Social, Cultural, Ethnic Diversity, And Intellectual Abilities

When working in a field of expertise the experts in that area need to know what defines that field. Social work, with its roots over a hundred years old, started out simply offering assistance to others, has grown and changed, and is currently reconnecting with its roots (Bisman, 2004). Bisman (2004) emphasizes the importance of being an advocate of justice and keeping the field focused on the “social” part of social work. This push to keep social work focused on the needs of others defines social work today. Social work focuses on providing aide to the needy and increasing awareness of those that are oppressed.

The Curriculum Policy Statement of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE, 2001), the accrediting body of all bachelor 's and master 's social work degree programs in the United States, requires all social work programs to teach students how to promote economic and social justice. The revised Code of Ethics (1996) of the National Association of Social Workers proclaims the pursuit of social justice one of the profession 's core values and establishes as an ethical imperative, “Social workers challenge social injustice” (NASW, 1996, p. 5). At first glance, these statements give the appearance of a trade which has retained its professional identity regardless of the opposition demonstrated by the current trends in social, political, and economic policy; however, upon closer inspection these phrases seem archaic, even patronizing as they assume that social workers work for rather than with people. Then what do these statements really signify?

This can be challenging social workers to understand, accept, and actively engage in. Often social workers entire the field to help, they see oppression and wish to change the world. The enter schooling, devote large amount of finances to receive official documentation on their professional skills to be able to assist those who need assistance. A degree offers them some level of power prestige, and privilege, thus the notion of power with, and sharing power is challenging. Many social workers approach clients with goals of changing them, which in itself can be oppressive. This can lead to relationship where they hold “power over” clients. Social workers have moral and beliefs of equality, independence, self-determination. We want to empower clients and advocate for individual and systemic change towards oppression. However many of us in our approach end up falling into the trap of knowing what is best for the client. This is where we fall short of sharing the power with our clients towards all the goals stated about. When we begin to approach our positions, our support, and our clients in this manner, we are oppressing them, devaluing them, and dominating with their own

Social workers assist individuals, groups or communities restore or enhance social functioning through creating living conditions favorable to their goal or need. Social workers are trained professionals that help people overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges such as poverty, discrimination, abuse, addiction, physical illness, educational issues, mental illness, disability, unemployment, etc. They accomplish this through counseling individuals, families and communities; teaching them how to cope with the stresses of everyday life. From a political standpoint, social workers spend time and money on campaigns that elect public officials that are committed to social work values. Sound public policies enable social workers to meet human needs, be fairly compensated and promote social justice. Overall I perceive social work as a “take action” profession. Often times, we as human beings complain and talk about what needs to be done but do not do anything beyond that. Social workers are hands on. They are not just talking about what “should” be done but they are doing something to better our communities. Social workers are about making a difference in society by helping others out that are in need for various reasons. If you are very sick and in need of assistance to perform normal, everyday functions, social workers can assist

Each professional helper is placed with a chosen population with an overall objective to create positive changes. Through social justice, I serve as an advocate for clients experiencing financial hardships or empower a client mistreatment in an uncaring society. Social workers can serve in a community, individually, and globally that broadens the span of the social justice. In the social justice, we are objective and encourage the restructuring a system that is in desperate need of a renovation. In my opinion, social justice can be most effective through team collaboration and dedication of all parties involved in the system.

Social work to many serves as an industry where the public helps the poor and only the poor to succeed in life. When as a matter of fact social work not only helps the poor, but also helps anyone who needs it such as children, soldiers, people with special needs, etc. There many different agencies and programs within social work. These agencies and programs are funded by the government and/or by a non-profit organization. In order to, be a social worker a person needs to have the ambition to help others, without this characteristic the person will fail to succeed in any field.

When I first entered the field of social work at Southwest Mississippi Community College, I was clueless as to what the social work profession entailed. At Southwest MS Community College, we mostly focused on perquisites and a few classes related to family. After, leaving Southwest MS Community College and entering Jackson State University, I realized my previous college did not teach me anything relating to the field of social work. However, my entry in my first class Ethics and Values at Jackson State University taught me about the six core values in social work, such as service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence. Upon, my entry into JSU, Bachelors of Social Work (BSW) program, I understood that social work was not about assisting only children. There is masses of people who need, social workers to advocate for better housing, food, medical care and other basic necessities to survive everyday life.

