1. Sociopolitical Dimensions of Worldviews
Chapter 4
Sociopolitical Dimensions of Worldviews
Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (4)

2. Value Orientation Model of Worldviews
Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck (1961):
Racial/cultural group variations in:
Time Focus (past, present, future)
Human activity (being, being in-becoming, doing)
Social relations (lineal, collateral, individualistic)
People/Nature (subjugation to, harmony with, mastery over)
Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (4)

3. Locus of Control Rotter (1966)
Belief that one can or cannot control outcomes
Internal Locus of Control (IC)
- People can shape their own fate
External Locus of Control (EC)
- Future determined more by chance
Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (4)

4. Locus of Responsibility
Jones (1972, 1997)
Degree of responsibility or blame place on the individual OR system
Internal Locus of Responsibility (IR)
- Person is to blame for his/her circumstances
External Locus of Responsibility (ER)
- System is to blame for his/her circumstances
Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (4)

5. Internal Locus of Control (IC)- Internal Locus of Responsibility (IR)
“I am responsible for my own fate and circumstances in my life”
Western culture stresses this worldview
Considered to be optimal in U.S. Society
Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (4)

6. External Locus of Control (EC)- Internal Locus of Responsibility (IR)
“I have little control over my fate but I am totally to blame for the circumstances in my life”
Represents a handicap in Western culture
Marginalized individuals with internalized self-hate may have this worldview
Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (4)

7. External Locus of Control (EC)- External Locus of Responsibility (ER)
“I have little control over my fate and I am not to blame for the circumstances in my life”
Marginalized groups develop “learned helplessness” (Seligman, 1982)
Circumstances like racism, poverty, unemployment, etc. exacerbate this
Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (4)

8. Internal Locus of Control (IC)- External Locus of Responsibility (ER)
“I have control over my fate and I can change the circumstances of my life”
Pride in one’s racial identity
Social Activism
Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (4)

9. Implications for Social Work Practice
As consciousness increases, people of color will likely hold an IC-ER worldview
White social workers’ trustworthiness and credibility may be challenged
May view the social worker as part of the “establishment”
IC-ER likely to play active role in therapy
Social worker can help clients integrate aspects of worldview
Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (3)