There are two strong values that I have which I feel should be inherent in everyone of this world, this country, and most importantly, in the social work field. My purpose of writing this blog is to bring awareness to you so these values can be practiced. I believe that altruism and self awareness are within us all if we pay attention.
I was fortunate enough to be raised by two loving parents who taught me to watch out for and take care of others. Growing up in the United States though and especially in my lifetime, we have been schooled to compete against each other and to not trust strangers. I believe that this has driven our society to a point where we avoid eye contact and greetings when passing by each other in public.
When I visited Cambodia this past winter, there was something magical present which I could not identify until I was home and had some time to reflect on the experience. I now can label this magic as altruism. Altruism is the unselfish regard for the welfare of others. Before going to Cambodia I only planned on an in-n-out mission to explore the Angkor Temple Ruins as many readings cautioned one’s safety. Gee, did this ring untrue! Every single person that I caught eyes with, lit up with the biggest smiles I have ever seen. No matter where you were, if you looked puzzled or scared, the Khmer people would instantly offer you comfort and their assistance. Everyone gave to one another, whether it be rides, food, or money without any question. The ability to share with everyone radiates peace and is quite contagious. Altruism is a value that we should all have as we are all beings that share the same planet.
The second value that I would like to discuss is self awareness. Self awareness is a person's awareness of self with regard to position, time, place, and personal relationships. This is of upmost importance when interacting with others, collaborating with others, and leading others. This is also something that I feel I have a solid grasp of and feel that everyone else should easily grasp as well. However, I have found this not to be so true. Over the past few years, I have been in a relationship, had friendships, and interacted with others who do not listen to the other half of the conversation. Many of these people push their agenda, pause only to think about what they are going to say next, and are oblivious to the fact that these behaviors are causing people to tune them out. Rather than get frustrated at this selfishness, I analyze these behaviors and realize that it is a lack of self awareness that is at the root of the people who share this mentality. I mean not to be rude toward anyone, I would just like to bring attention toward practicing self awareness.
If everyone shared a sense of self awareness and altruism, the world would become a peaceful planet!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Community Organizing: Applying Theory to Practice
Throughout the year, we have been learning methods to apply toward community practice. Our professor has heavily influenced the use of technology to aid us in community gathering and spreading our ideas to a larger audience. In a previous blog, I had mentioned how I had hesitated to start blogging and some of my class was resistant to blogging and creating a youtube video. But, we have learned the importance and have realized the advantage of using these tools toward reaching a larger audience. Like everything in life, it is the experience and application of knowledge that we learn the most from. After reviewing the past two months of my field experience, I realized that I have been applying the knowledge from my community class to the field.
This year, my field experience has been focused on the Regional Center’s population with autism. April was Autism Awareness month and my team had the task of creating special events for the different age groups of our consumers. After creating a list and scheduling multiple events, we had the task of “getting the word out” or creating a gathering to attend the events.
We were able to send letters out to our consumers, but we had wanted to spread the word throughout the community to reach a broader audience. The internet isn’t necessary to reach our local community, but we did decide to make use of all of our local media outlets. We researched several calendar postings available online, contacted the local newspapers, radio stations, and television station to request space to advertise for our events. Learning through class, I overcame my hesitation and was part of a Public Service Announcement that we recorded and distributed to all of our local radio stations to play throughout the month.
We successfully organized and produced gatherings at all of our events. By using our local media outlets as a tool, we were able to spread awareness and influence our people to attend. This experience in community organizing solidified the theories that we have been learning throughout the year.
This year, my field experience has been focused on the Regional Center’s population with autism. April was Autism Awareness month and my team had the task of creating special events for the different age groups of our consumers. After creating a list and scheduling multiple events, we had the task of “getting the word out” or creating a gathering to attend the events.
We were able to send letters out to our consumers, but we had wanted to spread the word throughout the community to reach a broader audience. The internet isn’t necessary to reach our local community, but we did decide to make use of all of our local media outlets. We researched several calendar postings available online, contacted the local newspapers, radio stations, and television station to request space to advertise for our events. Learning through class, I overcame my hesitation and was part of a Public Service Announcement that we recorded and distributed to all of our local radio stations to play throughout the month.