First, I was correct about my own understanding of what a social worker is required to do. “[Social workers] act as allies to some of the most vulnerable populations in the United States, including people who are young, elderly, economically disadvantaged, and physically or mentally disabled” (Lin et al. 7). This quote made me smile because I have never given a thought about how important this job might be and how valuable a social workers help might be to some people. “Social workers may be engaged in a variety of occupations ranging from hospitals, schools, clinics, police departments, and public agencies, court systems to private practices or businesses” (Leaver 969). This quote from another scholarly journal provided proof to me that I was correct about my assumptions about the social work career but it also brought out some new information to me. I was already aware that social workers can work in hospitals, schools, and clinics but I never knew that they can also work in the police departments, public agencies, and court systems. This new information was fascinating to me because I was never aware that a social worker could work in even more

Social work has been my major since childhood. Throughout my life I have persevered against poverty, discrimination, domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health barriers. Due to my experience with these issues, the art of learning grew into a passion and priority. By focusing on my education, I established my identity apart from the status quo of my background and became the first woman in my family to attend college. Despite enrolling without a career path to follow, I was determined to explore for a major linked by science, integrity and compassion. Through the social work curriculum, my intellectual needs were met. The interactive preparation and self-care integral to social work filled the gaps that remained in my education and personal development by nourishing seeds of assertive communication, healthy boundaries and mindfulness; the benefits of counseling and journaling underlined in this profession have especially enriched my journey to becoming an advocate. In addition to this newfound peace, social work also spoke to my knowledge as a member of many vulnerable populations and expanded my ability to work with a diverse clientele. From the psychosocial and field placement components of this major, I discovered my deep rooted ambition to empower the mental health community in the same manner that social work has empowered me.

“Social policies are the laws, rules, and regulations that govern the benefits and services provided by the government and private organizations to assist people in meeting their needs” (Chapin, 2014, p. 2). Social policies are created to reflect the study of human wellbeing, identify social relations that are essential for the human wellbeing, and build systems that promote the wellbeing of individuals, families, and groups. Social policies can promote social justice and improve the quality of life for a client, family, or group that is oppressed or vulnerable. Social worker students must understand social policies, because the social welfare system, social policy, and social workers are linked together and influence one another greatly. “Social policy ultimately dictate the services offered by social workers through social programs” (Chapin, 2014, p.4). Social policy determines the type of services that can be provided to individuals and groups, who has access to services, and who can provide specific services. There are social policies in almost all areas of the social work profession. In addition, social workers have an ethical obligation to combat injustice

I personally view social work as a structured, multi-faceted platform that provides necessary, practical assistance and aid to those who direly need it. This comes in numerous different forms and reaches across all walks of life, but ultimately, the unequivocal similarity that all social workers in any branch of social work share is the ability to plant and foster the seeds of positivity and growth in even the darkest, bleakest of places. I have experienced the transformative power of this very work firsthand and, frankly, I believe social work to be one of the most admirable and necessary professions to exist. As the late journalist Alexander Chase so aptly put it, “Social work is a Band-Aid on the festering wounds of society.” It is the role

Social justice is the second core value of the social work profession. Social Justice is important to me for many reasons, I grew up living in a household that struggled financially and relied

For the majority of the work that social workers do and aim to accomplish, I strongly believe that agents of social change best describes their profession. In others words, they want to build a society that promotes and practices love and equality. A society that caters to the needs of all mankind, and a society that lifts each other up in order to defeat all types of oppression. Social workers fight against oppression, they are never on the side of the oppressor. Social workers strive for a society that exercise freedom and equality for all. They advocate for all mankind regardless of skin color, racial back ground, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socio economic status, education, etc. They aim to create a society where everyone can

According the National Association of Social Workers: Code of Ethics, it is the responsibility of a social worker to challenge social injustice. Social injustice, according to the dictionary, is described as unfair treatment, a situation where the rights of a person or group is ignored (Dictionary,2015). Reflecting on what I have been told in practice class, I feel that addressing social injustice will be a challenge. This will be challenging because I strive to treat each person that I encounter with dignity and respect but, I know that there are many social injustices that individuals faced on a daily bases. I strive to be a person of good moral faith so addressing social injustice issues will affect my personal opinions of people, which I will work on so that I will not be biased.

Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients. “Clients” is used inclusively to refer to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. These activities may be in the form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and application, education, research and evaluation. Social workers seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs. They also seek to promote the