# Introduction

We all live in environments that have shaped our lives and our identities. An essential part of working in social care and social work is to understand people, their experiences and identities. It is also important for practitioners to understand themselves and how this might influence their work. This session will introduce you to what is meant by identity and why this is relevant for social care and social work. It will explore ideas about power and consider stereotypes that might result in discriminatory practice.

When you have studied this session, you should be able to:

- understand what shapes people’s identities
- describe why understanding identities is important in social care and social work.

OpenLearn - Introducing social care and social work
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