As the semester comes to an end, I have been reflecting on my social work classes. This was my first semester as an actual Social Work student in upper division classes. I have really enjoyed my social work classes and learning more about the field. I feel like all of my classes this semester will definitely be valuable to me in my future career as a social worker.
I enjoyed learning about all the different macro organizations through Communities and Organizations. I liked how Professor Rhodes incorporated games, guest speakers and Ted Talks into our lessons. I really enjoyed the class where we talked about the criminal justice system interesting. I did not realize the statistics of how many people are in jail for drug and alcohol related crimes. I also did not realize how terrible the conditions were within jails and prisons. It was difficult to hear that many of them do not even have AC. I found it very powerful to hear from someone about her first hand experiences with the criminal justice system because of the amount of times her son has been in and out. I also enjoyed the numerous times we discussed the foster care system. I did not know the amount holes within our foster care system. It was interesting to hear about all the different routes a child takes within the the system and how many times they are moved around. One of the main things I have taken from this semester is the numerous ways we can advocate and fight for our clients. I have really realized how powerful we can be through the use of our voice and standing up for justice. The last few classes, all of my teachers have talked about the emotional stress of social work. We talked about how many people get burned out easily from hearing and seeing so many sad things. I have realized how important it is for us to take care of ourselves and know how to separate your life and your work.
Observation:
There is a Jamaican woman in the final 5 for the TV show, the Voice. I have noticed that they do not talk about how great of a singer she is and how far she has made it, but about how she is from Jamaica.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Blog 12: Hawaii's Homeless Population
I recently read an article regarding the excessive homeless population in Hawaii. Recently a Hawaiian lawmaker, Tom Brower took a sledgehammer to abandoned shopping carts that homeless people use because he was fed up with the homeless population. When it caused much public concern, he spoke out and said its no different than community clean up. He said he thought of himself as a public servant. It is absurd to me that he thinks he is a public servant for damaging homeless peoples carts.Many people compared it to taking a sledgehammer to peoples cars. The article discuses that the highest rate of homeless per capita out of any state. One of the reasons for the excess amount of homeless people is from the high housing costs.
This past August the state legislature approved a pilot program program to offer plane tickets to remove the homeless people from the island. They said it would save the taxpayers a substantial amount of money. The article also states that New York and San Francisco have paid to relocate thousands of homeless people in the past few years. As I was reading this article I was appalled that states pay to have homeless people removed. I think it is dehumanizing to relocate them when they decided to live in Hawaii. They should think about using the money for flight tickets to start more programs for the homeless.
Link to the article:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/20/us/hawaii-homeless-lawmaker-carts/
Observation:
After talking about Twilight series in class and how domestic violence plays a role in them, I've noticed myself think about specific books and movies in a different light and seeing how violence plays a role within the characters life.
This past August the state legislature approved a pilot program program to offer plane tickets to remove the homeless people from the island. They said it would save the taxpayers a substantial amount of money. The article also states that New York and San Francisco have paid to relocate thousands of homeless people in the past few years. As I was reading this article I was appalled that states pay to have homeless people removed. I think it is dehumanizing to relocate them when they decided to live in Hawaii. They should think about using the money for flight tickets to start more programs for the homeless.
Link to the article:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/20/us/hawaii-homeless-lawmaker-carts/
Observation:
After talking about Twilight series in class and how domestic violence plays a role in them, I've noticed myself think about specific books and movies in a different light and seeing how violence plays a role within the characters life.
Blog 11: Sports
In almost every aspect of life there will always be issues concerning race or gender. Sports is one area where both are evident. My roommate is a Sport Management here at the University of Texas and often brings up this issue. After doing further research on this topic, it is interesting to see how it exists.
Whether its on the TV, or proven in studies, white males are dominant in sports. One report I looked at was a list of the 28 most powerful people in Sports. Twenty- five of them were white males who had executive positions and only 2 were Hispanic and African American. No females were on the list. When looking at media coverage the majority of sports shown are men's teams. That is why most of the commercials shown during sports games are for beer, car, or tool and hardware companies directed for a male audience.
This ongoing issue raises some points to think about. Is the fact that females do not hold much power in sport because its a universal abnormality or because they simply lack the knowledge or expertise for the position? Do African American or Hispanic children realize a young age they might not get the recognition they receive and choose a different career path for their future? These questions are important to think about if we one day hope to rid the discretion in sports.
