Microaggressions of Caregiver Employees: What has Social Work Got to Do with It?

Abstract

The aging demographics have intensified the demands on caregiver-employees, defined as individuals who are engaged in both paid employment and unpaid care labour. Many of these caregiver-employees are visible minority immigrants working in Canada's small and medium sized town and rural regions that are now experiencing increased migration from visible minority populations. This paper presents limited findings on microaggressions and racism from a larger study that examined the employment experiences of immigrant/refugee caregiver-employees working in the health sector. The study utilized qualitative interviews of thirteen women to capture the experiences of participants in a medium-sized region made up of both urban and rural areas in southern Ontario with a population approximately 237,339. Intersectionality and constructivist grounded theory provided the theoretical and analytical framework for the study. Participants' narratives capture multiple experiences of overt and aversive racism as their everyday reality; however, they continued to work amidst difficult and discriminatory work conditions as they needed their job to support their family in Canada and in their country of origin. Study findings highlight the urgency of social workers to take an active role in combating racism through anti-racist organizing and diversity training.

Organizational culture, diversity, and employees’ health in social/human services: A systematic review

“…Leaders have tremendous power to set the tone of organizational culture within the workplace through their values and behaviors (Schein, 2010), attitudes towards inclusivity of diversity concerning employees' social locations (race, socioeconomic class, gender, immigration status, ability, and sexual orientation) and workplace supports (McCalla, 2015;Vito & Sethi, 2020). For example, the context of social work practice is heavily influenced by ethnocentrism and the profession's historical roots in an Anglo-American culture that tends to undermine the experiences and values stance of minority workers and communities (Yan, 2008;Sethi & Williams, 2016). The organization's system of beliefs is constituted by the ethical norms, value stance, shared beliefs and cultural background, the social ideologies and expectations, the morality, traditions, and customs within the organization that also shape its climate and culture (Reynolds & Bennett, 2019).…”

“…The organization's system of beliefs is constituted by the ethical norms, value stance, shared beliefs and cultural background, the social ideologies and expectations, the morality, traditions, and customs within the organization that also shape its climate and culture (Reynolds & Bennett, 2019). The actions and behaviors of leaders such as micro-aggressions (Sethi & Williams, 2016), stigma and stereotyping, favoritism, intolerance, among other behaviors, can be risk factors that nurture an unhealthy organizational culture (Collins & Callahan, 2012;Chenot et al, 2014;Harris et al, 2018;Mallinger et al, 2017;Quick et al, 2017;Fletcher & Barroso, 2019).…”

“…Racialized employees within social/human services organizations experience institutional racism (Walter et al, 2016;Sethi & Williams, 2016;Sethi, 2017). For example, immigrant racialized employees working in health care sector(s) in Ontario, Canada, experienced overt racism and microaggression (Sethi, 2014;Sethi & Williams, 2016).…”

“…Racialized employees within social/human services organizations experience institutional racism (Walter et al, 2016;Sethi & Williams, 2016;Sethi, 2017). For example, immigrant racialized employees working in health care sector(s) in Ontario, Canada, experienced overt racism and microaggression (Sethi, 2014;Sethi & Williams, 2016). The nature of diversity climate, or "employees' shared awareness and perceptions of their organization's diversity management system" is an essential factor in employees' perception of organizational inclusiveness (Li et al, 2019, p. 362).…”

“…Daniel Kikulwe (2016) identified "status/role incongruence, ghettoization and disempowerment… and silent discourse" among racialized/immigrant social workers (p. 113). Racialized immigrants are relegated to unskilled labor markets regardless of their professional competence and qualifications (Sethi, 2014;Kikulwe, 2016;Sethi & Williams, 2016). Managers and supervisors discounted their knowledge and expertise unless it benefitted the organization.…”