Case Study Ethics Social Justice and Advocacy Dimensions Case Study

Ethics, Social Justice & Advocacy Dimensions

Cultural diversity case study: Biko

Biko has overcome tremendous obstacles to attain his current level of educational and social achievement. However, this inevitably has caused him a great deal of personal stress. He is currently feeling socially marginalized in a largely all-white environment even though he is academically competent. His feelings of guilt regarding his parents' desire for him to attend a historically black college further compound this sense of frustration and alienation. Biko's lack of a social outlet has resulted in him taking out his anger against his girlfriend.

On an individual level, Biko is highly gifted intellectually in terms of his ability in the sciences. However, this gift in understanding things from a mechanical perspective might prove to be an impediment for him empathizing with others. On a group level, Biko identifies as an African-American, a historically-discriminated against group in America that has faced tremendous prejudice. As an African-American male in particular Biko has likely faced a great deal of prejudice in regards to assumptions that he is less intelligent, more likely to be violent, and 'should' be sexually possessive or virile. No matter how foolish these stereotypes, the cultural effect of such negativity can be difficult to resist. On a universal level, Biko has the same desires for personal validation, to be loved and to be accepted, and also to feel secure in his relationships as all other human beings.

Q3. Rather than simply assuming that Biko is 'bad' because he is angry or because he feels violent impulses, it is essential that the clinician understand Biko's perspective as a young male wishing to retain his sense of masculine identity and his membership in a historically-discriminated against group. The fact that Biko has experienced prejudice is likely to make him more anxious about what he sees as threats to his sense of self and manhood. Biko also has normal sexual impulses but Tanisha does not believe in premarital sex.…