Multicultural Social Work in Canada : Working with Diverse Ethno-Racial Communities

Over the past twenty years, multicultural social work practice has entered the mainstream of social work teaching and research. Courses in approaches to social work dealing wih cross-cultural and multicultural or multiple-cultural social work practice, race and ethnicity, immigrant populations, and diversity are growing in number.

Multicultural Social Work in Canada is divided into two sections. Section one outlines the knowledge and skills required for effective multicultural practice. Chapters in this introductory section discuss such topics as culturally competent social work with individuals, families, and communities; social policy; working with people who immigrated to Canada; and working in the context of racial plurality in diverse communities of Canadian society. Section Two contains personal narratives of social work with Canadians of different ethno-racial backgrounds, such as Italian, Arab, Jewish, Ukrainian, Aboriginal, Africa, Caribbean, South Asian, and Franco-Ontarian. Each chapter in this section focuses on the author''s experiences working with the community under study at varying levels of practice-family, group, and community. This analysis offers a starting point for readers to reflect on their own experiences and assumptions of multicultural practice with diverse ethno-racial communities. Major themes include differential processes in seeking help and the importance of taking into account a community''s history or an individual''s age, gender, acculturation, or socio-economic status when developing strategies for social work in multicultural settings.