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Title Head: SOCIAL WORK CASE STUDY

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It is important for people to come out about their sexual orientation in order to avoid cases of social disorders occasioned by an identity crisis. Care should however be taken whom to tell because some people can instead worsen the situation instead of improving it. This is a very challenging initiative as many people consider some lifestyles a bit weird and may not show sympathy or give a helpful hand all. They may result to ridiculing the affected individual instead, leading to social stigma and a feeling that they are social outcasts. Different groups have diverse social backgrounds and provide cases that are different. This calls for different tactics to be used to solve these problems.

An individual with a challenging social identity needs to seek the help of a trained social work practitioner before the situation worsens, something that may bring forth negative effects on the individual later life. People should create an environment where a conversation about social identity can take place without any party feeling disadvantaged. People should try to avoid the things that may bring about differences between them during the conversation. This can be achieved through avoiding being personal or taking sides. Some differences that some people may dismiss as a minor may actually be a case of ‘difference’ and as such someone who is qualified to handle such cases should be called in to help (Hall & Crisp, 2010). Most of difference cases are most often dismissed as mere lack of social adaptation but affected individuals later develop into people who lack identity which is affects personal esteem as the case is continually ignored. Support strategies are needed to work with these individuals and to help them adapt to the ordinary society and live normal lives. The context should be well defined (Miller, Donner & Fraser, 20904).

Sam’s case is very understandable from the point of view of a social worker. He is in a developmental stage where people begin to discover their social sexual identity and a search for companionship, love and friends. Sam has suddenly discovered that he is gay, which can be categorized as a case of difference. Social workers have to deal with difference in their area of work and it is quite difficult deal with as people who present such cases are discriminated upon in the society. They also have low esteem. Sam should be encouraged to seek the help of a professional instead of engaging with some funny people on the internet. This will not help him and will instead aggravate his case and add miseries his already complicated situation.  Ordinarily, people do not like engaging in difficult talk for the fact that it can only go too far. This makes it hard for people with difficulties to find people with whom they can share their experiences and ease their moods which in most cases affect their performance at work or in school. Sam’s case is an example and he needs to be paired with a group that can help him to start viewing himself in a positive way. Social identity is a factor to a person’s success in most things because performance is usually society based. Social work practitioners and educators are better placed to help this group of people with differences and as such should organize group activities to help solve their problems. It is quite difficult to have tough conversation between people whose social identities are different. When people with social identities that tend to make them isolated, their case degenerates into a point whereby they lose self esteem and finally adopt a lifestyle that is not compatible with the rest of the society (Chapman, 2006). People need to make it ordinary practice to engage in discussions that do no touch on social identities, to avoid offending those who do not conform to societal norms like Sam who is gay.

Diversity is responsible for the many inequalities that we see around as the world is composed o people with different social identities which either work for their advantage or disadvantage. Such diversities are not limited to gay people or those whose sexual orientation is a subject in a particular society but also. Practitioners on the issue of diversity play a very important role as they help their clients develop a sense of belongingness as wells as identity. Many people tend to have an attitude of indifference towards people with difference. This is as a result of lack of adequate education on dealing with this type of people in the society. Education on social work is very important for the society to learn how to eliminate the negative stereotypes towards this group, which leads to social stigma and maladjustment in victims (Camilleri & Ryan 2006). With adequate education, people can engage in more meaningful and helpful talk about the issue of difference and the affected person can be helped to adjust to the society. Sam needs to be helped in this way as isolating or showing indifference to his plight will further disorient him in the society. Sam’s change of mood and fall in grades can mostly be attributed to identity crisis, which in turn leads to low self esteem. A person who has the required skills in social work practice has to be objective in dealing with cases of this nature as taking sides does not give a workable solution. . As a social work practitioner, Sam needs to be encouraged to come out open about his status so that he can be better understood in the society (Cherry, 2010). Sam needs to know that there is nothing wrong with someone being gay. It is his nature and the sooner he changes the way he perceives himself the better. His studies are at stake considering the recent fall in grades.

The most effective ay in which to help this group is by instilling a sense of self worth. This encourages the affected individuals to view themselves in a negative way in the society. The benefits of talking with other people about the issue is very essential and Sam needs to stop living in a shell and face the reality by finding new physical friends instead of liaising with some mysterious characters on the internet. His supposed internet friends do not help him lot because they do not know the environment under which Sam lives (Harder, 2006). They also do not have education on how to deal with such cases. He needs the help of a trained practitioner who will handle the case with sobriety and without any prejudice and help him heal. He should reconcile with the fact that he is gay. Therapy is important to help him change and adapt to the normal society. A psychoanalysis study of Sam’s situation is essential to help him improve his emotional set-up. Information on the real problem will be very helpful in shaping the socioemotional development of this group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REFERENCES

 

Camilleri, P & Ryan, P (2006). Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education. Online Journal edition; ISSN 1329-0584. Volume 8, Number 1. Association of Social Work and Welfare Education, c/- School of Social Sciences, Social Work Unit, Victoria University, Melbourne Australia.

Chapman, A, (2006). Erikson’s psychosocial development theory: Erik and Joan Erikson psychosocial development theory 1950-97.

Available at: http://www.businessballs.com/erik_erikson_psychosocial_theory.htm

Cherry, K, (2010). Psychology Guide: Erikson’s Theory of Psychological Development.

Available at: http://psychology.about.com/b/2006/10/24/eriksons-theory-of-psychosocial-development.htm

Hall, N & Crisp, R, (2010). Self-Activation and Out-Group Contrast. The Journal of Social Psychology, 150(5), 423-427.  Retrieved September 28, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global.

Harder, M. A, (2006). The Developmental Stages of Erik Erikson; Learning online.comAvailable at: http://www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.htm

Miller, J, Donner, S & Fraser, (20904). “Talking When Talking Is Tough: Taking on conversations about race, race, sexual, gender, class and other aspects of social identity”, Smith College Studies in Social work, 74, 2, 377-392.

 

 

 

Wyer, N, (2010). Selective Self-Categorization: Meaningful Categorization and the In-Group Persuasion Effect. The Journal of Social Psychology, 150(5), 452-470.  Retrieved September 28, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global.