We successfully organized and produced gatherings at all of our events. By using our local media outlets as a tool, we were able to spread awareness and influence our people to attend. This experience in community organizing solidified the theories that we have been learning throughout the year.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Easier Ways to Success Through Collaboration
To collaborate or not to collaborate, that is the question. Or, should this ever be a question when provided the opportunity? It only makes sense to share ideas, split workloads, and assign expertise to given parts of a project in order to more easily and effectively accomplish a project. These ideas were expounded upon in a talk that Howard Rheingold gave on the website ted.com. He explains that we are coming to an age where “cooperation, collective action, and complex interdependencies” play a more important role than competition in order to achieve success. Our society has been transformed in a way to view competition as the best way to display success, however this needs to change to better accomplish the challenges that we face today. Howard explains that humans have always collaborated to accomplish feats throughout history. He quickly walked through our history and discussed our collective action along the way. He poses a great idea through explaining that we imprison ourselves, but we have the unique ability to overcome this imprisonment by banding together to create new ideas which will lead us in new directions. Please check out his talk:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html
My first experience with success through collaboration was while working with a Wrap Around service in Pennsylvania. Here, we organized teams to aid children in overcoming their disabilities. The teams consisted of a child client, his/her family members/caregivers, a behavior specialist, a mobile therapist, a therapeutic aid, and often times, teachers and staff from his/her school. The team would meet and decide the best plan for everyone to follow for the child to have the proper supports to ensure success. This collaboration of multiple circles of supports ensured that everyone followed the same plan and provided consistent aid to the child throughout his/her day. This type of collaboration was necessary to ensure consistency throughout all of the child’s environments.
Collaboration has everything to do with community work. Like Howard Rheingold says, humans have always collaborated throughout history to accomplish large tasks and lies at the very basis in forming a community where tasks are divided amongst members in order to assemble a working system. When there are large systems to navigate, independence and competition create deterrents from the system’s ability to flow. Also, when collaboration is formed, expertise can be allocated to many different tasks to ensure higher quality work.
My learning of collaboration as a function of community work is being reinforced by several projects that I am currently involved with. One of which involves the creation of a transition book to address concerns that families of children with special needs may have as they are about to enter the regular school system. This is a product that parents have requested and the local Office of Education has formed a collaborative with members from its Special Education Department, the local Regional Center, and the local chapter of First Five. This team has also decided to invite families to provide their input towards the book as well. This is a great example of how a well rounded product can be produced by incorporating the collaboration of multiple systems’ ideas of readiness for school transition.
So, when one has the ability to cooperate with others to accomplish a given task, it should always be viewed as advantageous. As, collaboration creates an easier and more effective path to success.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html
My first experience with success through collaboration was while working with a Wrap Around service in Pennsylvania. Here, we organized teams to aid children in overcoming their disabilities. The teams consisted of a child client, his/her family members/caregivers, a behavior specialist, a mobile therapist, a therapeutic aid, and often times, teachers and staff from his/her school. The team would meet and decide the best plan for everyone to follow for the child to have the proper supports to ensure success. This collaboration of multiple circles of supports ensured that everyone followed the same plan and provided consistent aid to the child throughout his/her day. This type of collaboration was necessary to ensure consistency throughout all of the child’s environments.
Collaboration has everything to do with community work. Like Howard Rheingold says, humans have always collaborated throughout history to accomplish large tasks and lies at the very basis in forming a community where tasks are divided amongst members in order to assemble a working system. When there are large systems to navigate, independence and competition create deterrents from the system’s ability to flow. Also, when collaboration is formed, expertise can be allocated to many different tasks to ensure higher quality work.
My learning of collaboration as a function of community work is being reinforced by several projects that I am currently involved with. One of which involves the creation of a transition book to address concerns that families of children with special needs may have as they are about to enter the regular school system. This is a product that parents have requested and the local Office of Education has formed a collaborative with members from its Special Education Department, the local Regional Center, and the local chapter of First Five. This team has also decided to invite families to provide their input towards the book as well. This is a great example of how a well rounded product can be produced by incorporating the collaboration of multiple systems’ ideas of readiness for school transition.
So, when one has the ability to cooperate with others to accomplish a given task, it should always be viewed as advantageous. As, collaboration creates an easier and more effective path to success.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Education is Empowerment
“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”
-Nelson Mandela
During the semester break, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel through several countries in South East Asia. This trip offered me enormous personal growth and I was able to reflect on my skills being acquired in the social work field and understand the need for them at an international level.
One of the most prominent issues facing the region is poverty. I continued to learn throughout my travels the main reason poverty exists, as a perpetual cycle for much of the population, is the lack of a basic education. This idea became apparent to me during my time in Cambodia. Here, many people are on the streets begging for tourists to buy items or donate money, rather than participating to build their own economy by creating positions to service the area’s tourism. Is the main resource scarcity money? Upon countless talks with locals, it was brought to my attention that the essential resource lacking was that of a proper education.
I spent time with many people involved with creating and maintaining schools for children to attend in and around Siem Reap, Cambodia. There are several reliable organizations that distribute funds appropriately, but many are set up through the government and the funds are taken away from the education system. Cambodia only uses 1.6% of its GDP towards education. The majority of the schools are funded through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s). Many of these organizations are set up through the United States and Japan.
