Intervention Approaches

Aid-Based Approach 

When I think of international aid, the very first thing that comes to mind is the donating of the "wrong" Super Bowl T-Shirts. Without thinking very deeply, it is very easy to think, this is great, these poor people who have no clothing will get these items for free. It is very easy to overlook the impact that this program, as well as the thousands of others like it, have had on the African economy. Shoes, clothing, and food are produced in Africa on a plentiful basis, yet they are given hordes and hordes of free goods by 1st world countries on a somewhat regular basis. Individuals trying to make a living by selling goods, are basically having money pulled from their pockets. My analysis of this approach would be exactly as we have been instructed to be aware of, people thinking that "something is better than nothing". While in certain circumstances, "something" could be helpful without having adverse affects, however in these cases it has most certainly harmed. The issue with these particular aid based programs is that the "donating" is misguided, more often than not. In the dictionary, the word donate is defined as; To present as a gift to a fund or cause; contribute. Where in there does it mention recycling of unwanted clothing?? It doesn't. I am ashamed to admit that I am no less guilty when it comes to this. Never have I thought to myself, "Hmm....I think I will donate some nice things to people that are less fortunate than I am." Like many others I assume, I say to myself, "I need to clean my closet and get rid of the things I do not wear." While this may be a very simplistic analogy of what is happening, I think it shows a very revealing truth about the way aid has been handled. While people feel good about themselves for aiding a cause, that is the biggest issue, they feel good about themselves.... Too often it seems as if that is the greatest benefit to people that get involved. That is why I hope that the people and organizations in positions of power, can adjust the way "help" is delivered, because 9 out of 10 people are not going to go above and beyond in researching where their donations are going and how services are being delivered. They are simply going to donate their share, feel satisfied with themselves for helping, and usually at the most, encourage their friends to do the same. It is sad and appalling that companies would purposely exploit such vulnerable people, I hope for humanities sake that these programs have just been misguided and will soon change based on statistics and research opposing it. However, as long as people are sick and dying, privileged people are going to feel the need give, that is why we need to make sure the programs that are in place are actually productive. Because images such as this one are sure to bring on feelings and urge assistance, it is just a matter of who is calling the shots with all of those resources.

  While these approaches are most likely good-hearted, they need to be reevaluated and restructured. Program developers need to asses what the biggest needs of the people are and that is what the aid needs to be. Whether it is medical supplies, teaching tools, social services, or simply money, the complex issues ravaging the communities need to be addressed, not covered up behind a New England Patriots 2012 Super Bowl Champions shirt (sorry if that was too soon for anyone).

Community Based Approach

This Approach, while much more intricate and difficult to deliver, is much more beneficial to the people, as well as the general well-being of the entire community involved. Community based approaches place all of the power in the most important subjects in the equation, the people. With this power, people can and will achieve great things. The quote that comes into my mind when thinking about it is one that I have heard throughout my social work education, "give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime." I think that message holds true in this situation as well. Community based approaches engage the population, from leaders to simple people, the community develops plans and ideas, based on their own expertise. This is something that outsiders such as ourselves would never be able to simulate. These people have lived through the struggles and must develop, or at the very least be consulted on, the ways in which their communities can best be helped. The women from "Prey the Devil Back to Hell" showed immense courage guile when the time came for action to be taken. They took to the streets to protest, even though they knew there was a chance they could be raped or murdered. It would be foolish to say that they were not scared, however what I can assure you, is that the courage created by their sense of unity and purpose, is what drove them to stand against war and oppression. Community based programs encourage and teach people to advocate for themselves, which can ultimately be the most powerful tool you can provide a person.

