Culturally Attuned Practice
A powerful exploration of Black mothers’ experiences with social care systems, exposing systemic bias and calling for more culturally attuned and equitable social work practice.
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What happens when systems designed to protect families instead reproduce inequality and harm? Culturally Attuned Practice: Perspectives on Power and Prejudice in Social Work with Black Mothers by Arlene P. Weekes in this edited book offers a powerful and necessary examination of how race, power, and bias shape experiences within child and family services.
Through deeply personal narratives and reflections on research, seven Black women recount encounters with social care systems—stories marked by resilience, vulnerability, and resistance. From facing ridicule when seeking support to navigating the trauma of child removal, and from surviving cycles of neglect within public care to confronting professional betrayal, these accounts reveal the lived realities behind policy and practice. At the same time, moments of empathy and allyship illuminate the possibility of change within the system.
Grounded in Arlene Weekes’ extensive professional experience and her research on Effective Personal and Professional Judgement (EPPJ), the book challenges practitioners to critically reflect on their own values, biases, and decision-making processes. It calls for a more culturally attuned, self-aware, and equitable approach to social work practice—one that centers dignity, understanding, and justice.
Blending lived experience with professional insight, this book is both a critique of systemic inequities and a guide toward more compassionate practice. It is ideal for students and practitioners in social work, Black studies, midwifery, and related fields, as well as policymakers and educators committed to addressing racial inequality and improving outcomes for children and families.
What happens when systems designed to protect families instead reproduce inequality and harm? Culturally Attuned Practice: Perspectives on Power and Prejudice in Social Work with Black Mothers by Arlene P. Weekes in this edited book offers a powerful and necessary examination of how race, power, and bias shape experiences within child and family services.
Through deeply personal narratives and reflections on research, seven Black women recount encounters with social care systems—stories marked by resilience, vulnerability, and resistance. From facing ridicule when seeking support to navigating the trauma of child removal, and from surviving cycles of neglect within public care to confronting professional betrayal, these accounts reveal the lived realities behind policy and practice. At the same time, moments of empathy and allyship illuminate the possibility of change within the system.
Grounded in Arlene Weekes’ extensive professional experience and her research on Effective Personal and Professional Judgement (EPPJ), the book challenges practitioners to critically reflect on their own values, biases, and decision-making processes. It calls for a more culturally attuned, self-aware, and equitable approach to social work practice—one that centers dignity, understanding, and justice.
Blending lived experience with professional insight, this book is both a critique of systemic inequities and a guide toward more compassionate practice. It is ideal for students and practitioners in social work, Black studies, midwifery, and related fields, as well as policymakers and educators committed to addressing racial inequality and improving outcomes for children and families.
Arlene P. Weekes is a Senior Lecturer, social work professional, and researcher whose work focuses on values, ethics, and culturally attuned practice in decision-making and service delivery.
