I calm down, I tell myself that it doesn’t make sense for me to be panicking.

But I know it will happen again. Sometimes, I’m afraid I might hurt someone if they startle me.

 

 

References (use 3 or more)

 

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012c). Anxiety disorder case study: Willy: Post traumatic stress disorder [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

 

Lichtblau, L. (2011). Psychopharmacology demystified. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning.

 

Preston, J. D., O’Neal, J. H., & Talaga, M. C. (2017). Handbook of clinical psychopharmacology for therapists (8th ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

 

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Highlights of changes from DSM IV-TR to DSM-5. Retrieved from http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/changes%20from%20dsm-iv-tr%20to%20dsm-5.pdf