KONY 2012 Weigh in

I decided to separately mention this because of the extremely polarizing effect it is seeming to have on people. I can honestly say this assignment was the first time I watched the movie. While that sounds absolutely absurd considering the hype that it got last month or so, I just never had the time I guess. Once watching it however I can clearly see why it has garnered so much attention. Most intriguing on the subject however, has been the responses of the general pubic. I spent most of my time reading the hundreds and hundreds of comments left on not only the video itself, but the blogs and writings assigned that touched on it. My take on it is that too many people are viewing this single video as the main intervention, they have targeted and belittled the idea of the Kony kits and their bracelets. They are also being accused of taking most of the money raised for individual profit. That is something that I would lean towards not speculating on. I have not the time nor resources to investigate what there financial benefits packages look like to their executives. However what I do know, is that generating mass support is a great thing. Clearly, the money spent on making that video was worth every penny, they have generated massive amounts of support, which any and every community intervention needs desperately. They are also regularly accused of only caring about celebrity contacts, however yet again, these investments succeed in gathering support of the people, which in turn can bring in more resources. Last and most importantly, is the service delivery, critics are bashing the Kony kits, however, fail to bring up the other facts brought forward by the film, that this company has built schools and created jobs. Which in my opinion, is rather empowering. Again this is an example of encouraging independence. The other action suggested is contacting policy makers, where is the wrong in this?  Policy makers are the strongest, most influential people to any cause, they have the ability to allow or disallow any programs. Whether or not you disagree with their tactics, it is certain that The Invisible Children posses a loud voice, their impact is still being made on the world. While they may not have members of the Ugandan community on their executive board, it seems as if they have the support of members of the community. Local Directors and Mentors are showcased in the film, although it is brief, it seems to be clear that an impact is being made to rebuild. (One cannot be completely sure without further research) As for the video's main message, it clearly is directed at Americans, with the intent of gaining support. Again, while this may make it seem as if they are more interested in themselves rather than the communities they are trying to serve, are they not getting more and more resources in order to help these communities? No matter the means in which they accomplish their goals, the important thing to me, is the work being done. If I were considering donating I would make sure the programs in place were competent and beneficial to the community before doing so. Typically people would tend to say that "something is better than nothing", when defending the claims that only 30% of funds are going to programs. However in today's world, promotion and advertising are vital to the success of programs. It is very sad to say, but there is a good chance that without such extravagant promotion ideas such as these documentaries, support would not be offered. While that sounds crazy that an emotional video is the only reason people would contribute, it is unfortunately true. It sounds asinine to us but we are social workers, we are born to value and support these causes. The general public on the other hand, is just not the same. So as I have mentioned earlier, further and deeper research would need to be completed to give my full support to this cause, the collaboration and participation of the community members is vital to the overall impact of the program. Without this, then the program is as a few of the writers put it, The white man swooping in to save the helpless dumb Africans.

Time is absolutely flying by! While spring break was definitely needed, I will be honest, I feel as if I backed a little too far off of school, and am not quite back in the zone yet. (please any type of motivation is appreciated) Tasks completed as of now have been, Create initial Facebook communication page (deceased) repeated correspondence with other classes, drafting of invitational letter/email to be sent to faculty and members of the community (as well as editing with other classes) Visited the office of the president to inquire about support. Lastly and most enjoyable (which everyone should be doing) telling everyone in the group how great of a job they are doing!

Dudley Street

The film "Holding Ground" was a very intriguing piece. It chronicled the impact of a community initiative, from the days proceeding its inception, to present day. Further research on DSNI's website allows you to check out all of their current programs, as well as plans for the future.

The film itself taught me a few things about community organizing. First, and most profound, was the sheer amount of people willing and interested in the causes DSNI was fighting for. While this seems like an asinine statement, being that "neighborhood initiative" is part of the agencies title, however it was still refreshing to see. While one would assume that a community so beat down and isolated, powerless, would have the resiliency to fight for what they thought was the betterment of the community. It was also refreshing to hear peoples values on the importance of a healthy community. I think the common stereotype of impoverished communities is that they are full of people who do not care about the community. For too long, there has been a message sent to the public that claimed "these people are trashing their own community"  This documentary however showed that that message is wrong. In this case, most certainly, (and I would generalize to most) the community had been beaten down by the system. A combination of factors gelled together lead to a community in peril. With most of the middle to upper-class society members moving out, the city was left abandoned. Without these individuals stimulating growth, the community plummeted.

Hearing the politicians admit their mistakes in this documentary was eye-lifting. They admitted to not having the best interest of the community in mind, or at least that they were terribly misguided in thinking that there plans would work for the community. The documentary showed that the most important part of any initiative, is that it is either created, or at least consulted on, by the community. Too often the people in control make decisions that they feel will be, "in the people's best interest". When in reality, they cannot understand what would be the best for them, because they are not a part of the community. Something that I read recently, and have heard numerous times, "The path to hell is paved with good intentions" and this rings true yet again in this situation. It is extremely fortunate that there was a small group of people who decided something needed to be done. 

Roadblocks

FACING CONFLICT

While one could hope that this would not be an issue, it almost always will be. Whether it is opposition from other agencies, political leaders, or some other members of the community, conflict is bound to arise in almost all community interventions. (If not we would not have many issues now would we) So vital in dealing with this enormous roadblock is understanding the opposition's perspective. While it may seem as if others oppose simply to make things difficult for us, they have their reasons as well. So the main goal is to figure out what there strongest objections are going to be. The optimal outcome would be to join forces with the opposition, and have the same ideas, but that is not probable in most situations. So while we may disagree with these objections, they need to be taken into consideration, if we can cater to these objections while still achieving our goals, positive change will take place. The other important tenant in facing opposition is making sure your own group is united. In order to successfully overcome adversity, as a group, that group must be free from dissension. Before tackling issues or opponents, groups need to make sure their own internal systems are working together. The idea of community interventions is to bring the community together, a great way to promote that is to lead by example.

