Prejudices and stereotypes have always been present in all societies but in recent years they have intensified and are manifested mainly in covert forms and discrimination that cannot be identified immediately. A person can be discriminated against on the basis of the slightest characteristic, which could be different from the majority of society, so a wide range of discriminated individuals can be found in society, with whom social workers also encounter on a daily basis. Prejudices and stereotypes are strongly socially rooted and begin to be transmitted and formed within the family, which indicates that they are usually deeply rooted in the beliefs of individuals, including social workers. Precisely because social work is a helping profession that listens to all vulnerable, diverse, and needy individuals, it is important what values and beliefs social workers and also social work students have. Therefore, in my diploma thesis, I found out whether the students of the Faculty of Social Work have prejudices and stereotypes and to which marginalized groups these prejudices and stereotypes are manifested.
Quantitative research was conducted on a non-random sample of 103 undergraduate students of the Faculty of Social Work. It was attended by 94 (91 %) females and 8 (8 %) males. One (1 %) person identified himself as non-binary. Data were obtained through an online survey.
Among all participating students, 49 (47,5 %) students expressed their prejudices and stereotypes towards marginalized groups, and 73 (70,87 %) students expressed their prejudices and stereotypes in activities. The students showed the most prejudices and stereotypes towards Roma and addicts, followed by the homeless and Muslims. Research has also shown that more prejudices and stereotypes are present among younger students compared to older students. Also, students mostly had moderately frequent contact with members of marginalized groups.
Based on the data, the research also showed a connection between the frequency of students' contact with marginalized groups and their willingness to participate in social and work relationships with them. The more contacts students have had with marginalized groups, the more willing they are to work with them. However, the study practice helped students the most to reduce prejudices and stereotypes.
In the future, I think it makes sense to focus more on addressing prejudices and stereotypes towards individual marginalized groups and addressing diverse topics such as ethnicity, race, culture, racism, justice, and discrimination. Workshops would also be needed to make students aware of their prejudices and stereotypes, and it would be extremely important for them to face members of different marginalized groups in direct contact.
|
