The types of issues and concerns that children, and adolescents, present to social workers are as varied as the people themselves. Understanding how individuals behave in their particular environment will shed some light on their current challenges, but this alone is not enough. Social workers must know how to ask the right questions, as the answers will inform decisions about which resources may be most helpful. For this Discussion, think about the connections between social work and human behavior and consider why it is relevant to social work practice. Who are you? At first glance, this may seem like a rather simple question. You may identify yourself, as we often do, at the micro level by citing easily identifiable characteristics such as gender, race, or family relationships. While these characteristics describe you, they are only a small part of who you are as a cultural being. The mezzo and macro levels define your multiple identities from a community and global context. Understanding your identity at the mezzo level provi
des a deeper understanding of the social construction of culture. The level defines your identity through the interpersonal exchanges in the workplace, your school, and in other everyday activities. Your perceived identity is incorporated into group standards and expectations. Navigating between the micro and mezzo levels can often affirm your own personally constructed identity or it can highlight contradictions between who you believe you are and how others define you. As you work through the Discussion, reflect on your identity from both the micro and levels. Are there any contradictions between the two levels? Consider how your identity as a cultural being may impact your work as a social worker. For this Discussion, you will explain how the social construction of race, ethnicity, gender, and other multicultural characteristics contribute to your essence as a cultural being. Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W. J., Castaneda, C., Hackman, H. W., Peters, M. L., & Zuniga, X. (Eds.). (2013). . (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge Press.