MONEY

Money is always going to be a monumental issue in our field of work. Because a huge majority of the work we do is on a non-profit basis, funds are not typically the easiest to come by. Therefore the most important tasks in fighting this roadblock are somewhat simple, devise a plan to acquire funds. These could come from government grants, private donors, or community partnerships. While this is somewhat of a given, another important task that falls into this category is assuring that the message lives on, even after the program disappears. The way I interpret this effort is to use the initial and available funds, to assure that you are making a long lasting effect on the target population. Making sure the message lives on even after funding, is most important.


HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM

While this seemingly is what our jobs are supposed to be, to solve problems, sometimes solutions are not as easy as they seem. It takes serious planning and evaluation to build a successful intervention, especially when the funds are short. Sometimes you may only have one opportunity to make a lasting change in a community, you may not have the benefit of trial and error. So proper planning is necessary, from a detailed business plan, to a structural outline of goals and objectives, it is impossible to "wing-it" when making change of this magnitude. The other important aspect of this is to get as much community involvement as possible. While we are the professionals, the community knows best what the issue is, and how it could be best tackled.   

Change Agents

Introduction

            While my early life was riddled with neglect and struggle, I was lucky enough to be taken in by a nice family, in a beautiful quiet town, where I was provided with all the necessities to grow and prosper. I grew up in a white, conservative, middle class family. While early on, political issues were not something that was discussed very much, lately it is among the most frequent topics shared. Political or social activism, in my family, is viewed as an extremely radical idea.

            As the time has passed however, I have generated my own beliefs. I would still say I am somewhat conservative, however not to the extent of my parents, which upsets them. While I am forever grateful and in debt to my Aunt and Uncle for their sacrifices, I simply oppose some of their radically conservative beliefs, and there is nothing wrong with that. People can coexist having different beliefs and opinions. What I am getting at however, is that I am just now discovering what it is that I am passionate about, which I will get into later. As a way to gain some perspective, I decided to read many of Tim Wise’s pieces on white privilege.

Tim Wise

            Tim Wise is a middle aged, white male of southern decent. Typically, anti-racist activist does not jump to mind as a trait of this profile, but that is just what Tim Wise is. Tim Wise holds an extremely powerful opinion about how a good portion of America still harbors feelings of racism. While this claim could turn heads and result in swift denial, as it did with me when I read it, however Wise’s words are revealing. He explained two types of racism, and what their impacts could be on the country. Of course, the immediate type of racism that jumps to mind is white supremacists, the Klu Klux Klan and many other groups like it. It is very easy to oppose these views. Their thoughts are so radical, that the courage to stand up to them is almost natural. This is what I think turns all of our heads, because we do not agree with this type of person, we are secure in thinking that there is no way we are racist. Then Wise explained another type, a type that, maybe unknowingly, follows along with a racist system. Without standing up and fighting to change that system, we are just collaborating with it, participating. In his Wise’s own words; “The second type is like an invisible gas: you don’t know it’s there until you’ve been lulled unconscious by it.” (Cook, 2009)

            Wise possesses a very strong personality which enhances his ability to catch the reader. His bold words, grabbed me instantly, he uses wit and shocking statistics to back his points. In a piece of his, he attacked white suburban societies for continuing to hold themselves as a microcosm of America. He used the tragedy of school shooting, to bring to light the skewed perspective and denial of a portion of middle class, white Americans. The way he explained the issue, was that these communities are so sure that crime and violence are a trait of minorities, that they cannot believe it could happen in there isolated all-white towns. In fact, they have it completely backwards. Wise points out several statistics opposing this blind assumption, brining to light the fact that white kids are much more likely to use cocaine, crack, heroin, and LSD. Wise goes as far to point out; “there are more white high school students who have used crystal methamphetamine (the most addictive drug on the streets) than there are Black students who smoke cigarettes.” (2001). Because these “All-American” towns believe minorities are the main catalysts of this behavior, they ignore the dysfunction in their own backyards. Wise warns:  “unless you address the emptiness, pain, isolation and lack of hope felt by children of color and the poor, then don’t be shocked when the support systems aren’t there for your kids either.” (2001)

            Wise is a renowned scholar, author, and educator. He spends his energy traveling the country and abroad, speaking and teaching about racism. His teachings touch all of racism, from issues in education and religion, to politics and labor; he brings to light the issues in these systems. Perhaps the most important thing he is doing however is bringing awareness to white privilege. There are many advantages that white people, who without being told, may never realize it. It is the idea that simply having pale skin in our society, entitles you to certain advantages over minorities. Whether or not people want to believe it, it exists. Wise points out statistics in the justice system, labor force, education, housing and so on (2001). Wise has spoken at hundreds of colleges and high schools, has taught professionals about antiracism all over the country, and has written and published five books (Cook, 2009). The true scope of his impact cannot be measured. It is impossible to know how many people he has inspired, and how many people that person will inspire. With a brash attitude, witty sense of humor, and remarkable intelligence, Wise has inspired me. While the issues I feel most passionately about are in a different area, one can only strive to match the passion that he feels for ending racism.

