Discuss societal expectations regarding parenting.

How do those expectations affect our

assessment practices as social workers?
In American culture, everyone seems to have a sense of what perfect parenting entails.

There is a lot of stigma surrounding parenting that doesn’t meet societal expectations. It’s easy

for a parent to be met with disdain when they are deviant to some kind of parenting norm, and be

considered a ‘bad parent’. In a society with baby books, breaking news articles on new studies,

and neighborly advice, it’s impossible to perform all the expectations. We have reduced

parenting to a black and white concept of right and wrong practices, but in reality it has a lot of

gray area. A parent should not be judged at a surface level, but that’s often what happens because

many people have strong values regarding parenting that they are unable to see past. However,

every family has their own norms and values that have been practiced generation after

generation. We learn from our environment, and our parents are often our first exposure of a

parenting model. These experiences and societal expectations inform our own values, and

expectations, therefore naturally conditioning a bias within us regarding the topic. It’s important

that social workers acknowledge these biases before assessing parents, because they may have an

influence on the decisions made. One’s values should not be imposed on another person and their

family, unless the child’s wellbeing is somehow at risk because of certain parenting practices.

The value of the child’s wellbeing is universal, both social workers and parents share this value.

This is the singular value that should inform the social worker’s assessment, other than that it’s

the parent’s family values that should be explored when assessing a parent.

How can we as social workers ensure that culture is central when conducting parenting
assessments or evaluations? What are your recommendations at the micro, mezzo and macro
levels?
 Culture informs our values in every aspect, therefore it’s essential that culture informs

assessment. Each culture has their own traditions, values, and methods of child rearing. Some

cultural differences are very extensive, however. There were many occurrences in the film that

would be considered hazardous environments to raise a child, or dangerous practices, in the US.

Not just frowned upon, but also illegal. For example when a baby was transported on a

motorcycle in the movie that would be an illegal practice in the US. I remember seeing the same

occurrence in the Dominican Republic, and I felt judgmental towards the parent because of my

American values. Some cultures parenting values can be shockingly different than ours, but we

must not let these internal conflicts determine our assessment.

Upon intake the social worker should do research on the individual’s cultural values. If

the client is comfortable, it is best to learn directly through the client’s perspective regarding

their cultural values. Having background information on a client may put some puzzle pieces

together regarding the client’s choices and behavior. When working with communities, it’s

important to assess the different demographics residing there. School systems, law makers, and

social workers alike should be aware of the different cultures in their local community. Looking

at a macro level, cultural education should be introduced to the general curriculum. This would

educate everyone on the varying members of their community, and reduce stigmatism.