success on his own with the help of the school social worker and the on going support from his
church priest, allowing him to understand his role as a 16 year old. Taking into consideration my
own social identities may not change too much on the way I would approach Juans assessment, I
also come form a Mexican background where certain challenges such as a dad who is drinking
heavily are out of the control of the wife and even less, the children. Meaning, because a father
in a Mexican household is the "head of the home," what he does is not anyones business but his
own, this is called a "Macho." If there is, however, an older son, the son often times takes the
role of become the man of the house and being the provider. For Juan, this may also be the case
and not helping Juan clearly identify his role as just a teenager, he may act out at school due to
this pressure. The Ecological approach may help Juan identify that how his home and cultural
life may affect the outcome of other systems, such as his school and his lack of proper coping
skills based on his home problems. As well as helping Juan adapt to situations that are not within
his control, such as his mothers illness. On the contrary, my social identities may very well
change completely, should Juan identify with more of an American culture, considering he has
lived and grown up in the United States since he was born, creating a discrepancy in how I as the
Social Worker see Juans cultural identity versus his own.
Rogers, A. (2019).
Human behavior in the social environment :
perspectives on development and the life course
(5th ed.). Routledge,
Taylor & Francis Group.