David Oaks and My Passion

David Oaks is the Executive Director of MindFreedom International, an International human rights activist group, with its main concern on psychiatric abuse. David Oaks is a psychiatric survivor, during college he was hospitalized on numerous occasions and diagnosed schizophrenic and manic depressive. During one of these hospitalizations a doctor told David he would have to me on powerful psychotropic medication for the rest of his life. David has since lived without medication for 35 years. (Mindfreedom.org, n.d.)

Experiencing firsthand, the flaws of the mental health care system, David set out to make change. Since graduating college, David has made it his mission to reform the mental health care system. As one of the founders of MFI, David has played the leading role in ending the psychiatric abuse that runs rampant in the current heath care systems. For years providers, and even states, have mandated psychotropic medicine on mentally ill people, against their will. While good intentions they may have been in the beginning, the public is not being served. They are handed a bag of pills, and sent on their way. In even worse occasions, symptoms and dosages are experimented on these clients. This is where our passions are linked. While David’s path was through firsthand experience, survival and maltreatment, mine has been forged by eyewitness account. I have lived in a family that has seen undiagnosed mental health issues result in serious substance abuse issues, which has peaked my interest in the subject, but more so it is my work experience in child welfare.

During my employment at a residential home, I began to see how powerful medications were altering these children. With no real advocate, these children were more or less being experimented on; if one dosage were too low, they would kick it up, if that same dosage had a certain side effect, they would add another med to deal with that, all totaling cocktails of upwards of ten pills. I remember thinking, “this is not right”. As a 19 year-old kid, taking my first full-time job, I did not have the knowledge or courage to question the authority. The doctors made the decisions and we, the support staff, dealt with the children. Children in the system are sometimes not fortunate enough to have a responsible parent looking after them. This was never more painfully evident than in my current placement within a small adoption agency. Particularly with one child, she had a medical history that would be daunting had it belonged to an elderly person, never mind a 10 year-old girl. Thankfully our agency intervened and advocated for this child, demanding a review. Over medication of children is a huge issue, even more dangerous when dealing with children without parents.

Learning, Leadership, and Lasting Impressions

            Child neglect and abuse is by far the issue that I am most passionate about. While neither of these agents particularly touches on these issues specifically, much can be taken from their approaches. Wise and I have similarities in our personalities; however what I can take from his approach is to boast this personality. I have a tendency to be bold and brash in my personal life, however, much more reserved professionally. He has shown that these traits can be a valuable asset in influencing others, it worked on me. The most important piece to have, however, is a vast knowledge of the scope of the issue. The impression taken from Wise, is that he knows all about the issue, how effects not only the oppressed individuals, but also all other people, and their perspectives on it. This is now something I believe is vital in reaching out to as many people as possible.

            Oaks on the other hand, while bold and passionate in his convictions, has taught me more about the importance of organizing. Oaks brings together groups of survivors to protest agencies and lawmakers, and also to support agencies and lawmakers. The way he captivates and convinces is with eye opening truths, with rawness and purity. He has organized sit-ins and hunger strikes in order to challenge the American Psychiatric Association and their policies. (Davis, 2003). It takes tremendous courage to challenge the authority and that is something I did not possess in the past.

            This is the only leadership quality lacking in my skill set. As has been the case with many of my recent assignments, my eyes have been opened to the importance of courage and almost fearlessness. I have always been taught to please as many sides as possible, without generating any confrontation, which is not entirely possible in this work. My style is typically to be a leader by example, hard work and dedication go a long way in inspiring people to do the same. I care very deeply for the well being of children, specifically children dealing with poverty and neglect. This is where I hope my impact will be felt.

            While I feel I have all of the qualities it will take to change at least a small part of the problems affecting communities and systems, developing the courage to fight for them openly on a larger scale is what I am in the process of doing now. When thinking broadly about what I want to do with my career as a social worker, it has always been about helping individuals one at a time, improving their lives and those around them. In doing this I have always settled for doing as much as I could, or was allowed to do. What these activists are teaching me however, is that the greatest change needs to happen systemically. My biggest question to movements like this has always been; “why’. Why fight so hard when the odds are completely stacked and the goal is unachievable? Reading one of Wise’s pieces, this question was answered with a letter he received from the archbishop of South Africa, thanking him for his efforts, which stated: “You do not do the things you do because others will necessarily join you in the doing of them, nor because they will ultimately prove successful. You do the things you do because the things you are doing are right.” (Wise, 1999). I can only hope that when I am finished with my career, I will have fought for causes that I knew were right, regardless of their prospects of victory.  

References

Barrett, R., & Munro, N. (2007). Paved With Good Intentions. National Journal, 39(17), 60-62.

