Reflective Essay: Discrimination and Anti-Oppressive Practice

This reflective essay examines the student's learning experience regarding discrimination and anti-oppressive practices, focusing on concepts studied in week 6 of the SH4008 module. The essay utilizes the Gibbs reflective cycle to structure the analysis, detailing the student's initial understanding ...Read More

Reflective Essay

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Topic on which reflective essay will be written is discrimination and anti-oppressive
practice which were studies in week 6 of module. This reflection will be written using model of
Gibbs reflective cycle and this cycle is being used as it enables to properly record and organise
content of the reflection. This helps in recording reflection in different phases and elements of
experience. Discrimination and Anti-oppressive practices are among those topics that I liked
most when they were taught in module and this is why I am writing reflection on learning of
these practices.
MAIN BODY
Description
Discrimination and anti-oppressive practices are two of the topic that I will be reflecting
on and these topics were studies during 6 week of the module. Regarding discrimination I had
some prior knowledge about what it is and how it is not a good or desired practice. Knowledge
that I had earlier was that discrimination involves unfavourable treatment for one individual
compared to all others. However, prior to learning during module I did not have idea about what
is anti-oppressive practice (Markkanen and et.al., 2020). I learnt during the module that
discrimination is a practice in which individuals are either treated unfavourably or they are
treated less favourably than others around them. I learned about different grounds on the basis of
which individuals are discriminated and I learned that age is also a factor on the basis of which
individuals can be discriminated. Anti oppressive practices form of social work in which Social
Work help to identify psychosocial issues with help of intersectional lens and act on these
identified issues. Anti oppressive practices bridges gap between practise activism divide and lead
the society towards a transformative angle of social relations. This is an interdisciplinary
approach that is associated with Social Work practices and focuses on socio-economic operation.
This requires practitioner to critically examine power imbalance which is inherent in social
structure regarding socio-cultural and political context in order to develop strategies for creating
an environment that is free from oppression, racism, and other forms of discrimination in larger
society. In general community anti oppressive practice is concerned with responding to operation
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by dominant group and individual. This was also a topic that I learnt in 6th week off module.
This was one of the topics that I was very interested. Before learning about anti oppressive
practices in module I had very limited knowledge of it. However as I learnt about discrimination
and anti oppressive practices in module my interest emerged and I also worked on different
methods through which I could know more about discrimination and anti oppressive practices
(He, Parkinson, L. and Doyle, 2018). I also become able to understand how discrimination and
anti oppressive practices can relate to my professional experiences and how important it is to my
professional practices. Along with discrimination and anti-oppressive practices different
approaches and legislations were also learned. In my professional practice person-centred
approach is very important in which person is centre of service, during module I was taught how
discrimination can be avoided during person-centred approach. Along with this human rights and
discrimination act was also learned in module. Human rights act enables to undertake anti-
oppressive practices and what rights are available to individuals. Discrimination act outlines how
discrimination can be avoided during service. This knowledge enabled me to envision how my
professional practice should be so discrimination can be avoided and how anti-oppressive
practices can improve overall service and professional practice. Before starting to learn I was
standing at minimum knowledge however this has improved after learning about these topics in
module. After learning about discrimination and anti operational practices I was able to relate the
real life event of discrimination and operation of people with knowledge that I have learned in
module. This module improved how I used to perceive discrimination and what were my
thoughts about discrimination in society.
Feelings
During learning experience I was constantly curious to know about discrimination and anti
oppressive practices. This is because while all the time I heard about discrimination events I was
having very minimum understanding of how it takes place and affects people. This was the
reason that I was constantly curious to know about discrimination and anti oppressive practices.
Before starting of this topic I made some initial research about what discrimination and anti
operation practices are. This was to create foundation for better receptivity while I am being
taught about topics in module (Harerimana, 2018). Research that I did about discrimination and
anti oppressive practices helped me significantly and because of this my learning experience was
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overall very good. However, regarding anti oppressive practices I was having difficulty in
understanding about how they are undertaken and how the linked with my professional practices.
This was the reason that I felt that I should have done better work in research about anti
oppressive practices. During the experience of learning about anti oppressive practices I also
found it difficult to create relation between health and social care and anti oppressive practices.
