Anti-oppression framework
Anti-oppression is a widely debated concept that can be difficult to understand.
In general, an anti-oppression framework is based on the following premises
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Promoting egalitarianism and power sharing
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Understanding one's social location and how it informs relations and practice behaviours
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Challenging existing social relationships
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Participating in practice behaviours that minimize power imbalances and promote equity and empowerment for service users
It is important for service providers to be aware of what it means to work within this framework, and how this framework translates into mental health and service delivery for immigrant and refugee populations (Corneau & Stergiopoulos, 2012). Sakamoto's (2007) anti-oppressive framework (see below) is particularly relevant to working with immigrant and refugee populations. This framework outlines six domains in which anti-oppressive approaches differ from traditional service delivery.
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Traditional approach
Anti-oppressive approach
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Social worker
- Assumed to be from or have assumptions of culturally dominant group (e.g., middle-class, White)
- Can be from any background and have intersecting identities
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Immigrants clients/service users
- Cultural and/or dissimilar other, who may be traumatized
- Service users with multiple identities, who may have transnational ties
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Immigrant acculturation
- Needed and promoted through information, education, and training
- Goals of acculturation are discussed with immigrants, who are referred to corresponding services
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Cultural competence
- Dominant worker learning about the cultures of cultural minorities
- Focus on intersecting identities and oppression. Culturally dominant service providers as well as cultural minorities need to raise consciousness, avoid “race to innocence”
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Relationship between service provider and service user
- Expert helping novice in the society. Reminiscent of the charity model
- Service provider strives to become co-learner, catalyst, and ally in the process, while acknowledging that power differences between service providers and service users can be oppressive
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Structural change
- Not addressed
- Advocacy and social action toward systemic changes to society in integrating immigrants
In the traditional approach to settlement work, clients are viewed as different “others” who may be traumatized (Sakamoto, 2007). In contrast, rather than focusing primarily on the barriers, challenges, risks and vulnerabilities of immigrants and refugees, the anti-oppression framework challenges negative assumptions about these populations and the view that being different is a negative characteristic (Clarke & Wan, 2011). Instead, clients are seen as individuals with control who can use their strengths to transform society (Clarke & Wan, 2011). As a result, an anti-oppression framework challenges health care providers to critically assess the goals of assimilation of clients. This involves participating in regular consultations and open discussions, which in turn empower clients to identify the services that best meet their needs (Clarke & Wan, 2011).
In the traditional approach to service delivery, cultural competence involves health care providers from the dominant culture trying to learn about the cultures of marginalized populations (Sakamoto, 2007). Although it is becoming more common for front-line service providers to be a part of an ethnocultural group, the discussion of cultural competence continues to persist, and diversity training remains a common need in many agencies (Clarke & Wan, 2011). An anti-oppression framework challenges this tradition by encouraging health care providers to look closer at clients’ intersecting identities (e.g., class, race, sexual orientation, age, disability and gender, etc.) and multiple sources of oppression or marginalization (Sakamoto, 2007).
In addition, a traditional approach to service delivery assigns the role of “expert” to the health care provider. The anti-oppression framework highlights the importance of health care providers engaging in an ongoing examination of their own subjective identity and power (Clarke & Wan, 2011). Critical self-knowledge and self-examination are essential for care providers to understand their role in the system of oppression/privilege, and to acknowledge their values, histories, feelings and inner thoughts in relation to their interactions with people from other cultures (Corneau & Stergiopoulos, 2012).
Finally, an anti-oppression framework acknowledges that the mental health needs of immigrants and refugees are rooted in broader systems of oppression. Rather than only focusing on immediate needs, the role of care providers expands to include advocacy and social action for systemic changes (Clarke & Wan, 2011).