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Imbalance To Balance In The Film 'I Am Sam'

Decent Essays

Imbalance to Balance
Imagine a life with no social workers. In this theory, would there be social justice? Social workers aim to assist people with the basic needs and values that are needed in life. This goal is fulfilled through the use of social work values. According to the National Association of Social Workers (1996), these ideals consist of “competence, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, service, and social justice.” A prime example of these principles at work is in the movie I am Sam. This movie demonstrates social injustice in which Sam is not treated with equality due to his disability.
In the movie I am Sam, and gentlemen by the name of Sam, has a mental disability that restricts his knowledge …show more content…

When this woman finally goes into birth, she runs off leaving the baby, named Lucy, with Sam. He recognizes his responsibility and cares for the child by himself for seven years. On Lucy’s seventh birthday, Child Protective Services steps in and claims Sam as an unfit parent. As a result, Sam sets out to hire a lawyer named Rita. At first Rita wanted nothing to do with Sam, however, Sam was not going to give up the easy. He kept coming to her office and even went to a party that she was attending. At the party Rita’s coworkers, who think she is cold-hearted, see Sam and question who he is, putting Rita on the spot. With the pressure of her coworkers she decides to pro bono Sam’s case so she can show them that she is not as harsh as they may think. Together they attend court case after court case. Each one getting worse for Sam’s custody. He has no reliable witnesses to take the stand since he friends also …show more content…

Nobody should be treated unfairly because of race, gender, abilities, disabilities, age, or class. However, Sam is shown this unfairness due to his disability. Since he has the mental capability of a seven year old, Child Protective Services feels that he cannot raise a child. In order to defend their statements on Sam, they claim that Lucy is prohibiting the growth of her knowledge, in order to for her to relate more with her father. Later in the movie they also make the argument that as Lucy furthers her education, she may need assistance that Sam is not able to offer, such as helping her with her readings or algebra homework. The majority of the arguments made against Sam are in relevance to Lucy’s education, however, some do relate to his financial state and whether or not Sam is actually able to afford the care of Lucy. In an effort to win the courts favor, Sam realizes that he needs to make more money and pushes his manager at Starbucks for the coffee maker position. Unfortunately, this does not go well for Sam, but he does fine a more pleasant job at a Pizza

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