For Colored Girls Sociology and Race

Sociology and Race: “For Colored Girls”

“For Colored Girls” is a movie that intertwines seven different stories of Black or African American women facing numerous issues in their daily lives (Dargis). The character of Joanne, played by Janet Jackson (lady in red), is conspicuous and selected for this paper. This report explores Joanne’s issues and concerns in light of strength-based biophysical assessment. A variety of factors of this assessment would be linked to this character to present an understanding of pertaining racial issues and the need for support for the client.

I. Description of the Client

The client, Joanne, is the same as Janet Jackson; in reality, which is 50-55 years. She is a famous magazine editor and is a strong independent woman. Regarding race, she is a Black woman with a husband who is not sexually interested in her. Her sexual orientation is normal; however, that of her husband is not. She belongs to the upper class, as her house and lifestyle are extravagant. Her income is patently massive, which is evident from her lifestyle. She lives alone with her partner only and currently has no children. She must be educated and qualified enough to be designated with a high rank in the magazine firm. However, her health condition is not fine, which she came to know quite late. She has HIV/Aids. She came to know from her husband, who claimed not to be gay but had sex with men (Perry).

II. Presenting Issues And Concerns

It appears that Joanna’s intense immersion into her work created a remoteness towards her husband as they were not engaged sexually. This might have triggered her husband to direct himself to men and that, too, to satisfy his sexual desire. Although he could have turned to women to fulfilling her same needs, sadly, this was not the case. Joanna’s financial and emotional control, which she has over her husband, made him feel tied into knots, for which he only found a way out by having sex with men. This could be possible that he was not going to trust women again and therefore decided to hand himself over to men, which was disturbing for Joanna. She initially did not know what was wrong with her physically and emotionally until she found out about her husband.

The revelation of her disease, for which she knew her husband was responsible, was the most devastating time of her life. The confession of her husband that he sleeps with men was an emotional and psychological torture for her with the loathsome infection she had to deal with for the rest of her life. Also, the excruciating pain that she could feel inside when her husband felt it was his right to spend her wife’s hard-earned money without her consent or telling her how much he had spent was disturbing her inside.

III. Assessment of Relevant Contextual, Historical, and Interpersonal Factors

A. Current context

Joanna’s family consists of herself and her husband. Her social community belongs to her office and other characters in the movie. No current problem exists in her family and social community except having issues with her husband.

The client’s basic needs are met as she is financially well-off and has a luxurious house, clothing, and other life utilities. The client seems to have strength in meeting her own basic needs since she is an independent woman and her income sources are quite strong. There does not seem to be a need for income improvement as the source of the need meeting is stable. Also, no language issue is seen at her workplace or social community. No physical disability is detected. The client’s medical and dental needs would have been met as she is financially stable and can afford her doctor’s fees.

The client’s physical environment feels secure as no domestic violence or abuse is sensed. Abuse from the partner is also not there; however, their conflict and her husband’s neglect and his attraction to men are causing problems for Joanna. She is not a source of threat to others. No legal issues are discerned. Immigration status is not required at the moment and hence, is not evident. Religion and spirituality do not seem to be strongly influencing the client. Recreational interests are not apparent since she works and gets back home to her husband, where they are comfortable with other and have fights frequently. The client’s key social support seems to be her husband; however, currently, she is facing problems with him. Her typical Aids problem is not evident in her social aspects, though her connection with other movie characters later might bring them together as all colored girls face life problems one way or the other.

B. Historical influences

Joanna’s childhood, developmental history, and her own family of origin issues are not relatable. School history is also not evident; however, work independence shows that she is a workaholic and likes to do honest work for the magazine. No previous psychological issues are noticed, and no intimate relationships are present.

C. Coping strengths and weaknesses

Joanna’s self-reported strength is her work, where she has been designated to a higher position at a famous magazine. Her empowerment as a woman and gender and racial equality at the workplace shows that she is contented with her job and realizes it is her strength. Her financial stability, which she keeps reminding her husband too, is inferred to be the same strength. To protect herself from stress, she does not do anything specific except that she talks to her husband, which sometimes appears demeaning. However, this attitude could be justified as she knows her husband’s issues and wants to confront them with him only.

Her interactions with others are somewhat the same since, in the office, she appears cruel. It could be due to her job responsibilities, as she might want tasks done on time and meet deadlines, just like any other company boss. Her job post seems to create a problem in dealing with her current issue since she cares for her hard-earned money and keeps reminding this of her husband, which he feels embarrassed about but does not want to show. He is repelled by her wife and finds solace in other men outside the home. This made him a carrier of Aids, from which Joanna is also suffering.

III. Case Formulation

Joanna is suffering from rejection and HIV condition which are both causing her to react in aggressive ways. She is devastated by her husband’s unreasonable spending of her hard-won money and that he is sleeping with other men. She constantly keeps reminding him of this notion that further aggravating his husband’s response to her. He keeps himself away from her and does not want to return to her, forcing him to be attracted to other men. Although her husband does not admit that he is gay, Joanna understands that her HIV is transmitted from him.

IV. Values and Ethics

While working with the African American community, the social worker must be vigilant about several ethical issues and values since this community has particularly been a victim of racial discrimination. Cultural considerations while dealing with African American community so that their cultural issues are intervened appropriately is a part of the therapeutic process. The lack of cultural understanding gives rise to the deficiency of cultural competence that a social worker needs. It causes African Americans an obstacle to reaching out to healthcare professionals for mental health support (Hughes 2). Therefore, the underutilization of mental health services is often seen in this community at a high rate.