Yesterday I listened to a Living Proof podcast from the University of Buffalo’s School of Social Work. The interviewees were Drs. Raphael Travis and Anne Deepak and they spoke about Empowerment in Context: Lessons from Hip Hop Culture for Social Work Practice.
Drs. Travis and Deepak had an interesting point of view about Hip Hop culture and how it can be used in social work practice on both a micro and macro level to better understand diverse populations. They advise both students of social work and practioners to seek to understand hip hop culture so as to better understand young people.
Hip Hop culture is actually much more broad than the music itself; it includes:
- MCing or rapping
- DJing or scratching turntables to play music
- Rural art (often described as graffiti)
- Breakdancing
The biggest misconception about Hip Hop music is that it is “gangster” music, i.e., that it is only about drugs and violence and that it has no artistic merit whatsoever. Regretfully, the media tends to predominately portray such a negative image.
Drs. Travis and Deepak recommend listening for the following themes/framework when listening to Hip Hop music:
Individual Empowerment
1. Self-esteem
2. Resilience
3. Personal growth
Collective Empowerment
4. Community development
5. Social change/action
This would enable social workers to gain not only a deeper appreciation and understanding of what the particular songwriter is trying to convey but also to see its appeal to the youth or young adults with whom they are working. This, in turn, may be very helpful in rapport establishment. Teenagers, in particular, tend to enjoy sharing information about the songs they like.
Dr. Travis also referred to the 5 C’s for positive youth development:
- Competence
- Confidence
- Connection
- Character
- Caring
The better young people are able to meet their own developing needs vis a vis the 5 C’s with the proper supports, the more likely that they are to make contributions to the surrounding community. Positive youth development is essentially the bridge between individual and collective empowerment.
This is because as the individual feels better, he or she is more likely to serve as a role model to others and to contribute to the surrounding community, thereby improving it.
Below is an example of one Hip Hop song Dear Mama by 2pac Shakur. I tried listening to this song within this new recommended framework. As I did, I could hear 2pac Shakur expressing his deep appreciation to his mother for all that she did on his behalf as well as the theme of resilience. His mother had gone through many hardships to raise him and he wishes he could somehow repay her for all that she has done. I think 2pac Shakur found his mother’s strength inspiring as he was growing up. As you listen to this song, what key themes are you hearing expressed?
Based upon the podcast and my little experiment listening to Dear Mama with new eyes (or new ears to be more exact), I can envision using Hip Hop and/or music in general as one method for establishing rapport with youth from diverse backgrounds. However, I would feel that for it to really be an effective means for me, I would have to become well versed with the main songwriters of Hip Hop. Otherwise, I would run the risk of having no clue until I would return home and google the songwriter’s name and music!
What do you think about the idea of learning about Hip Hop culture as a way of building rapport with teenage and/or young adult clients? And/or what way(s) have you used to build rapport with young clients from different backgrounds that have been effective? Please share your comments and thoughts below 🙂
Source: University of Buffalo School of Social Work
Living Proof Podcast #53
I really agree with the idea that social workers need to understand the culture of people they are working with and to use this whenever possible. Hip Hop should be no exception to this–as social workers we need to move past our misconceptions about Hip Hop and learn how to use it effectively. This podcast (and your post) are great steps in this direction.
I have heard of some good programs using Hip Hop therapeutically–just searched to find the one I had heard about: http://111one.org/hhmhp Hip Hop Mental Health.
On a side note, Dorlee, I love the way you take an idea and just dive into it. You just took this podcast and dove in to explore the genre and how it might be used. I agree with you completely that a familiarity with songwriters and traditions within Hip Hop would be essential. Our clients can help to teach us some of this, but ideally we need to find other information–blogs, key informants, etc. to teach us.
Thank you for sharing the info about a program that uses Hip Hop therapeutically. I will make sure to look that up!
The podcast helped me to really listen and appreciate Hip Hop music. I suddenly saw what urban youth/young adults often express or seek from this genre.
Thanks so much, Nancy for your encouraging and thoughtful feedback 🙂
I’ve used music as part of organizing work with Latino immigrant populations (not hip hop, but more Norteno and Durangense, I guess)–I’m not much of a music listener, quite honestly, but some of my clients have found inspiration in songs about the migrant experience, and having thoswe as a common reference have helped us bridge very different backgrounds.
Thanks for the link to your blog–I’ll be back! 🙂
Norteno and Durangenese music – I’ll have to look that up. I hadn’t heard of those types before…
Taking this concept of using music to help establish rapport with clients to the next step, I’m wondering whether you could give me an example of how did having those songs as a common frame of reference help you bridge your very different backgrounds with the Latino immigrant populations?
Thanks so much for having visited, Melinda and I’m so happy you plan on coming back 🙂
Dear Dorlee,
I have always been saddened by the categorization of all hip hop as gangster rap.
I find the resilience of the African-American spirit to be remarkable and to me hip-hop is a tremendous representation of that spirit.
The resilience to overcome despair and hopelessness and to create something beautiful in its place.
It’s lovely to see the value recognized. Eminem and Bushwalla are great examples of white guys doing inspiring hip hop. I just saw Bushwalla last night.
Thanks for a great post.
P.S. I just lost my last comment as I don’t understand the select profile part of your site.
Hugs,
Lauren
Hi Lauren, It’s so nice to see you again 🙂
Thank you for sharing the names of Eminem and Bushwalla. I will make sure to look them up.
It is lovely how music can offer so much…and yes, I agree it is remarkable how resilient the African-American spirit has been despite all they have gone through and continue to face.
Peggy McIntosh covers this topic so well in her “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack.” To quote a few of her examples of white privilege:
“If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.”
“I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.”
“I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.”
“Whether I checks, credit cards, or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.”
In short, contrary to what many people think, African Americans continue to face the ramifications of having oppressed for years and we, as social workers and therapists, need to do what we can to enlighten people, bring about change and support them.
Hugs,
Dorlee
P.S. Sorry about you having difficulties in leaving a comment. I will check that out.
Hello Dorlee,
I must say a hearty “thank you” for taking the time to document your thoughts on our podcast and for using your own voice to echo some of our sentiments. Your words and subsequent actions are the inspiration for my/our work. I wish you all the best in your continued work. If you provide an e-mail I can forward the article we wrote (and the accompanying references and tools) under a seperate cover. Again, thank you for the time and energy you put into considering the spirit of possibility within Hip-Hop culture. – Raphael Travis
Hi Dr. Travis,
I am most honored and humbled by your visit and very kind comments 🙂
Also many thanks for your kind offer to email me the article that you and Dr. Deepak wrote (and accompanying tools). I would definitely like to take you up on that.
My email address is DorleeM@gmail.com I can’t wait till the materials arrive!
With much appreciation and best wishes,
Dorlee
Hi Dorlee…I came back to read one of your prior posts again, but I discovered this fascinating post about music and connecting with youth.
I think it’s so important and music, in my eyes, is a bridge for connecting with every generation…particularly our youthful generation. Most of us, if we think hard enough, can relate to using music as a way of expressing our fears and thoughts when we were in our teens and twenties. I still do it now!
I love the perspective you talk about in this piece and I think it’s a great springboard for us all to think about music that we may not completely understand (yet).
I totally agree with you, Terry.
Most of us can probably remember using music as a way of expressing our concerns and thoughts when we were in our teens and twenties and music (when listened to with an open mind) may be helpful in bridging across generations across different ethnicities/ cultures.
Thanks so much for your very supportive and thoughtful feedback 🙂