LMSW Diversity and Social Justice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A social worker notices that their agency's intake forms only include binary gender options. What is the most appropriate action to address this structural issue?
- Accept the forms as they reflect community norms
- Advocate with administration to revise forms to include non-binary options (Correct answer)
- Create personal workarounds without addressing the systemic issue
- Refer all LGBTQ+ clients to specialized agencies
Correct answer: Advocate with administration to revise forms to include non-binary options
Advocacy to change institutional policies that exclude marginalized populations is a core social justice responsibility of LMSWs.
Question 2: Which concept describes the unearned privileges that white individuals receive in a racially stratified society?
- Institutional racism
- White fragility
- White privilege (Correct answer)
- Colorblindness
Correct answer: White privilege
White privilege refers to the societal advantages white individuals automatically receive based solely on race, regardless of personal merit.
Question 3: A Latina client reports that her doctor frequently dismisses her pain complaints. This pattern across healthcare settings is best described as:
- Individual bias
- Cultural misunderstanding
- Structural racism in healthcare (Correct answer)
- Communication barrier
Correct answer: Structural racism in healthcare
Systemic patterns of dismissing minority patients' pain reflect structural racism embedded in healthcare systems, not isolated individual incidents.
Question 4: The NASW Code of Ethics calls on social workers to address social injustice by:
- Remaining politically neutral in all client interactions
- Pursuing social change on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed populations (Correct answer)
- Focusing exclusively on individual client functioning
- Deferring to community leaders on all social issues
Correct answer: Pursuing social change on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed populations
The NASW Code explicitly identifies social justice as a core value, requiring social workers to pursue social change for oppressed groups.
Question 5: An LMSW working with Indigenous clients should prioritize which approach to cultural competence?
- Learning a standardized set of Indigenous customs that apply universally
- Acknowledging tribal sovereignty and consulting with tribal community members (Correct answer)
- Applying mainstream therapeutic models with sensitivity adjustments
- Treating Indigenous clients identically to non-Indigenous clients
Correct answer: Acknowledging tribal sovereignty and consulting with tribal community members
Indigenous communities are sovereign nations with distinct cultures; competent practice requires acknowledging this sovereignty and partnering with tribal communities.
Question 6: Which term describes discrimination against elderly people based on age-related stereotypes?
- Gerontophobia
- Ageism (Correct answer)
- Elder abuse
- Paternalism
Correct answer: Ageism
Ageism refers to stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination directed at individuals based on their age, commonly affecting older adults.
Question 7: A social worker of color discloses experiencing racial microaggressions from a supervisor. The agency's best response is to:
- Remind the worker that microaggressions are unintentional and not harmful
- Investigate and address the pattern through formal channels while supporting the worker (Correct answer)
- Suggest the worker develop thicker skin and focus on client work
- Transfer the worker to a different supervisor without addressing the behavior
Correct answer: Investigate and address the pattern through formal channels while supporting the worker
Organizations must take microaggressions seriously, investigate formally, and support affected employees to create equitable workplaces.
LMSW Diversity and Social Justice 2
A social worker notices that their agency's intake forms only include binary gender options.
What is the most appropriate action to address this structural issue?