Abstract
A primary goal of the social work profession is social justice advocacy for disenfranchised and oppressed communities, such as the Latino community. In the context of this paper, leadership development for community emancipation relate to efforts that foster indigenous community leadership designed to procure political rights or equality for their disenfranchised or devalued populations. The paper reviews the literature on Latino/a leadership perspectives, leadership development trends, and best practices that serve as a compatible integrative Latino/a approach. The approach proposes that the process of Latino/a leadership development should be collective, culturally-attuned, transformative, and community emancipatory. The authors present a model for students, alumni, and faculty that incorporates the approach through the use of three components: (1) Sustained institutional commitment, support and resources; (2) Creation of leadership opportunities, mentoring and modeling; and (3) Leadership efforts that foster community emancipation. The approach has been successfully employed for over 30 years in a Latino Project at a New England school of social work. Discussion of the model’s components, a case scenario, considerations for replication of the approach, and future research will be offered.
Highlights
A primary goal of the social work profession is social justice advocacy for disenfranchised and oppressed communities such as the Latino community
The model presented in this paper has been implemented by the faculty members of the Puerto Rican and Latino Studies Project (PRLSP) at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work
In 2008, various voting campaign efforts hosted by L.A.S.O., the Project, and a school’s Institute for Political Social Work were presented to the school’s community and the university community in general to increase Latino/a political participation
Summary
An increased commitment to Latino/a leadership development is prevalent among numerous organizations and groups in the United States. Latino [leaders] are expected to respect and value the individual [student] in a collected context of the family or community. This establishes confianza (trust) and makes strong personal relationships. Scholars propose that more focus should be on the strengths of students, their families, and their communities in a culturally appropriate and effective manner (Ballesteros, 2007; Bordas, 2001; Davis, 1997; Molloy & Elis, 2006; Negroni-Rodriguez, Dicks, & Morales, 2006; Oliva, 2008; Ramirez, 2006). Due to the socioeconomic needs of surrounding Latino communities, there is an increased demand for social work leaders who can collaborate with these and other Latino communities throughout the nation
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