Observation:
If you walk into a store with a backpack on, employees watch you with more caution versus if you were just carrying a purse.
Whether its on the TV, or proven in studies, white males are dominant in sports. One report I looked at was a list of the 28 most powerful people in Sports. Twenty- five of them were white males who had executive positions and only 2 were Hispanic and African American. No females were on the list. When looking at media coverage the majority of sports shown are men's teams. That is why most of the commercials shown during sports games are for beer, car, or tool and hardware companies directed for a male audience.
This ongoing issue raises some points to think about. Is the fact that females do not hold much power in sport because its a universal abnormality or because they simply lack the knowledge or expertise for the position? Do African American or Hispanic children realize a young age they might not get the recognition they receive and choose a different career path for their future? These questions are important to think about if we one day hope to rid the discretion in sports.
Observation:
If you walk into a store with a backpack on, employees watch you with more caution versus if you were just carrying a purse.
Blog 10
A few years ago my family and I went on a mission trip to Piura, Peru. We have been back since and stay very connected with the church. My family recently received an email from Padre Joe updating us on all the progress they have made within the community. Padre Joe is the priest at the church. The church offers services in all different areas to the members of the church. The church is located in a poor part of the city and the majority of people that are members of the church are living in poverty. Most of them live in houses built from straw and have no running water. It is amazing to see the great, close relationships they have with other members of the church. They have mass every night and there is close if not more than a thousand people that attend every night.
Hearing about all of the progress they have made within the community made me think about the micro, mezzo and macro level issues that the church addresses. The church started two orphanages, a hospice, a treatment center for chemical dependency, a clinic, support groups, food package program and a national program for families in other parts of the world to adopt families and send a monthly check. It was incredible to see the impact the church makes on these families lives. After taking this class it has been interesting to think about all the different programs and the way they help people differently. It also made me think about the in-class activity when we built a community as a group. I realized that we left many important facilities and outreach programs out of our communities that are necessary to so many people.
Observation:
I saw what appeared to be a homeless person sitting at a table in the FAC with a grocery cart. He was mumbling words.
Hearing about all of the progress they have made within the community made me think about the micro, mezzo and macro level issues that the church addresses. The church started two orphanages, a hospice, a treatment center for chemical dependency, a clinic, support groups, food package program and a national program for families in other parts of the world to adopt families and send a monthly check. It was incredible to see the impact the church makes on these families lives. After taking this class it has been interesting to think about all the different programs and the way they help people differently. It also made me think about the in-class activity when we built a community as a group. I realized that we left many important facilities and outreach programs out of our communities that are necessary to so many people.
Observation:
I saw what appeared to be a homeless person sitting at a table in the FAC with a grocery cart. He was mumbling words.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Blog 9: Feminization of Poverty
In my Social Justice class, we have been working on a semester long group project. My groups topic is the feminization of poverty. I did not know much about this topic before we started researching it. I have realized how big of an issue this is and the lack of programs there are. The largest gap in poverty is currently between women and men. Our group decided to specifically focus on single mothers in poverty. A quarter of all women in poverty consist of single mothers. In 2010 there were 4.1 million single mothers living below the poverty line.
Our group focused on many of the issues that single mothers face. We narrowed it down to child care, discrimination in the work force, lack of financial assistance and education opportunities. Child care is very expensive. There are also many different levels of child care, and many single mothers have to place their kids in child care that may not be the best option, but the only option they can afford. An interesting fact about mothers in the workforce is that there is a bigger wage gap with mothers and non-mothers than there is between men and women. Many single mothers are burdened with so many other things and are limited in resources, which therefore limits there access to education. Although there is many programs to help single mothers with financial assistance like food stamp and WIC, many women who qualify are still not receiving assistance. There has also been a recent cut with food stamps affecting many single women and their children. Single mothers also struggle because many fathers do not provide any financial assistance. Children are four times more likely to be raised in a poor home when their biological father is absent. Many of these hardships have negative effects on the mental health of single others. For example, studies show that they are more likely to experience stress and depression.
Our end goal of our project was to provide a social action plan that incorporates the micro, mezzo and macro level. We are currently working on it and have realized what areas single mothers need help in. Overall there is a lack of assistance, interventions and programs regarding single mothers. There is also a lack of awareness regarding women in poverty.
Observation:
Thanksgiving is a time for families and friends to get together, but there are so many people in this world who do not get to celebrate and be reunited with their loved ones.