Blackburn, G., & Wise, T. (2009). ADDRESSING White Privilege IN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS. Independent School, 68(3), 114-120.

Cook, David (July 2009). "By The Color Of Their Skin: Tim Wise On The Myth Of A Postracial America". The Sun (403), http://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/403/by_the_color_of_their_skin

Davis, D. (2003). LA Times Sunday Magazine. Losing the Mind:David Oaks and Others in the 'Mad Pride' Movement Believe Drugs Are Being Overused in Treating Mental Illness, and They Want the Abuse to Stop. Retrieved February 11, 2012, http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/media/mf/los-angeles-times-david-oaks-mad-pride

Mindfreedom.org. (n.d.). About David W. Oaks, MindFreedom International Executive Director Retrieved February 10, 2012, from Mindfreedom.org: http://www.mindfreedom.org/about-us/david-w-oaks/brief-bio-oaks

Wise, T. (2001). School Shootings and White Denial. Multicultural Perspectives, 3(4), 3-4.

Wise, T. (1999). The Threat of a Good Example. Social Justice, 26(2), 182-184.

A Rebel: Saul Alinsky

I must admit, before this assignment I had never heard of Saul Alinsky. This documentary, surprisingly, really pulled me in. I will admit that I typically fall on the conservative side of things. Instantly, the way the narrator described Alisnky and they way people viewed him, I thought politics were going to be the main focus of the documentary, which would have turned me off to it. However the message and theme of the documentary was less about politics and much more about community, which I really enjoyed.

Quick Summary

Saul Alinsky was born on the west side of Chicago in 1909. Growing up in the city, Alinsky lived through some of the hardest times of the Great Depression. He graduated with a degree in criminology, however believed that he could make a much greater impact working with communities. This decision was proceeded by somewhat of an undercover operation. In order to learn more about gang activity, Alinsky entrenched himself within the mafia in Chicago. While there he realized that not just gang activity, but crime in general, was all a product of poverty and powerlessness. From here he shifted his focus to strengthening communities. The documentary outlines his early works with The Back of the Yard Neighborhood Council, The Woodlawn Organization, and FIGHT. The last half of the documentary shows the footprint that Alinsky left. Through his thoughts and ideas, as well the teachings that he founded, communities are standing up for what is rightfully theirs.

Philosophy and Technique

Early on in the documentary, they alluded to Alinsky's work with both the Back of the Yard Neighborhood and The Woodlawn Organization. These two organizations were similar in their make up and approach. He devised a plan to add together all types of people people from the community, regardless of there beliefs. The common belief that they had, was that the community deserved the power. From here Alinsky just had to take a back seat. The passion showed by the community members took off, and the organizations thrived. With the FIGHT organization however, I believe Alinsky's ideas shown through a little stronger. It may have just been the heat of the issue, but the idea that conflict is necessary for progress was never clearer with this movement. Alinsky served as an inspirational figure, to a group that he seemingly would have clashed with. By building up massive amounts of power, he could strategically strike at the heart of these issues. If it were a politician or an organization, acting as a road block to community health, he would devise a plan to disassemble their power. Such actions are bound to take criticism, however, like many folks in the film said, without them, nothing would have changed.


Quotes

The assignment asked for quotes, however there was only one that completely resonated with me. In an effort to stress this I decided to list it by itself. Because throughout the entire film, it was the strongest message I received.

"Change means movement. Movement means friction. Only in the frictionless vacuum of a nonexistent abstract world can movement or change occur without that abrasive friction of conflict"

Thoughts

I viewed the film as very moving and inspirational. As I mentioned earlier, I was afraid it was going to end up being too political. However the views discussed were heavily focused on the development of the community. I think it is very important for communities to be heard and supported. The other part I took away from this film is that conflict is a necessary evil. My personality is one that typically shys away from confrontation, so this is something I will continue to be aware of. Like Saul stated, "Change means movement, movement means friction."

#4 Thoughts on Macro Practice

For this assignment, I decided I would try to interview social workers with very different perspectives, this way I would hopefully get very different answers. The social workers I pestered enough to obtain comments from were all withing my field placement at a small, non-profit adoption agency. The first was my direct supervisor, she holds an LICSW, and is the Support Services Manager. She has been a clinician for 15 years. Secondly is a development associate. She obtained her MSW and after 3 years of clinical work in a hospital, decided to switch to development, and has done that for the last 10 years  Lastly is Executive Director, she has worked tirelessly for 25 years for several organizations, and holds a strong passion for the entire adoption community.

Question #1  Define Macro Practice

Macro practice is what shapes the work we do with people. It is activists and advocates that fight for the projects and policies we believe in, which then allows us to do the work we do. It is also work that can have a much broader scope, My work here may help one kid, which in turn ends up helping an entire family system. But community work that touches an entire neighborhood, has the ability to help a much larger system.