This is because I was able to understand how discrimination is linked with my professional
practice and how I can avoid discrimination while professionally practicing. However as learning
completed and I learned about different aspects of anti oppressive practices and how they are
undertaken and in what manner anti oppressive practice is can be undertaken by professionals
like me experience became good (Contreras and et.al., 2020). As thinking about the experience
now I feel good because it was better than I expected and before starting I was curious and
feeling good that I am going to learn about to interesting topics. However as the learning
completed my experience was better than I expected before starting learning.
Evolution
During the learning of week 6 module on Discrimination and anti oppressive practises, I have
gained some bad experience as well, during the learning I have learned that discrimination at the
workplace can affect the person mentally and physically and their various issues and their morale
can get down. Just listening to these things how badly it effect the mentally a person it was us
scary moment and experience for me. lecturer also gave some example of discrimination at the
workplace where people get discriminated on the basis of gender or religion, it affect them
negatively and make them think they are not capable of doing anything are their morale get down
. On the other side I have also faced some good experience that it is necessary for the people to
stand against the negative discrimination (Hindrasti., 2020). Government has provided rules and
regulations that are helping people to discriminate at the workplace which is good thing and
saving the employees from discrimination problem. this make me understand that if we are
discriminated at the workplace then, We have option to go and take legal action toward the
employer are the employees who are discriminating. During the learning we have also identify
the strategies like people should complain to the employer about the discrimination so they can
find out who are discriminating at the workplace and take serious action. just give me a
confidence that strategies can be used or we can take stand for ourselves to save ourselves from
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the discrimination. anti oppressive practises Also create a good positive experience for me
because I come to know that there are various institutions who are working toward people was
suffering from the issues related to their health, disabilities and many more that create a good
experience for me and I understand that I should also work toward the society to help people
who are not capable to walk or do anything. I was also understanding that how discrimination
and anti oppressive practices can relate to my professional experiences and how important it is to
my professional practices. Before starting to learn I was standing at minimum knowledge
however this has improved after learning about these topics in module. After learning about
discrimination and anti operational practices I was able to relate the real life event of
discrimination and operation of people with knowledge that I have learned in module. This
module improved how I used to perceive discrimination and what were my thoughts about
discrimination in society.
Analysis
In my previous learning experiences goes well and some of them didn't go well. The thing that
go well was my understanding about the discrimination and I was able to understand how
discrimination affecting the people and workplace an what are the strategies of overcoming the
discrimination. I get enough knowledge to understand about the discrimination at the workplace
and I can understand if someone is discriminating and also help others too how to deal with the
discrimination at the workplace. on the other side Something drink over like my experience
about anti oppressive practise There are various act that implemented by the government to
protect employees from the discrimination. Equality Act 2010, this act helps to provide a quality
within the workplace to the other employees. if employees feel that they are not equally treated
by the companies employees our leaders than they can take legal action. Similarly, Human
Rights 1998 is also helpful for employees to get their rights and they can ask for basic human
rights. . here I get to know about social work and how it help people to recover physically and
it also helped them too be more effective in their work and they can live a better life with the
help of volunteers (Von Solms, and Nel., 2017). It wasn’t good experience and bad experience
also be cause I was not having that much knowledge about it and that makes me provide a less
knowledge as compared to the learning about discrimination. Some things was difficult for me
because I was not able to understand what does it mean and how it works. it was very less time
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and very less experience for me because I will be needed more time to spend on this topic and I
have to work practically to understand how things work and how we can help and contribute
towards the society. very helpful for enhanced understanding and longer retention of what have
been learnt. Evaluation and analysis are two parts of this inflection that enables to understand
what and why elements of the experience. They also increase critical thinking in individual
writing reflection and enable them to understand their experience in more detail. Still I have got
a good skills and knowledge from at that helped me understand little bit about social work and
how we can help an add value in people and society. there's also get me to know that how I can
help society in personal level and add some value for the people who are disabled and do not
have anyone with them.
