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A Critical Analysis Of The Skin We Re In

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Reflective Analysis: Desmond Cole’s 2020 - The skin we're in
Shakisha Downey B00604533
Bachelor of Social Work. Dalhousie University
SLWK 3220 Cross-Cultural Issues and Social Work Practise
Dr. Ifeyinwa Mbakogu
February 20, 2023

Reflective Analysis: Desmond Cole’s 2020 - The skin we're in Desmond Cole’s 2020 novel The Skin we’re in highlights the stubbornly racist and colonial institutions within Canadian society. The theme in his writing depicts that all social institutions within Canadian society are as such despite historical fights for change throughout the years and half-hearted recognition of the injustices Canada’s Black community faced. The novel also serves as a potential antidote to the complacency of many white …show more content…

It will guide me in questioning both what I, as a Black social worker, and what Black clients know about the situations that have brought them to their need for services. In understanding service needs from a CRT perspective, I can strategically and more inclusively prepare and plan for interventions based not only on the existence of dominant narratives, knowledge and practices but rather a combination of knowledge and reflection on how this knowledge has or has the potential to impact particular services users. CRT in practice means asking the right questions and leaving the table open for Black clients to share their perspectives of themselves, their situations, and possible solutions, as they explore their social location (Yan, 2016). It allows flexibility in positioning within a narrative of need, and in positioning themselves in this way, my Black clients are given back the agency to define their problems and gain and/or maintain a voice in their own lives. This is especially important as we think about how Cole (2020) explains Black unity as a misconception that Black people in this country are united by their liberation struggles. It is impossible for Black individuals to truly see themselves in a world of Whiteness. CRT in my practice will help these service users unpack their realities as they …show more content…

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