Macro practice is very different from clinical practice, it has much more of a formal feel for me. It is a lot about being passionate about your ideas. It has more of a business-like approach, we need to sell the importance and strengths of our ideas, while also supporting its cost-effectiveness unfortunately.

Macro practice is vital in helping to end social issues. The one I happen to be most passionate about is the importance of permanency for children, but there are millions of issues. Macro practice is mostly about advocating for the rights and well-being of our clients. Whether it is with judges, policy makers, or community leaders, supporting the greatest needs of clients in anyway possible. Whether it is developing large scale community trainings for professionals or joining forces with other agencies to advocate for the passing of a bill, macro practice is about making changes that can help on a massive scale.


Question #2 Activities involving macro practice.

It may be stretching it to say this, but the only instance where I think macro practice comes in for me is my role as an instructor during our community trainings. Every year we offer trainings to community providers in which I teach multiple sections. 

Basically everything I do is macro practice. Some of my biggest responsibilities are fund-raising and event planning. I advocate for not only our clients, but also the programs and services we provide as an agency. Our agency provides vital services to these clients in need, most of which would not be possible without the help of the community and our donors.

I perform macro activities on a daily basis. For instance the biggest project we have right now is a summer college prep program, for children in foster care. Due to the fact that children in foster care are so far behind the educational curve, a group of providers, including our agency, are developing a huge program that is aiming to eliminate the educational gap between children in foster care, and the rest of our youth. 




Question #3 What percentage of work is Macro practice?


Almost none, for the most part my work has always been with individuals or families. As an agency we advocate for our clients when appropriate bills are being voted on, but I do not usually play a big role in that.

Pretty much 95% of my work is Macro practice. The only time I am not doing macro work is during our events. Then I am building connections with clients on a micro level.

85% of my time is spent on macro practice, the remainder being mostly filled with administrative duties. Most of the time I am meeting with our board members or exchanging emails with other community providers on behalf of our clients or community. I have however built extremely strong bonds with a number of our clients, past and present. So I do still service some clients in a clinical role. 


 Question #4 What leadership skills does it take?

A main skill required to be a good macro leader is to have out-spoken passion. Our director has immense passion for our clients and she stops at nothing to display it. This is necessary in order to generate enough backing to make a difference. 

Important skill to have in order to macro practice is patience. No matter how often we get turned down, or projects do not live up to expectations, we have to be patient and persistent. If you know that the cause is a good one, and you believe in it, keep going after it. 

 
For me, I think it is very important to be able to look at things from several perspectives. In my work, I have learned, in order to get things accomplished I need to have an idea of what other people were feeling or thinking, what there agendas are. Because without knowing these angles, it makes it much more difficult to achieve the things I would like to achieve for our clients.

Leadership

The most revealing thing for me was the differences in styles of the three individuals I interviewed. The first of them claimed she did not do much macro practice, however knowing her as my direct supervisor, I know that she leads by example. Her passion is easily shown by her dedication to the clients she serves, as well as her service to the mission of their agency. The other revealing thing about my interviews, was the directors striking resemblance to a character Sen (2003) mentioned in our readings. Sen mentioned what she had been taught, where that in choosing a leader, one must find a person that possesses a "Fire in the Belly"  (p. 99). These type of people inspire others. This is exactly the vibe the director of this agency gives off., she is relentless in her pursuit of service to her clients. 

Sen, R. (2003). Stir it up: Lessons in community organizing and advocacy. SF: Chardon Press Series, Jossey-Bass.

Blog #3 History of Macro Practice

History of Macro Practice

To be perfectly honest, when asked about the history of macro practice, there is not much that pops into my mind immediately. I am a big fan of American History, I enjoy reading and learning about the people and personaliaties of these historic people, however it has never been focused much on policies or social programs. Then when I started to think back, now with a the focus of this assignment, I began to recall some things that could be relevant. The only issue with the recollections from my memory, is there causes were never framed as "social work" to me. Groups like the Black Panthers during the civil rights movement, while there actions were radical they were parallel to the work of macro social workers, social change. While this may be a terrible analogy, for some reason it was the boldest thought that came to mind when I thought about social change. Being that I do not believe The Black Panther Party would exactly fit the assignment, due to the fact that their social programs were overshadowed by crime and violence, I was forced to further research.

