A Critical Analysis of Power Relations in Human Service Delivery

This essay critically examines power relations within human service delivery, particularly focusing on the experiences of Aboriginal patients at Mount Isa Base Hospital. It argues that a lack of cultural competency and awareness of basic human rights contributes to discriminatory practices. Drawing on theories of power by Max Weber and Emile Durkheim, the essay highlights how societal norms and the concentration of power in the hands of non-Aboriginal staff can create a sense of 'anomie' and powerlessness among Aboriginal patients. The essay also explores how discourse manifests power dynamics within the organization, suggesting that addressing cultural diversity and competency is crucial for eliminating discrimination and ensuring equitable treatment for all individuals seeking healthcare assistance. The paper concludes by emphasizing the responsibility of human service organizations to actively work towards reducing prejudice and promoting social justice.

Running head: ASSIGNMENT1-CRITICALAPPROACHES
ASSIGNMENT1-CRITICALAPPROACHES
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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The power in society has remained one of the prominent aspects since the beginning of
humanity1. According to Max Weber, power is the ability of a group or an individual to achieve
their own goals and fulfill their own aims while others are trying to prevent them from
understanding and realizing them. Power has been a constant phenomenon in society and can be
seen in every society2. The paper aims to develop understanding and awareness of the power
relation involved in the delivery of the human service that has been witnessed in my placement
setting, Mount Isa Base Hospital.
Mount Isa Base hospital in a rural town of Australia called as Mount Isa, Queensland
where I did my placement. The town where the hospital belonged has large communities of
aboriginals. It was certainly obvious to have a good number of aboriginal people who would seek
healthcare assistance. Although the hospital has several policies that would specifically aim for
helping socially backward groups, a sense of discrimination was observed. While I working in
the setting, I was pleased with the way the organization works with separate specialized
departments. However, while working in the setting, every department would give priority to the
non-aboriginals. Several problems such as communication gap, cultural differences and many
were an obstacle while providing they service therefore many workers would ignore working
with the aboriginals and avoid them. There were times when the pregnant women who would
require immediate attention were ignored since it’s hard to communicate them. Also, the
aboriginals could seek help and claim their fundamental right however they were unaware of it
and no one would inform them regarding their basic rights.
Discourse is the ways of constituting knowledge along with the social practices, power
relation and forms of subjectivity that have existed in such knowledge and relations between
1 Lovejoy, Arthur. The great chain of being: A study of the history of an idea. Routledge, 2017.
2 Blau, Peter. Exchange and power in social life. Routledge, 2017.

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them3. In the situation above, the action of the healthcare workers was portrayed in a biased
form. The aboriginals patients were not only given the care they deserve but also prevented from
realizing their basic human rights. The service users were the victim of the discriminated
behavior that was presented by the workers of the hospital. The aboriginals were faced with
challenges such as long waiting hours, less specific information regarding doctor and available
services and often they were charged more for some unnecessary reason. Due to being a
backward group, it failed to know that there are policies in the hospitals where they could ask for
their basic human rights. However, they were uninformed regarding this. The main problem is a
socially constructed problem. According to the theory of power described by Durkheim, society
experiences dysfunctions and conflict that is caused by the absence of established norms. Often
people feel powerless in the places where the social norms are different from their own4. In the
same way, in a place where the power lies in the hand of non-aboriginals, the aboriginals feel
helpless and powerless. This is the feeling of ‘anomie’ that one goes through when they feel
normlessness5. When humans speak or write they use more than just langue, even while
communicating people display many ways to represent social identity. The way an individual
dress, gestures, the way one act and interact also have the capability of influencing the way a
person acts. It is, therefore, the core values or the culture of the service providers that made them
different than the aboriginals. As per the power theory, society is in a continuous process of
conflict for sustaining power. Therefore, people with power will certainly create ways that would
prevent others from realizing their power. In order to prevent their power and control on the
others, the group in power will create an obstacle or prevent the backward group from claiming
3 Turkan, Sultan, et al. "Proposing a knowledge base for teaching academic content to English language learners:
Disciplinary linguistic knowledge." Teachers College Record116.3 (2014).
4 Kemper, Theodore D. Status, power and ritual interaction: A relational reading of Durkheim, Goffman and
Collins. Routledge, 2016.
5 Durkheim, Emile. "The division of labor in society." Inequality. Routledge, 2018. 55-64.

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the share of the position and power6. In the particular situation as well, the ways aboriginal
patients display their attitude and the way they act, it represents that they are the oppressed group
while the people who are working there are the superior group. They are deprived of their human
rights and they are not informed about it since, by the realization of their human right, the
possibility is claiming power. Then onwards they would need to provide equal treatment to the
aboriginals.
The gap in this situation is the lack of cultural diversity and cultural competency. In a
human service organization, being aware of cultural diversity and cultural competency are a
significant part of servic7e. While such acts are happening, it is essential to address them instead
of pretending that it is not happening in the workplace. Several measures can be taken in order to
eliminate this discrimination from HSO. It is the responsibility of the HSO to ensure every
person seeking healthcare assistance is received with equal treatment. In the field of social work,
discrimination and prejudice is a major problem ad in order to achieve the goal an individual
must acknowledge and work toward reducing and eliminating it.
As discussed above, the power in society has remained one of the prominent aspects
since the beginning of humanity. Power is manifested in several way including discourses.
Discourse is one of the ways that creates power. The values and beliefs an individual hold that
often seem normal to them is the originally constructs of the organizations and institutions that
are with which we are surrounded. This is created and shared through language. In the above
discussion as well it can be seen the ways discourse manifest power in the organization.
6 Fiske, John, and Black Hawk Hancock. Power plays power works. Routledge, 2016.
7 Ang, Soon, and Linn Van Dyne. "Conceptualization of cultural intelligence: Definition, distinctiveness, and
nomological network." Handbook of cultural intelligence. Routledge, 2015. 21-33.

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References:
Ang, Soon, and Linn Van Dyne. "Conceptualization of cultural intelligence: Definition,
distinctiveness, and nomological network." Handbook of cultural intelligence. Routledge, 2015.
21-33.
Blau, Peter. Exchange and power in social life. Routledge, 2017.
Fiske, John, and Black Hawk Hancock. Power plays power works. Routledge, 2016.
Kemper, Theodore D. Status, power and ritual interaction: A relational reading of Durkheim,
Goffman and Collins. Routledge, 2016.
Lovejoy, Arthur. The great chain of being: A study of the history of an idea. Routledge, 2017.
Turkan, Sultan, et al. "Proposing a knowledge base for teaching academic content to English
language learners: Disciplinary linguistic knowledge." Teachers College Record116.3 (2014).