3305 Final
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Laurentian University *
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3305
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Communications
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Feb 20, 2024
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What does the concept of holistic pedagogy mean? Explain utilizing different theories and how these can be implemented within practice.
Holistic practise is done with people as opposed to without. Individuals and communities must be included in social work practises if they are to be truly invested in them. They would play an important and respected role in the design of the services they receive. (Duran & Duran, 1995). In this way, a door is opened to holistic practises that strive for mino-bimaadiziwin, or wellness or the good life, in all aspects of their being, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It evolves into a method of social work practise that strives to collaborate with people while maintaining balance and working within the parameters of their Indigenous knowledge or ways of knowing (Nabigon, 2010). Indigenous social work methods are based on the values of accountability, reciprocity, and respect. These concepts guide social workers' interactions with clients, coworkers, and communities. They advocate for a strengths-based strategy that recog-
nises the value that each individual and community already possesses. The Healing Circle exem-
plifies a holistic Indigenous worldview in action. The Four Directions represent the Four Ele-
ments of Wellbeing, which must all be in balance for a person to be considered healthy: physical,
mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Holistic pedagogy implies that education must consider the whole person, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. This approach can be put into practise by employing various theories, such as the Medicine Wheel or the Four Di-
rections, that emphasize the importance of balance in all aspects of life. Holistic pedagogy would
be used in an Indigenous social work practise to help clients understand the interconnectedness of all aspects of their lives and how they can work to maintain balance in all areas. This approach
would be tailored to each individual and their specific needs, and it would be founded on the be-
lief that everyone has the capacity to heal and grow.
Describe two key theories that were utilized within the modules. What are the advantages and disadvantages of those theories?
The idea behind Cognitive Behavioural Theory is that if you can change the way you think, you can change the way you feel (TEXT)
Utilizing the Medicine Wheel, draw and explain the four quadrants in relation to yourself and ways that you are attending to those parts of self.
Spiritual - While I don’t follow anything spiritually in terms of culture or re-
ligion, I like to use this section of the wheel to identify my values and beliefs. As I continue to grow through life experiences and added school my values and beliefs have been frequently changing; during this transitional period in my life I make sure to check in with myself often. These checkins include reevaluating my current values and beliefs, seek areas where I can con-
tinue to grow and how I can best serve myself and my family.
Physically - I believe a happy and strong body helps create a happy mind. I ensure that everyday I fuel my body with nutritious foods and foods that I love. Each day I devote the first hour of my day to an activity the serves my body - yoga, weightlifting, walking with my dogs. The activity of the day depends on the way I am feeling, but it is a priority to me to ‘move’ everyday.
Mentally - I attend to myself mentally by attending regular therapy to assist with my own self growth, provide another perspective to current life problems, and continue to grow more as a person, spouse, friend, and mother. I fully believe that every person in this world could benefit greatly from the use of therapy. I take full advantage of this privilege available to me and hope to
use what I learn in a future private practice of my own.
Emotionally - My children fuel my soul emotionally; they give me the chance to live a life I did not know was possible. I have raised my children in a way that I wish I had as a child; we have a space where my kids feel safe to express their feelings to us and us to them in an age appropriate
manner. Their laughter continues to drive my soul and remind me everyday how lucky I am to be
with them and raise them daily. I focus on my own emotional wellbeing in order to be the safe person that they need.
What are some ethical considerations that need to be considered when working with In-
digenous people? Why?
When working within the Indigenous communities there are numerous ethical considera-
tions that a social worker needs to be aware of and continually checking in on. The ability to keep their own self-determination and self-governance of their communities, knowledge of colo-
nial trauma, the utmost confidentiality, and being aware of and acknowledging your own per-
sonal bias. When I look at this question I think of myself and considerations that I need to be mind-
ful of. I grew up with a very standard westernized education, one that failed to mention the colo-
nization process and horrific events that once took place to Indigenous people and continue to do
so today. Because of that learning, I developed a bias against the Indigenous community. Not knowing of the Sixties scoop, I didn’t understand why Indigenous communities were furious when a child would be placed into a white home for foster or adoption. Ultimately, I had created a negative bias that made me question reactions in a negative tone without further thought. Along
with this bias came a lacking knowledge of colonial trauma. Understanding and being aware of the damage of colonization allows me to structure my approach to healing and helping in a man-
ner that caters to the Indigenous community rather then continue to expose them to the Western-
ized techniques that are harmful to their beliefs and culture. Confidentiality is an issue that be-
comes larger and larger the smaller the community gets; as we enter these more rural communi-
ties we create more opportunities to be apart of dual relationships and crossing paths more fre-
quently. Social workers need to be able to set clear expectations and come to mutually agreeable
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boundaries with their clients on what to do in these situations. It is critical to remember that peo-
ple of Indigenous ancestry do not form a single, unified community. Because there is so much variation among Indigenous groups, it is critical that an individual tailor their strategy for work-
ing with Indigenous people to the specific community or communities with which they are col-
laborating.
Are these ethical currently being addressed? From a personal opinion, I believe there is a small superficial effort being made and much more that can be done. The Ontario College of So-
cial Workers and Social Service Workers does a great job at releasing public statements about Indigenous tragedies as they are uncovered, along with the release of a Strategic Plan, College Council has indicated its commitment to moving forward on the challenging and very important issues of diversity, equity and inclusion as they relate to the College’s regulatory role. This over-
arching priority encompasses anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, and other forms of systemic
oppression which disproportionately affect racialized communities (OCSWSSW, 2020). The col-
lege does recognize that these situations do exist, but have not yet created anything mandatory. Moving forward, I think it would be beneficial is the various colleges that govern our body of work should implement mandatory continuing educational courses that require social workers to continue to learn about the history of Indigenous people and how we can best incorporate wise practices into our work.