The majority of information around the education system that I received came from the many volunteers working at a school on the outskirts of Siem Reap. This school is named Self Help Community Center (SHCC) and it was created by a Cambodian man named Choan Sambath. He had the desire to educate his population and opened the school in 2007. The school currently has a few hundred students and offers classes such as art, organic farming, English, and a Social Work in the Community class, as well as several others. No funds are provided by the government and this school would not be possible without donations and many people volunteering their time and services. Please view SHCC’s youtube video and browse their site for more information.
After reviewing the United Nations website on Education, I felt the following paragraph summarized the idea of education being the cornerstone for creating opportunity in one’s life:
“Basic education empowers individuals by opening up avenues of communication that would otherwise be closed, expanding personal choice and control over one’s environment, and providing the basis for acquiring many other skills. It gives people access to information through both print and electronic media, equips them to cope better with work and family responsibilities, and changes the image they have of themselves. It strengthens their self-confidence to participate in community affairs and influence political issues. Basic education is the key with which individuals can unlock the full range of their talents and realize their creative potential. It gives disadvantaged people the tools they need to move from exclusion to full participation in their society. Basic education also empowers entire nations because educated citizens and workers have the skills to make democratic institutions function effectively, to meet the demands for a more sophisticated workforce, to work for a cleaner environment, and to meet their obligations as parents and citizens” (United Nations Ed., Sci., and Cult. Organization).
At first a feeling of sorrow overcame me as I saw the many children begging for money to eat. However, after learning that many of these children are being kept away from schools and forced into begging by their parents, that feeling began to change to disheartening and ignite the social worker within to create change. While much money, time, and energy is needed to create and maintain schools, there is still a strong need for recruitment and advocation for these children to come and stay in schools. It is this reason that I realize the need for community social work at an international level. This experience revealed the need for empowerment throughout the world and has inspired me to investigate how my skills can be employed internationally.
Education does have the power to change the world and I feel that we should all share in the responsibility of bringing education to the less fortunate. Whether it be donating our time, skills, money or resources, we all have the power to contribute towards making the world a better place for at least one person. While discussing finances with Cambodian school administrators, it was shared that ten U.S. dollars would fund one child’s education expenses for a year once the funds were allocated properly. The easiest thing for most of us to contribute is money or resources, so please give it some consideration. I have listed two legitimate funding operations which are reliable ways to make sure our resources reach the children of Cambodia.
SHCC informative video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIWYSzL6mRw
http://www.shcccambodia.org/
PACDOC
Mr. Toun Boran (Director)
boran.pacdoc@yahoo.com
pacdocngo@yahoo.com
supplies needed: food, rice, mosquito nets, books, office supplies, blankets, school supplies, pillows, medical supplies, mats, clothing, shoes, etc.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. 1997. Adult Education
in a Polarizing World. Paris.
-Nelson Mandela
During the semester break, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel through several countries in South East Asia. This trip offered me enormous personal growth and I was able to reflect on my skills being acquired in the social work field and understand the need for them at an international level.
One of the most prominent issues facing the region is poverty. I continued to learn throughout my travels the main reason poverty exists, as a perpetual cycle for much of the population, is the lack of a basic education. This idea became apparent to me during my time in Cambodia. Here, many people are on the streets begging for tourists to buy items or donate money, rather than participating to build their own economy by creating positions to service the area’s tourism. Is the main resource scarcity money? Upon countless talks with locals, it was brought to my attention that the essential resource lacking was that of a proper education.
I spent time with many people involved with creating and maintaining schools for children to attend in and around Siem Reap, Cambodia. There are several reliable organizations that distribute funds appropriately, but many are set up through the government and the funds are taken away from the education system. Cambodia only uses 1.6% of its GDP towards education. The majority of the schools are funded through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s). Many of these organizations are set up through the United States and Japan.
The majority of information around the education system that I received came from the many volunteers working at a school on the outskirts of Siem Reap. This school is named Self Help Community Center (SHCC) and it was created by a Cambodian man named Choan Sambath. He had the desire to educate his population and opened the school in 2007. The school currently has a few hundred students and offers classes such as art, organic farming, English, and a Social Work in the Community class, as well as several others. No funds are provided by the government and this school would not be possible without donations and many people volunteering their time and services. Please view SHCC’s youtube video and browse their site for more information.
After reviewing the United Nations website on Education, I felt the following paragraph summarized the idea of education being the cornerstone for creating opportunity in one’s life:
“Basic education empowers individuals by opening up avenues of communication that would otherwise be closed, expanding personal choice and control over one’s environment, and providing the basis for acquiring many other skills. It gives people access to information through both print and electronic media, equips them to cope better with work and family responsibilities, and changes the image they have of themselves. It strengthens their self-confidence to participate in community affairs and influence political issues. Basic education is the key with which individuals can unlock the full range of their talents and realize their creative potential. It gives disadvantaged people the tools they need to move from exclusion to full participation in their society. Basic education also empowers entire nations because educated citizens and workers have the skills to make democratic institutions function effectively, to meet the demands for a more sophisticated workforce, to work for a cleaner environment, and to meet their obligations as parents and citizens” (United Nations Ed., Sci., and Cult. Organization).