Helping out the less fortunate has always been an admirable trait. Regardless of religion, spirituality, race, or ethnicity, it is noble to help the helpless. There is something inside every human being, that urges them assist. I would be willing to bet that even in the cases of those people who decide not to help, they feel guilty and remorseful when they do not. The interesting (and somewhat exhausting) fact about social problems, is they have always been around and sadly probably always will be. Therefor it is hard to exactly pinpoint the first forms of Macro Social Work. The difficult separation, for me, was between charity and social work (I had to make a cut off somewhere). Because charity has been an institution for as long as written history can remember. This charity was usually initiated by religious organizations. Churches have always promoted help for the sick and impoverished. The point where things started to change was when these groups began seeing issues from a different perspective, rather than just feeding the poor they started to think bigger. It was the early writings of people such as Sir Thomas More that sparked change in people's thinking. More's Utopia, described a world free of problems, saved by the generosity and balance of society. More's words traveled across cultures, influencing the masses wherever it was heard, leading to social reform. Under pressure from citizens of the world "Poor Laws" began to become a reality in many countries, even traveling right here to the United States. It was the drafting of these ideas that would go on to inspire social pioneers from Jane Addams (Hull House) to W.E.B. Dubois (NAACP).

I guess what I am trying to get at is that social reform had been evolving since day one. In the beginning, social problems would be identified, then treated. After years of continued struggle, professionals learned that in order to best serve these disadvantaged people, they needed to start being proactive. Rather than sitting around, waiting for problems to arise, they needed to be proactive.

**Click..Time Line of Significant People and Events..Click**

A major issue that has plagued the world, and unfortunately still does, is racism. With a focus on this country, racism has been a piercing social problem since the first slaves landed here in the 1600's. Used as slaves, beaten down and tortured, and to this day, still not viewed as equal in the eyes of some. W.E.B. Dubois, realizing the magnitude of this problem after very intense rioting and lynchings, set out to protect the rights of African Americans. Along with a colleagues Mary White Ovington, Ida B. Wells, and Henry Moskowitz, they founded the NAACP. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People set out to end racial discrimination. Since its inception, the NAACP has played a vital role in the continued social advancement of African-American citizens. Unfortunately there is still work to be done. 

http://www.boisestate.edu/socwork/dhuff/xx.htm
http://www.naacp.org/
http://www.naswdc.org/pressroom/features/general/history.asp
http://www.historyofsocialwork.org/eng/index.php

http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/dce/soc380/timeline/NavBar.swf

http://www.socialwelfarehistory.com/events/1700s/
http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/tcn/valocchi.htm

Me as an Activist

Was Not Nearly as Easy as I Expected!

The Clothesline Project

History 

The topic I chose to highlight is THE CLOTHESLINE PROJECT. While all of the programs are very moving, for some reason this one invoked the most feeling. Something about all of these shirts with extremely person stories, hit me the hardest. The Clothesline Project started right here in Massachusetts, a small group of women from Cape Cod. Devastated by shocking statistics of the overwhelming amount of murder and abuse cases toward women, these activists set out to use these stories in a bold, in-your-face tactic, in order to educate others, as well as support victims. Coincidentally, the first ever Clothesline Project was displayed during a Take Back the Night rally in 1990, in Hyannis, MA. The idea of stringing together shirts on a clothesline was thought of by Rachel Carey-Harper, inspired by the AIDS quilt, these women knew that this would be a powerful, staggering tool, to be used in spreading their message. The vision of these women, was to create a powerful scene, that would educate, break the silence, and bear witness to the issue of violence against women. The spark that ignited these women was a horrifying statistic. The horrific tragedy that was the Vietnam War, saw 58,000 soldiers die. Over that very same period however, the United States lost 51,000 women, at the hands of people who "loved" them.  (The Clothesline Project, n.d.)

Vision and Cause  

This project aims to raise awareness to the ongoing issue of abuse towards women. Abuse toward women has been an issue for as long as history has been documented. The male species has always been viewed as the dominant sex and society has placed an expectation for men to do so, dominate. In my opinion, here is where some of the male species go wrong. Not only is the mere, idea that men should be dominant wrong, but then there are some men who have a distorted and barbaric view on what it means to do so. While society itself is wrong in suggesting men are superior to women, it does not promote physical, mental, and emotional violence toward women. However what it does lack, is the opposition of these acts. This is where projects such as this one can be a driving force in the social world. Research on the popular media's perception of domestic violence toward women showed that, while it did not promote this violence,  it did not hold men accountable. It was found that the way it is more commonly portrayed in society, is that it is the woman's fault for choosing the wrong man, not the mans fault for abusing the woman (Nettleton, 2011). That is the root of the issue, in my opinion.

Successful Programs 

Since its inception in 1990 at an annual Take Back the Night rally, the Clothesline Project has been a touching force in woman's rights rallies and movements all over the world. To date the Clothesline Project has been estimated to be represented by over 500 projects in 5 different countries. (The Clothesline Project, n.d.) The most significant participation comes from college campuses. From Rutgers to UCLA there have been schools all over the country that have held annual Clothesline Projects, in order to raise awareness for this huge issue, since the mid 90's (The Clothesline Project, n.d.).
 


