A Conversation between Normal & Abnormal

Abstract

This chapter examines the matters of privilege and identity that surface in the context of the provision of social services. Its purpose is, first, to illuminate the professional and societal attitudes, values and beliefs that combine to perpetuate the further stigmatisation of the clients of these services and, second, to offer examples of how this behaviour can be fashioned to confront the important individual aspects of clients self-esteem. The aim of this chapter is to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the practice of client participation in social services. The chapter makes use of the enablers of participation determined by a review of the academic literature and the qualitative data from an original study. The studys results offer understandings of how services within divergent organisational cultures propagate professional and personal values, attitudes and beliefs that may prolong or put an end to the further stigmatisation of their clients.