‘Diversity Culture’ in Social Services: Person-Centered Care

This article addresses the issue of ‘diversity culture’ in social services with the purpose of re-conceptualizing person-centered social services theory and practice. The increased participation of women, minorities, and people of different nationalities and cultures in the business world is outlining a transformation of the workforce. In parallel, there is also a diversification and heterogeneity of customers, social service users’ needs, and markets and consumers’ styles. The paper analyzes main groups of theories that inform social services techniques—psychological theories, cognitive behavioral theories, systemic theories, humanistic theories, and constructionist theories—with the aim of re-thinking models and practices to address the challenges that the social services are facing in responding to needs of cultural, gender, action potential, and age diversity. Specifically, social workers and the social services system are required to adapt to the changing circumstances of the social, economic, cultural and communicative environment.

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