Similarities with Chapters

The idea of this community intervention is to first, provide survivors and victims with an outlet to express themselves and share their stories in a creative way. However the idea also serves another significant purpose. The project itself puts off such a powerful display, that it inevitably moves any and all viewers. The awareness that is raised during these projects is unmeasurable. However it most certainly makes an impact. As mentioned earlier the Clothesline Project has spread abroad and is resonating with people all over the world. In our readings, authors have mentioned the need to raise awareness and offer services outside of the target population. As discussed earlier, it is not just the victims who need to be helped, but the entire community. Whether locally, nationally or globally, this issue and others need to be change systemically, in a proactive manner (Brown, 2007) (Homan, 2008)

Brown, Michael J. (2007). Building Powerful Community Organizations: A personal  guide to creating groups that can solve problems and change the world. Long Haul Press (pp. 335-348).

Clothesline Project. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2012, http://www.clotheslineproject.org/History.html

Homan, M. S. (2008). Relating community change to professional practice: Making it happen in the real world. Promoting Community Change. Belmont: Brooks Cole.(pp.74-95). 

Jones, A., & Gondolf, E. W. (2001). Time-Varying Risk Factors for Reassault Among Batterer Program Participants. Journal Of Family Violence, 16(4), 345-359.

Nettleton, P. (2011). Domestic Violence in Men's and Women's Magazines: Women Are Guilty of Choosing the Wrong Men, Men Are Not Guilty of Hitting Women. Women's Studies In Communication, 34(2), 139-160. doi:10.1080/07491409.2011.618240

ABOUT ME!

My Name is Scott Davenport, I am a 25 year-old college senior at Bridgewater State University. I was Born in Fall River, MA and lived there until I was 12. After that, I was adopted by my maternal aunt and moved to Rehoboth, MA. Since then, I have lived in the small town of Rehoboth, where there are as many cows as people. It is a small quiet town with an amazing school system, and nothing but a Dunkin' Donuts and a few gas stations.

Ever since I was old enough to work, I have worked with children. It started when I was 15, at a summer camp and local Boys and Girls Club, and is continuing at my current placement at a small adoption agency in Providence, RI. My siblings and I grew up in a very difficult home, experiencing abuse and neglect, but thankfully were removed and given a chance to thrive in the community. Given this experience, I have always gravitated toward helping disadvantaged people, particularly children lacking healthy permanent homes.

Practicing with communities and organizations is an interest of mine because I understand its importance in helping people, which is the sole reason I want to be a social worker. Aside form policy, which regulates the way services can be provided, practicing with communities and organizations is the most important aspect of social welfare in my opinion. The reason I say this is because of the affect communities and organizations can have on the entire population. While clinical services are what most people think of when they think of social work, it is the work with the communities and the organizations that can make the most change. Organizations have the ability to make significant change in policies, communities, cultures, and people.

This year, I hope to learn how to think with a broad scope. As of now, I believe I do a great job assessing situations and people in order to my job. However what I would like to be able to do better is think more about what can be done to prevent such situations. Whether there are systems failures, cultural issues, or whatever other reason, social workers should always be searching for ways to avoid these negative situations and improve the lives of people.

My idea of a great class is a class that is free of judgement and full of class participation. The views and opinions of students are almost always different. This does not mean that they are always opposing each other, many times it is just a different perspective that creates the different ideas. That being said, the most important part to a great class, to me, is active participation. I myself have been guilty of biting my tongue at times and not sharing my view or opinion. However, I believe that a class setting where all no thought or idea is held back, is the most rewarding class. How can people learn new things if thoughts are not shared?

If I could have one super power it would be the ability to be a shape-shifter. I would be able to shift into different forms in order to assume different roles. In my opinion, people act in very different ways depending on who is present. One of the major benefits would be to see how peoples perspectives and opinions change, if they believed I was someone else. Great change could come from assuming the roles of other people.

Four interesting things about me would be that.....I enjoy cooking, especially making ice cream. I enjoy playing golf, my favorite type of music is country, and I was born with 6 fingers on my right hand.

As I just mentioned, there are a few things that I really enjoy doing. Growing up I was a huge sports fanatic and things have not quite changed. Growing up I played hockey and football. After graduating high school I took up golf and I have been hooked ever since. That passion has led me to a part time job at a golf store, where I not only get to talk about golf, but I get to support the expensive habit due to a terrific discount! I also enjoy cooking! A few specialties being Buffalo Chicken Wontons and Oatmeal Cookie Dough Ice Cream.


If I could solve a major social problem it would be poverty. Poverty is the root cause for so many issues ranging from substance abuse to abuse and neglect of children. Therefor by eliminating poverty, many social problems would have less of an impact on the population, if not disappear altogether. Poverty has been affecting the world since the beginning of civilization, so it would not be the easiest problem to change, however if it could be done it would end so much suffering.

My dream job would be a two part job, during the week I would run an adoption agency where I would give everything I had to finding unfortunate kids healthy, loving, permanent homes. Then on the weekends I would be a professional golfer. This could satisfy my competitive nature as well as support my adoption agency.