Posted: July 6th, 2015

An Anti‐Oppressive Framework for Practicing Legal Skills

INSTRUCTIONS DOCUMNET

 

Assignment 2: An Anti‐Oppressive Framework for Practicing Legal Skills

Percentage of Final Grade: 30%

To prepare for this assignment, you will need to read and reflect on Unit One and Two readings. This assignment is intended to provide you with an opportunity to identify and reflect on some of your beliefs and values about power and conflict. It is also intended to assist you in developing practice skills. To complete this assignment,you will need the readings from the first two units in the course. As well, be sure to look at the two EXAMPLES for Anti-oppressive framework for the practice of legal skills provided/ uploaded in the file.

The Framework can be general in nature – applying to An-oppressive social work generally, or it can be specific to a particular field such as child protection, youth justice, seniors etc.

Main Instruction:

Using these resources, develop your own anti ‐oppressive framework for the practice of legal skills. For each item that you include in your FRAMEWORK, you must provide a RATIONALE (If you are using one of the example frameworks provided, as your base, you don’t need to comment on anything left in or taken out, just what you have added).

PLEASE USE “BOLD” TO IDENTIFY THE PARTS YOU HAVE ADDED

Your rationale should be based both in your understanding of anti‐oppressive practice and in your understanding of practicing legal skills. Your rationale can be done with a part for each section, immediately following the section, or you can do your rationale in one piece, following the framework

Some matters you might consider for your framework:

• Defining the issue (power, authority, credibility, etc.): Who gets to say there is an issue? How are issues identified? Is there a 3rd party involved in defining or promoting the issue? For example: family, friend, referring agency, community member? If so, is this helpful (empowering) or oppressive (disempowering)?
• Statutory Authority: Example: “Thinking specifically of my jurisdiction, does my statutory authority give me duties or responsibilities that must be met?”
• Are there services that must be provided, or actions taken? How is eligibility and inclusion defined, and by who?
• Power: Does my client have ʺpoliticalʺ power that is present or potential, perhaps from membership in an organized group, family or community? Where can allies, supports, partners in resistance, advocates be found, and how?
• Rights: Does the client know how to access their rights? Do they have a right not to be involved with me and my agency (without consequences)?

Format:

8 – 10 typed, double‐spaced pages, exclusive of bibliography/references. This includes both the Framework and the Rationale. Please provide a bibliography/references in APA style.

 

Grading Criteria:

1   Presentation of a coherent framework for practice. 30%

2    Ability to provide an anti‐oppressive rational for framework components. 30%

3   Use of course readings, other relevant readings, experience. 25%

4   Clarity and organization of your written work, including referencing. 15%

 

 

 

 Reading for Unit One and Two

 

Unit 1: Foundational Concepts

 

Required Readings/articles

(Please read in this order after reading the Unit Notes)

Braye, S., and Preston-Shoot, M. (2001). Excerpt from “Social work accountability and the law.” In L. Cull and J. Roche (Eds.), The law and social work. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave, pp. 43-47. (Uploaded in file)

 

Pease, B. (2002). Rethinking empowerment: A postmodern reappraisal for emancipatory Practice. British Journal of Social Work 32, 135-147 (Uploaded in file)

 

Tew, J. (2006). Understanding power and powerlessness: Towards a framework for emancipatory practice in social work. Journal of Social Work 6, 33 – 51. (Uploaded in file)

 

Unit 2: AOP Framework for Practicing Legal Skills

Required Readings/ articles

(Please read in this order after reading the Unit Notes)

Astor, H. (2007). Mediator neutrality: making sense of theory and practice. Social & Legal Studies 16, 221 – 239. (uploaded in file)

 

Braye, S., and Preston-Shoot, M. (1997). Deciding to use the law. In Practicing social work law (2nd edition), Basingstoke: McMillan, pp. 76-85 and pp. 87-94. (uploaded in file)

Dalrymple, J., and Burke, B. (2006). Implications for practice (Chapter 8). In J. Dalrymple and B. Burke, Anti-oppressive practice: social care and the law(2nd edition) (pp. 163-176) Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK: Open University Press. (Uploaded in file)

Jordan, L. (2001). Practicing partnership. In L. Cull and J. Roche (Eds.), The law and social work. Basingstoke: Palgrave, pp. 54-60. (Uploaded in file)

 

Examples of Frameworks—(both of these are examples of Frameworks)

Cruickshank, D. (2002). Framework for practice. (uploaded in file)

Collins, S. (2001). Framework for practice. (Uploaded in file)