For this assignment, you are a human services professional who focuses on community activism in a diverse community. You attend a city meeting where several other community leaders voice concerns to the city council. Here are the issues presented:
- A rabbi of a large local synagogue voices fears about safety: Anti-Semitic threats have been increasing over the last few years, but the Israeli-Gaza conflict has made things even worse. In addition to threats, weekly protestors are interrupting sabbath services. The Jewish people have been persecuted enough, and they just want peace.
- A minister of a large African American church is there to voice his concern for the people in Gaza, calling the conflict a “genocide,” and concerned that city funds are going to support the Israelis in the Middle Eastern conflict. Given African Americans’ history of enslavement, they are concerned to see another group of people of color suffer, especially with support from the United States.
- A group of Asian American small business owners are there to say they are worried about the increased tension within the community; they already have to devote significant resources to combating theft, but the verbal arguments and physical altercations have increased since the Israeli-Gaza conflict started. They want to ensure people feel safe enough to come out and shop, and they want to feel safe in their stores.
- As a human services professional and community activist, you understand each group’s perspective, and you want peace in the community. This means understanding that all these perspectives are valid, so it is not about determining who is “right” (even if you, personally, may have strong feelings about situations like this) but determining how they can come together as a community.
Write a 7–10 page paper addressing each of the points in the instructions below. The headings in the paper should be: Points of Intersectionality, Perspective of Each Group, Identification and Implementation of Strategies; Perspective of Community Activist.
For this assignment, please address the following:
1. Identify the points of intersectionality, given the social groups covered in the class so far (e.g., race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religious affiliation). What are the multiple group memberships from each of these three groups (Synagogue members, African American church members, Asian American small business owners)?
2. Explain how these multiple memberships give each group a unique perspective.
3. Identify strategies to address the stated concerns. Support strategies with research.
4. Explain how these strategies could be implemented to enhance community peace. Support explanations with research.
5. Analyze how your own group memberships could impact your work as a community activist.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
- Competency 1: Analyze how cultural beliefs, theories, and socioeconomic factors impact culturally competent practice and inclusive decision making in the field of human services.
- Identify strategies to address the stated concerns, with research from course readings to support the strategies.
- Competency 2: Evaluate personal assumptions and beliefs about culture, diversity, and inclusion and how that may impact you as a professional.
- Analyze how your own group memberships could impact your work as a community activist.
- Competency 3: Analyze how cultural beliefs, theories, and socioeconomic factors can impact client functioning and clinical presentation.
- Identify the points of intersectionality for each group.
- Explain how the multiple memberships give each group a unique perspective.
- Competency 4: Design a culturally competent plan of action for specific individuals, families, groups, or communities based upon their historical background, current community relationships, and anticipated future changes.
- Explain how these strategies could be implemented to enhance community peace, with research from course readings to support the explanation.
- Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others consistent with expectations for members of the human services profession.
- Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others consistent with expectations for members of the human services profession.
- Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing