Gathering Information

Gathering Information

A focus on the concept of power helps provide a foundation for understanding the feminist perspective. Power is implicit and explicit in human culture. According to sociologists, power and hierarchy occur when individuals become labeled as a group based upon socioeconomic factors. These economic, social, and political dimensions usually result in unequal treatment (Ferrante, 2011). The power aspects of identity are formed within the variables of the group level and the individual level (Sue & Sue, 2013). Although a part of our personal ideas about power and hierarchy stem from individual experience, power is directly related to how society views groups, not individuals. Social stratification carries from one generation to the next. For example, if a culture values the contributions of its elderly members, this honoring may continue over time; likewise, if infant girls have less value than infant boys, the practice of female infanticide may be common practice. In addition, within all cultures, there exist power differentials and dominance and oppression, but salient characteristics that inform the social stratification may vary. In Western culture, male-dominated power structures pervade while in several societies in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania more equal or female power structures exist (Goettner-Abendroth, 2012). Finally, reliance on power dimensions to define who we are, where we belong, who others are, and where they belong manifests itself in both behaviors and beliefs. What this means for us as helping professionals is our thoughts and values, as well as actions, translate into acts of power and control. Implicit in our professional responsibilities to help others lies a subtle statement about what we “have” and what they “have not.”

To use the feminist perspective to understand clients, helpers, and the context in which the help occurs, reread the case study about Sue Ellen Draper. The following questions will help you think about Sue Ellen’s case from this viewpoint.

· • List the instances where Sue Ellen experiences power, authority, or control.

· • List the instances where Sue Ellen does not experience power, authority, or control.

· • How could helping grant Sue Ellen power?

· • How does helping contribute to Sue Ellen’s powerlessness?

CLIENTS AS INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND POPULATIONS

This chapter thus far has presented approaches to identifying problems through understanding human needs. This section examines three ways to think about the term client, using a brief client history to illustrate different perspectives about client identity.

In many cases, the client will be an individual. In fact, most of us will think about each of our clients as one person. This means working one on one to define problems, assess possible interventions, and provide services. In the following case history, you will read one person’s account of her life. Think about her as your client. As you read, make note of the facts you learn about her and her situation. What are her problems? Using the perspectives discussed in the previous section, apply what you have learned to help you understand her situation.