Conclusion
After the end of whole experience of the week 6, I was able to understand what impact of
Discrimination and anti oppressive practises. Discrimination create a negative impact on the
persons mentality while anti of offensive practises are helpful for the society and we should
always perform it to help people who are living in a society or people who are helpless. from the
whole learning, I have experienced how discrimination have negative impact and how it impact
employees at the workplace negatively. anti oppressive practises are necessary by the people on
their individual level so they can add some value for the people who are living in a society and
help them effectively to live a better and healthy life like how we are living right now. this is
their own rights they should get it effectively (Snowdon., 2018). if employees are discriminated
then they should get their rights by the company so they can save themselves from
discrimination and also we should help people bye performing the anti oppressive practises.
During the learning, I have developed some of these skills like learning skills. I have experienced
that I have a good learning skills and after this modules I was able to understand my ability . this
skill will be helpful for me in future as well and I can use it for my better learning. I have also
improved my listening skills by attending the week six module I was listening the information
carefully and it make me able to understand that how listening skills are important to understand
anything.
Action plan
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If I get to learn more about discrimination and anti oppressive, then I will be always ready for it
because it was an interesting topic that can be implemented by a person in their real life and they
can understand how discrimination impact their life and they can take immediate action to
overcome and also perform the anti oppressive practises in their life to help needy people in the
society and gave their contribution in this social work. Some of these skills I have to develop in
myself like communication skills that I will develop by working but asking questions to the
others. communication is effectively if we are asking question and trying to understand what
other person is telling. If we will be clear then we can get better information about the topic. If I
will get to work at the workplace then if anyone will be discriminated then I can use my
knowledge to make them understand the rules and regulations were created by the government to
overcome the discrimination problem and they can use their rights to protect themselves. And
even I can also get discriminated at the workplace so I will also go legally toward the person who
are discriminating me and I can take our legal action against them. This will make me safe from
the discrimination problem and I will able to make other understand as well. Before I was not
having idea about what is anti-oppressive practice (Markkanen and et.al., 2020). I learnt during
the module that discrimination is a practice in which individuals are either treated unfavourably
or they are treated less favourably than others around them. I learned about different grounds on
the basis of which individuals are discriminated and I learned that age is also a factor on the basis
of which individuals can be discriminated.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above discussion it can be concluded that overall learning about
discrimination and anti oppressive practices was very good. Concerned with this not only I
learned about anti oppressive practices and discrimination but also learn how I can avoid
discrimination and undertaken oppressive practices in my professional practice. Reflection
outline different elements of experience that I have had and it can be said that writing reflection
about your experience can be very helpful for enhanced understanding and longer retention of
what have been learnt. Evaluation and analysis are two parts of this inflection that enables to
understand what and why elements of the experience. They also increase critical thinking in
individual writing reflection and enable them to understand their experience in more detail.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Markkanen, P and et.al., 2020. A reflective cycle: Understanding challenging situations in a
school setting. Educational Research. 62(1). pp.46-62.
He, K.N., Parkinson, L. and Doyle, A.K., 2018. Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle.
Harerimana, B., 2018. Reflective Practice for Professional Development Among Nursing
Instructors. Teaching Innovation Projects. 8(1).
Contreras, J.A and et.al., 2020. Effects of Reflective Practice on Baccalaureate Nursing Students’
Stress, Anxiety and Competency: An Integrative Review. Worldviews on Evidence
‐Based
Nursing. 17(3). pp.239-245.
Markkanen and et.al., 2020 He, Parkinson, L. and Doyle, 2018 Harerimana, 2018 Contreras and
et.al., 2020
Sicora, A., 2019. Reflective practice and learning from mistakes in social work student
placement. Social Work Education. 38(1). pp.63-74.
Hindrasti, NE.K., 2020, February. The reflective thinking skills of preservice biology teacher in
histology lectures. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1470, No. 1, p. 012080). IOP
Publishing.
Ridulme, Q.R. and Sales, R.A.J.C., Reflective Writing of New Graduate Students: Their
Challenges and Experiences in an Open and Distance Education. Vision and Mission of the
IJODeL. p.36.
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Von Solms, S. and Nel, H., 2017, December. Reflective learning in engineering education: A
case study of shell ECO-marathon. In 2017 IEEE International Conference on Industrial
Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM) (pp. 274-278). IEEE.
Snowdon, K., 2018. Humour in reflective practice. Journal of Paramedic Practice. 10(4). pp.144-
146.
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