The study is based upon five research questions which seek to determine service workers’ perceptions of black life experiences, the causes of black clients’ problems, and possible ways to alleviate these problems. Service workers are asked if present modes of intervention are effective in working with black clients. They are further asked if training regarding black issues would help facilitate their working with black clients, and if so, what areas of training would be most useful.
The researchers could have chosen any from among several client groups for this project. It was decided to limit the study to one group, however. Blacks were chosen because: 1.) the researchers have an interest in exploring the issue of racism. It is an assumption of the researchers that racism exists and that all non-white groups are affected by it. Blacks had the unique experience of .being enslaved and colonized in the United States and it is believed that this history of enslavement exacerbated black people’s experience of racism; 2.) blacks represent the largest racial minority group in Portland; and 3.) blacks have had more contact with the urban social service system than other racial minority groups and more literature is available regarding their contact with the system.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:pdx.edu/oai:pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu:open_access_etds-3686 |
| Date | 01 January 1978 |
| Creators | Dickerson, Patricia, Whalen, Diane S. |
| Publisher | PDXScholar |
| Source Sets | Portland State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Dissertations and Theses |
Page generated in 0.0018 seconds