Part II, Notes on "Empowerment Theory" & Models of Empowerment (Individual & Collective)

8/3/2019 Part II, Notes on "Empowerment Theory" & Models of Empowerment (Individual & Collective)

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10/20/11StantonSalazar,RFramework,EmpowermentAgentsDoc:9.EmpowermentAgents[FW].doc

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Differentiating Institutional Agents

In Relation to Stratification System1. gate-keeping agents2. empowerment agents

Empowerment Framework[focus on characterizing empowerment agents]

Empowerment defined:

defined as the active participatory process of gaining resources [and] competenciesneeded to increase control over ones life and accomplish important life goals. [Maton &Salem(1995)]

The concept of social justice is central to the empowerment perspective. [it] refers toequity, equality, and fairness in the distribution of societal resources (Flynn, 1994).(Gutierrez & Lewis)

providing opportunities for participants to develop knowledge and skills, Empowerment deals with a particular kind of block to problem solving: that imposed by theexternal society by virtue of a stigmatized collective identity (Solomon, 1976: 21). (Lee, J) empower(dictionary): to give power or authority to, to give ability to, enable, permit Staples: sees empowerment as the process of gaining power. power:

o capability of doing or accomplishing something;o capability of persons carrying out their will, even in the face of obstacles (e.g.,

often others)---thus, we are talking about a relationship (often conflictive)

carrying out ones will through the mobilization of resources (political,economic resources, social capital) [see p. 519 of Soc. Dictionary]

[Three interlocking dimensions of empowerment]: (Lee, J)1) the development of a more positive and potent sense of self,2) [political] the construction of knowledge and capacity for a more critical

comprehension of the web of social and political realities of ones environment,

and

o effective interventions to deal with individual painwhen taking social forcesinto account

3) the cultivation ofresources and strategies, or more functional competence, forattainment of personal and collective goals.

[objective]: .they [the client] experience a transition to a situation ofo more control over their lives and environment, [efficacy]o discover new insights and abilities, [intellectual development] ando contribute some of their knowledge, energy and talent to society [social justice

component]. [Elisheva Sadan]


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[the importance of the group]: A person whose circumstances and conditions have led herto participate in an empowerment-encouraging group has a better chance of becoming

empowered than someone who has not participated in such a group also testified about howmuch the activity in the group had influenced him [Elisheva Sadan]

Method/Approach empowerment is a process oftransforming powerlessness and increasing individuals'

control over their lives. The emphasis is on:

reducing professional domination and increasing individual choice and self-determination. (Arai)

Empowerment begins with the individual's self-defined needs and aspirations and thenlooks at the capacity development, resources and supports that are required to achievethose goals. (Arai)

Awareness. The empowerment process begins with the individual developing anawareness on some level ofa desire for change. (Arai)

Connecting and learning. Based on this awareness of a need or desire for change, in thesecond stage, the individual begins a process of

1) connecting with other individuals, groups and resources, and2) learning new skills or information (Arai, in press; Lord, 1991).

Mobilization/action. As people learn new skills, acquire new information, or connectwith people with similar interests,they become ready to take action (see Table 1). Therole of the practitioner is to support action and participation through encouragement and a

continuation of the facilitating and linking role from the previous stage. The mobilizationor action stage involves individual participation in the desired change area. That is,

1) the individual may become involved in activities or social groups or secure a jobthat is meaningful.

2) This participation may lead to increased feelings of competence and increasedopportunities for participation.

3) Successful participation leads to feelings of 'hey, I can do this!', which in turnincreases self esteem and

4) may prompt the individual to take further action. In a research study of peopleinvolved in a community organization, individuals began to speak out and voice

their opinions in ways they never had before (Arai, in press).

Individual empowerment relies on a strong network of supports and resources RSS: [begins] helping people identifying their own assets and capabilitiesand the assets and

resources within their community;

where people, organizations, and communities gain mastery over their lives (citations, p. 583(Zimmerman, 1995)


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[changes in social structuresee Stanton-Salazar, 2004(Koyama)]: the enable people toexperience critical forms of power

(1) the ability to influence the course of ones life,

(2) to work with others to control aspects of public and institutional life, and

(3) to access mechanisms of institutional decision making (citations) (Gutierrez & Lewis)

Educational methods focus on improving participants abilities to understand and act ontheir social environments. These methods emphasize techniques for increasing theindividuals awareness of her own situation and developing skills to influence oppressive

structures. [emphasis mine] (Gutierrez & Lewis)

SW: the professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities enhanceor restore their capacity for social functioning and creating societal conditions favorable

to that goal (NASW, 1973, p. 4).

RSS: empowerment agents a proclivity toward enhancing or restoring peoplescapacity for social functioning and creating societal condition favorable to that goal

(rework some more)o ENABLING clients [individuals] to develop capacities and strengths that will

improve their social functioning [RSS: another term for social functioning

[an inclination for] engaging professionals as collaborators instead of authoritativeexperts [BERGSMA]

Empowerment as a set of Integrated Processes where people create or are givenopportunities to control their own destiny and influence the decisions that affect their lives.(Zimmerman, 1995)

RSS: Minimally, individuals become empowerment agents by engaging in a practice of providing institutional support directly to low-status

individuals, or

by helping to alter institutional or organizational structures so that low-status youth andstudents can access institutional resources and support

some degree of critical awareness that current structures inhibit the provision ofresources to low-status or oppressed populations.

RSS: However, empowerment agents, are by definition, engaged in various levels and forms ofempowerment;

RSS: IA can not cultivate in others forms of consciousness and skill sets they themselves do not

possess; thus, EA are invested in empowering themselves as an integral process of empoweringothers;


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[processes]: They are a series of experiences in which individuals.. (Zimmerman, 1995)

I. provisionsby an alteras well as actions realized by alterA. Representation, defense, and advocacyB. [provision of valued resources, (outcome): control over resources]

(accessing, seeking) receiving resources & institutional support from IA [IA/EAprovides resources directly to ego]: personal resources & positions resources

o enabling actions on the part of IA (e.g., funds of knowledge; advice &guidance)

o opportunities: [organizational level]: participation in important organizational tasks

(Zimmerman, referencing Maton & Salem, 1995)

networkingon behalf of ego [e.g., functions as a bridge]o bridgingo institutional brokeringo coordinating

C. Changes [transformations] in the IndividualA. Consciousness, changes in

1) Psychological: efficacy: learning to see a closer correspondence between their goals

and a sense of how to achieve them, (Zimmerman, 1995); EA help low-status

individuals see a closer correspondence.i. perceived control

Cognitive theory: (p. 40) in excising false perceptions and beliefs based onfaulty filters [cognitive distortions] clouded in internalized

oppression.directed toward helping the client identify challenges, andchange thinking patterns that result in dysfunctional forms of emotion, behav

and problem-solving (Lantz, 1996).

Shulman (1992) divides these skills into two categories:o the skills of helping clients to manage their feelings ando of helping clients to manage their problems

2) critical consciousness: a critical understanding of ones sociopoliticalcontext are fundamental aspects of empowering processes. (p. 583) (Zimmerman,1995) awareness about resources and factors that hinder or enhance ones efforts

to achieve those goals [consciousness] (Zimmerman, 1995) [see below] the nature ofpraxis: the process by which we reflect, act, then reflect again in

spiraling manner. (Lee, J)


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B. Development ofSkill Sets: development of skills so that [ego does not] have to be direcdependent on professionals (Zimmerman, 1995, p. 584)

1) [actions] efforts to realize goals [RSS: application of resources in fulfilling goals]2) acquisition of specific roles (e.g., leadership in an organization)3) complex role set; border-crossing skills (Stanton-Salazar , 1997; Stanton-Salazar & Spina; Coser)

C. Knowledge Acquisition1) acquisition of funds of knowledge associated with ascension within the educational

system (includes implicitand explicitsocialization into institutional discourses thatregulate communication, interaction, and exchange within mainstream institutional

spheres (Stanton-Salazar, 1997, p. 11)

D. Changes [transformations] in the Individuals Social NetworkA. [consciousness] Network orientation & help-seeking orientationB.

Network Development: knowledge and skills necessary to effectively negotiate withvarious gatekeepers and actors within and outside of the school environment (seeStanton-Salazar, 1997, p. 11) resource mobiliza-tion skills (Perkins & Zimmerman,1995).

The Interpersonal Level---Power: defined in interpersonal terms as the ability toinfluence others in attain desired resources and goals.

C. Opportunities for expansion of social network* * *

critical consciousness: a critical understanding of ones sociopolitical context arefundamental aspects of empowering processes. (p. 583) (Zimmerman, 1995)

True goal of education in a democracy to help people maintain their inalienable rightsby developing their uniquely human capacities to name, analyze, and collaborativelytransform oppressive conditions in their lives. (81) [Alschuler]

focuses on achieving an in-depth understanding of the world, allowing for the perceptionand exposure of social and political contradictions. Critical consciousness also includes

taking action against the oppressive elements in one's life that are illuminated by thatunderstanding [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_consciousness]

Critical consciousness is the ability to perceive social, political, and economic oppression andtake action against the oppressive elements of society

Freire defines conscientization as learning to perceive social, political and economiccontradictions and to take action against the oppressive elements of reality (1973a: 20) (Lee, J

