During the first class session for the generalist practice skills course (and we will do the same in the Social Welfare course) we considered the essential question for those who are entering or continuing a career in social work: "What is it that brings me into the social work profession to begin with?"
I think this is an important question because it helps us to think about what we are contributing to the social work profession. Really, the question is twofold: What were your prior experiences, before entering the profession?" and "What do you hope to do with the professional skills you are in the process of developing?"
Previous experiences may be of an emotional or psychological nature, such as depression, alcoholism, spousal abuse, etc. They may also include experiences of a more communal or social nature, such as poverty, discrimination, dislocation (immigration, refugee status, homelessness following a natural disaster, etc.), or alienation from one's community and social environment.
It is clear that there is not really a line that divides emotional and psychological experiences from social and community experiences. Being dislocated, as a result of flooding, is certainly a personal disaster, but it is also likely shared by a community of neighbors who have also been displaced by the flooding. Discrimination on the basis of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or socio-economic class is certainly personally painful, but it is also the result of social ideas about these categories -- in fact, the categories themselves are socially constructed.
One of the themes we will explore during the semester is the dynamic interaction between personal problems (and strengths) and the social environment. This is one of the essential characteristics of the way that social workers think. Our objective, as instructors, should be to teach you how to think within the profession. What tools of analysis and methods of assessment, intervention, and evaluation do social workers use?
Your first assignment is to think about what brings you into the profession. Of course, you should avoid any specific references that would violate the confidentiality of others or that would disclose personal information that you would prefer to keep confidential. You should draw on those parts of your experiences that you feel comfortable sharing with the public.
I also want to point out that not all experiences have to be negative -- some people will come to the social work profession because of positive experiences they have had with social workers. One often thinks about social work in terms of how the profession empowers clients, but the other side of the experience is how the profession empowers the social worker. One of the students asked the rest of the class, "Are you mostly becoming a social worker to empower other people or are you becoming a social worker to empower yourself?" Actually this is a good question; what is the individual social worker getting out of the deal and should they feel guilty about it?
I actually have more to say about that here, but first you should think about your own answers to this question.
So, this is our first question, to inaugurate the course: What is it that brings you to the social work profession? What experiences have you had that make you want to become a social worker? What vision do you have for the future that will involve skills you hope to develop in social social work classes?
C. Matthew Hawkins
No comments:
Post a Comment