Discuss how childcare workers can combat the effects of oppression, racism and discrimination, making reference to the relationship between personal and professional values.

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Discuss how childcare workers can combat the effects of oppression, racism and discrimination, making reference to the relationship between personal and professional values.

“The kind of society we create emerges from the kind of education we provide”

Deconstructing special education and instructing inclusion – Thomas & Loxley

If this is true, in a discriminatory intuit, it is essential that child-workers operate under a ‘good practice is an anti-discriminatory practice’ ethos, to prevent a thwarted society.

Inequalities do exist within society and minority groups can experience particular types of oppression and disadvantage.  These inequalities operate through the use of language, stereotypes, individual’s behaviour and policies and include discrimination on the basis of: gender, age, race, economic background, religion, culture, language, disabilities or sexual orientation.

Workers are in a pivotal position between children and their tenets.  They have a position of care, control, power & oppression.  Which aspect comes first is very much down to the actions of the worker.

It is natural to have an opinion about different behaviourisms and groups within society.  However, good carers have to disassociate their personal beliefs from work ethics and learn not to bring their prejudices into practise.

A child, very early on in life, builds up his self-perception through the way others treat him.  According to Millner (1993) children as young as 3 have already attached values to skin colours and see ‘power’ people as white skinned people.

Discriminatory attitudes in behaviour, language and actions must not be shown so that children can grow up determining a positive self-attitude.  

Infants are adept at interpreting signals.  They learn through watching and imitating.  Workers are powerful impressionists.  It only takes one sneer, one ‘paki’ comment, for words to empower.

As we see parents’ attitudes being passed down, the same happens with workers.

It is vitally important that workers realise how influential they are in a child’s life as it is not until we develop ourselves as young adults that we start to question and judge our beliefs.

Minors learn quickly that we live in a richly diverse and complex world.  Through a completely inclusive care setting, they will learn that all people and groups are equally important.

As a result of an anti-discriminatory policy, children will understand that all people should be recognised as individuals.

The development of self-esteem as a child is vital to his well being throughout life.  Discrimination and oppression lead to a damaged and under-valued child, as we saw in the video ‘Class divided – The eye of the storm’.

No matter what the workers views, however discriminatory, they MUST be left outside the classroom to give every child a fair and equal opportunity.

A child that develops in an oppressive situation will never learn, achieve or excel.

The way workers imagine children to behave, they will actually behave.  This is ‘Self-fulfilling prophecy’.  Children who have already been labelled by the colour of their skin, are part of subtle discrimination and will already have the odds stacked against them.  This is according to Ashmore (1970), who also says “If they don’t try they cannot fail”.

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A poignant extent of this was seen again in the video from 1984, ‘A class divided – The eye of the storm’, where academic capability was drastically changed within 24 hours, when pupils were discriminated against.

An awareness of anti-discriminatory practice is necessary in order to prevent being an involvement in the problem.

The political slogan “If you’re not part of the solution you must be part of the problem” is very true.  A work practice, which does not take into account discrimination in any form, cannot be seen as good practice, no matter how good other standards and ...

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Certainly this essay shows an extensive number of points about ways in which workers can develop and evolve care of children from all cultures. What needs developing is awareness of current practice, legislation and educational research. 3*