Critical transforming exercise intellectual skills in naming the critical rules & roles of thesystem (Alschuler)

Domination reveals the pathology of love: sadism in the dominator and masochism in thedominated. (64)


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A crucial means for gaining power is the development of a critical consciousness: anunderstanding of how power relationships in the society shape ones perception and

experiences, as well as an ability to identify how one can assume a role in social change(citations). [p. 7] (Gutierrez & Lewis)

Critical consciousness with regard to relationships extends to understanding the locationof the self and social groups in society. It involves an interpretation of the distributivesystem in society, a perception of ones position in the social order, an overall evaluation

of that order, and a sense of group solidarity (Kleugel and Smith, 1981). ] (Gutierrez & Lewis)

It includes a collective orientation to social change, feelings ofdiscontent with thedistribution of power, relative deprivation, a rejection of the legitimacy of power

disparities between groups that includes blaming the system for outcomes, and anidentification with shared group values and interests (citations). [italics theirs]

Empowerment practice can be focused at three levels: the personal, the interpersonal,and the political

o Individual Empowerment: .being able to experience oneself as powerful andcapable provides a foundation for other levels of empowerment. Achievingpersonal empowerment involves recognizing and identifying the power one

already has (Freire, 1973; Gutierrez, 1990] (Gutierrez & Lewis)o the nature ofpraxis: the process by which we reflect, act, then reflect again in

spiraling manner. (Lee, J)

o Praxis is a way of learning that integrates activity and thinking aboutactivity. In this method, the critical conscious is integrated into the socialactivity, and is not separated from it. From the perspective of planning,

the separation from political practice is not permissible. [...] Critiqueunrelated to action is a respectable, bourgeois practice that is tolerated

precisely because it is irrlevant (Friedmann, 1987, p. 268). [Sadan]

o Interpersonal: 1) people increase their abilities to influence others, often throughthe develop of specific skills, such as training in problem solving or assertiveness

(Gutierrez, Oh, and Gillmore, 1997), or

o learning how to influence the political process.


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Characteristics of an Institutional Agent[drawing from the Social Work literature]Empowerment theory:

Empowerment is an active, participatory process through which individuals, organizations, and

communities gain: greater control, [RSS: agency] efficacy [RSS:social competencies], and [individuals, organizations, and communities gain] social justice (Rappaport, 1987; Solomon,

1976).

[the SC literature]

Although empowerment may be considered multilevel in nature, most empirical work has been limi

to the individual level (Zimmerman, 2000).Studies have focused on participatory mechanisms (Cox, 2002; Gutierrez, 1995; Le Bosse et al

1999; Peterson & Reid, 2003) and measurement (Frymier, Shulman, & Houser, 1996; Segal,Silverman, & Temkin, 1995; Speer, 2000; Speer & Peterson, 2000; Spreitzer, 1995; Zimmerman,

1995; Zimmerman & Zahniser, 1991) of individual-level empowerment rather than relevantprocesses, structures, and outcomes for organizations and communities.

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-2616643_ITM

[functions of SW]

[ideological-ethical commitments]:

[consciousness/disposition/character]:o non-judgmentalo trust-building orientation

a. [social work skill-set]:

b. [network assets & network orientation, RSS]c. [sociological/socio-psychological knowledge/training]

(1)Social workers have to help people feel welcome and encouraged by the social worker to enabthem to function more adequately in the future. [function: to empower the client]

(2)[trust-building: SCstructural properties of the medium, social relationship]: Building a sorelationship is the first step in most social work practice.


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(3)[non-judgmental] social workers don't judge them personally. Social workers accept clients athey are and work to help them overcome the problems they face.

[function: to empower the client: work to help them overcome the problems they face]

[RSS: SWs must first understand! the problems their clients face]

(4)[ideological-ethical commitments]: Social work is more than a set of skills. It requires ahumanitarian imagination and set of beliefs.

social justice (Rappaport, 1987; Solomon, 1976).(5)[ideological-ethical commitments]: Social workers place their greatest emphasis on advocatin

for their clients and helping their clients meet their needs. That is one of the ethical principles

the profession. The primary identification of social workers is with those they serve, rather thwith their employers or with their own personal interests as social workers.

(6)[ideological-ethical commitments]: Ethical social work practice requires social workprofessionals to avoid dual relationships. That is, the social worker working with a client onpersonal and social problems should not also have business or personal relationships with tha

client or that client's immediate family.

(7)[social work skill-set]: Social workers are regularly called upon to make public addresses--tocommunity groups, civic clubs, and many other groups. Therefore, public speaking skill is

essential for many social work jobs and useful in all others.


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Part II, Notes on "Empowerment Theory" & Models of Empowerment (Individual & Collective)

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