Our group focused on many of the issues that single mothers face. We narrowed it down to child care, discrimination in the work force, lack of financial assistance and education opportunities. Child care is very expensive. There are also many different levels of child care, and many single mothers have to place their kids in child care that may not be the best option, but the only option they can afford. An interesting fact about mothers in the workforce is that there is a bigger wage gap with mothers and non-mothers than there is between men and women. Many single mothers are burdened with so many other things and are limited in resources, which therefore limits there access to education. Although there is many programs to help single mothers with financial assistance like food stamp and WIC, many women who qualify are still not receiving assistance. There has also been a recent cut with food stamps affecting many single women and their children. Single mothers also struggle because many fathers do not provide any financial assistance. Children are four times more likely to be raised in a poor home when their biological father is absent. Many of these hardships have negative effects on the mental health of single others. For example, studies show that they are more likely to experience stress and depression.
Our end goal of our project was to provide a social action plan that incorporates the micro, mezzo and macro level. We are currently working on it and have realized what areas single mothers need help in. Overall there is a lack of assistance, interventions and programs regarding single mothers. There is also a lack of awareness regarding women in poverty.
Observation:
Thanksgiving is a time for families and friends to get together, but there are so many people in this world who do not get to celebrate and be reunited with their loved ones.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Blog Post 8: Fundraising
Last week in class, Social Work in Organizations and Communities, we talked about fundraising. I thought this class was interesting because I never thought about how important fundraising is within Social Work. The text book states "few social workers begin their careers with the clear goal of becoming fundraisers." Before last class, I had never thought about how one day I could be involved with raising money for an agency or organization. I have always thought more of social workers helping people through direct work. Fundraising is an important part for all agencies because they all need financial resources to be able to operate. It was interesting to learn about all the different ways funding can be provided. For example, in class we talked about how Safe Place receives some funding by other organizations offering an employee to work for them. I realized how important it is for agencies to collaborate with different organizations to be able to function in the best way possible.
We did an exercise in class so we could better understand this topic. Our class was split into two groups. One group pretended they were an agency that had to ask for money. They pretended to be Safe Place. The other group was a foundation that was told to come up with about ten different questions they would like to ask the agency before they gave any money away. This group was the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. This foundation's main focus is to benefit children.
I was in the group that acted as the foundation. Some of the questions we came up with as a group that we thought would be important were:
Observation:
This past week I noticed many people within the School of Social Work coming together to help the victims of the flood.
We did an exercise in class so we could better understand this topic. Our class was split into two groups. One group pretended they were an agency that had to ask for money. They pretended to be Safe Place. The other group was a foundation that was told to come up with about ten different questions they would like to ask the agency before they gave any money away. This group was the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. This foundation's main focus is to benefit children.
I was in the group that acted as the foundation. Some of the questions we came up with as a group that we thought would be important were:
- What would you do with the money?
- How are you breaking down the money?
- What else does your funding come from?
- What is your end all goal?
- What is your mission statement?
- What is your target population?
Observation:
This past week I noticed many people within the School of Social Work coming together to help the victims of the flood.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Blog 7: Foster Care System
Last week in class, we talked about the foster care system. Before discussing it in class, I knew very little about it besides what I had seen from ads and little facts from other classes. I left class thinking about the assumptions I had based on ads or commercials I had seen. I picked the three ads above, because they I think they summarize what most of the ads regarding foster care look like. The top image and the one on the left both display pretty happy images. The top image displays very happy looking children and the other image uses bright colors with an encouraging slogan. The ad of the little boy displays a sad image. After thinking about these images, I concluded that growing up I either pictured foster kids as having very normal, happy lives with supportive families, or kids that were sad and had no place to go.
After class, I learned about all the different routes a child could have within the system. We talked about the positive and negative outcomes the foster care system can have on children. We talked about how a child can go back and forth between their parents, other family members and foster care families. We discussed that many are in the system until they age out and some do get adopted. Some of the children go back and forth from children shelters and some run away, which can lead to crime, jail time, kidnapping, and sometimes death. It was sad to learn that many of the children that run away past 9th grade are not being actively searched for. We also talked about how just because a child is in the foster care system does not mean that they are free from neglect and abuse. Although the foster care system does provide many children with great opportunities and positive influences, there are still many issues and holes within the system.
Observation:
For some reason I have noticed less homeless people on Guadeloupe lately, particularly near campus.
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