4 Identity and culture

One of the first steps you can take is to begin to understand your own unique identity. This will enable you to recognise that you see and interpret the world in a particular way. The next activity will help you reflect on yourself from a cultural perspective.

Activity 2 Social GRACES

Allow 30 minutes for this activity

The following video was developed by Camden Social Services and the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust. While it is aimed at social workers, it is equally relevant to all social care professionals. Watch the video, then answer the questions below.

The GRACES

Transcript

1. How do you identify yourself in relation to the GRACES outlined in the video?

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2. Do you think other people would associate with the same GRACES as you? Would there be a difference between people who know you well such as your family, and those who know you less well such as work colleagues?

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3. How might a social care practitioner use the concept of the GRACES when working with service users?

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Discussion

The GRACES approach can be a very helpful way to start thinking about and naming your identity, and recognising the complexity and shifting nature of who you are. Reflecting on your life, there will be times when important aspects of your identity change – for example, you grow older, your geography, ability or economics may change, as might your religion or sexual orientation. If you are a student right now, you are in the process of developing your education and this could have an impact on how you see yourself. With many aspects of the GRACES, there is the potential for a mismatch between how you would identify yourself and how others may, at least initially, identify you.

In social care and social work, you need to understand what is important to a service user in terms of their identity in order to provide them with care and support. The information about them that is most easily available to you could be misleading, as could written records and the outward appearance of the person you are working with. Making an assumption or making mistakes about someone’s identity can be distressing and risks the delivery of inappropriate services. It can also result in discriminatory practice, as you will see in the next section.