Social Work and the Ethnic Agency

Abstract

ABSTRACT As the need for culturally sensitive social services rises with the growing diversity of the American population, the ethnic agency stands out as a model for the provision of these services. The ethnic agency has served an extremely significant role in the ethnic community by filling service gaps, appreciating ethnicity, and adopting an empowerment model of practice. The social work profession, however, has virtually ignored the ethnic agency. This article reviews the emergence of the ethnic agency and illuminates those factors that have contributed to this oversight. These factors include the historical underpinnings of social work, the quest for professionalization, and practices of the ethnic agency that emphasize ethnic group membership. The article concludes with premises that can guide theory and research on the ethnic agency.