Graduation with Leadership Distinction: Community Service

The responsibility of the social worker is to assist people in their well-being, from their comfort to their happiness. The social work profession, like any other, has values and ethics that guide professional practice. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics essentially mirrors my beliefs in regard to how I treat others, especially those who experience disadvantages in society. For instance, I believe that all individuals are entitled to social justice in terms of having food security.  There is always someone out there that needs help and it is my responsibility to reach out to that someone, because every person is important, and no one should be left behind. The social work value dignity and worth of a person extends to all individuals in our lives. This value highlights that all people deserve respect, and this truth is to be put in the forefront of our minds when interacting with them. Regardless of one’s past actions, current beliefs or future intentions, that person is human, and humans should be treated with respect, care and love.

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My upper division experience at the College of Social Work here at USC consisted of both expected and unexpected learning outcomes, skills and knowledge. Expectedly, I learned about the social work values in the Code of Ethics, the causes and possible solutions to social problems, and a general overview of what it is that social workers do: advocate for vulnerable people who cannot for themselves. In the classroom is where I learned that the dignity and worth of a person is a social work value. I learned that this includes perpetrators of violence, people who have different morals than me, and people who discriminate against the very people I plan to advocate for. My interactions with my cohort contributed to most of the unexpected learning experiences, which I will discuss later.

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One of the most important components of my social work undergraduate learning experience is the idea of diversity and inclusion. I was first exposed to this idea in SOWK 331: Diversity and Social Justice. This class not only taught me the different aspects of what make people diverse but also helped me to understand the ways in which certain groups are discriminated against; it taught me about the basic -isms, including classism, racism, and ageism. Before taking this class, I understood racism to be discrimination based on the belief that one’s own race is superior to that of another’s. This class taught me however, that only people who are privileged based on their race are capable of being racist. Additionally, I was able to learn about discrimination against the LGBTQ population that was previously invisible to me.

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In addition to developing an awareness of different types of discrimination, I have heard throughout the social work major that it is important to identify personal biases and move towards not acting upon those biases, if not rid myself of them altogether. I have been assigned to write about my biases  before interacting with a population, even if that pertained to just going in to observe. I always had a hard time coming up with what to write for that portion. I had readily accepted the idea presented in the classroom to value the dignity and worth of all people, and truly believed that I did not have any biases. The issue lied in the fact that the biases that I considered were towards a client population. I did not think about the general population of people that I interact with on a day-to-day basis. In my signature assignment for SOWK 411: Generalist Practice III, the requirements were to observe a group. Before the observation, I was to address the biases that I expected myself to have and mention measures that I would take to account for and diminish the impact of these personal biases. I did not do well when I completed this portion of Part 1 of the assignment, but when I completed Part 2, and observed the extent to which my personal biases and values impacted my observation of the group and the methods I used to control them, I was better able to articulate my biases. It was only after experiencing the group observation that I was able to experience and acknowledge that I had biases. Part 2 of this assignment is my within-the-classroom artifact; on pages six and seven, I discuss my personal biases.

 

After understanding that I indeed have biases, I have taken measures to address them. I have acknowledged that I express biases in many ways and the type and severity of my biases also vary. One of the measures that I have taken to address my biases was with a group that I facilitated at my field placement. Its purpose was to help the students understand the structures that shape their lives and the ensuing “codes of the street” that form. The idea began with the book Codes of the Street by Elijah Anderson and my intention was to have a book club. Then the purpose of the group expanded from understanding the structures and codes, towards having students form a sense of self not restrained by the structures nor defined by the code. Other purposes of the group were to build the students’ understanding of history that led to the emergence of these structures along with their understanding of the importance of and how to combat these structures. As such, the students were able to view themselves as part of a community, and feel a sense of responsibility as representatives of and advocates for that community. The curriculum for this book club is my beyond-the-classroom artifact. This beyond the classroom experience helped to continue the insight that I came to, as well as incorporate it into my practice. This small group also facilitated for my students to respect their own dignity and worth, despite their environments and all the values that they grew up with that make them feel hopeless about their situations.