At first a feeling of sorrow overcame me as I saw the many children begging for money to eat. However, after learning that many of these children are being kept away from schools and forced into begging by their parents, that feeling began to change to disheartening and ignite the social worker within to create change. While much money, time, and energy is needed to create and maintain schools, there is still a strong need for recruitment and advocation for these children to come and stay in schools. It is this reason that I realize the need for community social work at an international level. This experience revealed the need for empowerment throughout the world and has inspired me to investigate how my skills can be employed internationally.
Education does have the power to change the world and I feel that we should all share in the responsibility of bringing education to the less fortunate. Whether it be donating our time, skills, money or resources, we all have the power to contribute towards making the world a better place for at least one person. While discussing finances with Cambodian school administrators, it was shared that ten U.S. dollars would fund one child’s education expenses for a year once the funds were allocated properly. The easiest thing for most of us to contribute is money or resources, so please give it some consideration. I have listed two legitimate funding operations which are reliable ways to make sure our resources reach the children of Cambodia.
SHCC informative video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIWYSzL6mRw
http://www.shcccambodia.org/
PACDOC
Mr. Toun Boran (Director)
boran.pacdoc@yahoo.com
pacdocngo@yahoo.com
supplies needed: food, rice, mosquito nets, books, office supplies, blankets, school supplies, pillows, medical supplies, mats, clothing, shoes, etc.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. 1997. Adult Education
in a Polarizing World. Paris.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Culturally Competent
“Cultural competence refers to the process by which individuals and systems respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, languages, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and other diversity factors in a manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the worth of individuals, families, and communities and protects and preserves the dignity of each.” (NASW, 2010).
NASW Standards for Cultural Competency:
Standard 1. Ethics and Values
Standard 2. Self-Awareness
Standard 3. Cross-Cultural Knowledge
Standard 4. Cross-Cultural Skills
Standard 5. Service Delivery
Standard 6. Empowerment and Advocacy
Standard 7. Diverse Workforce
Standard 8. Professional Education
Standard 9. Language Diversity
Standard 10. Cross-Cultural Leadership
Cultural Competency is a term that has been mentioned in every class of my masters program. We have read about it in many of our books and the NASW outlines standards for us to follow as social workers to ensure that we exhibit fairness to all cultures that we may work with in the profession. But, what is the best way to learn cultural competency? Is it though reading, or having someone from your own culture teach about another culture?
I think the best way to learn the idea of cultural competency is through direct experience in another’s culture. One needs to leave their safety net and place themselves in the shoes of another’s daily life to fully understand their culture. I feel this is the only true way to understand how other cultures experience the world. This can be achieved best by traveling to a foreign environment. In my opinion, traveling is one of the grandest learning experiences that one can have. It also builds on one’s ability to meet many of the standards outlined by the NASW in order to obtain cultural competency.
Through my life experiences, I feel culturally competent. What I mean by saying this is that I have learned the ability to connect with people of diverse cultures by respectfully submerging myself as the minority in another’s culture, and displaying curiosity of their values and ways of living. I have traveled through many countries, in five continents throughout the world. Along my journeys, I have made countless connections in both easy and difficult situations. From English speaking foreigners to people where a complete language barrier was present, from Aboriginal land in the outback of Australia to Hmong villages in the remote areas of Loas, I have shown respect and have been welcomed into other’s world’s. I find this easy by giving upmost respect, understanding boundaries, and displaying patience in order for other people to welcome me into their lives.
I believe that it is my patience that lends me the most support when interacting with and understanding diverse cultures. Growing up in the United States, I understand that most of us are taught to value an individualistic way of life. We live in a culture of “me, me, me”, “succeed, succeed, succeed”, and unless we are graced with the awareness of the outside world, we tend to ignore other ways of life. I have had relationships with and have experienced interactions with others, where people dominate conversations and pause only to think about what they may say next, rather than listen to the other half of the conversation. This style of interaction tends to offend people and will not lend to your abilities in interacting with other cultures. I have heard and understand that listening is thought to be 70% of a conversation. So, when one spends the majority of a conversation talking, they do not display a respectful interest in the other’s thoughts and feelings, which may lead to the other person feeling disrespected and thus causing them to disengage. Patience lends me the ability to listen. With it, I display a calm curiosity and in lends towards my ability to develop cross-cultural knowledge, skills, and leadership.
I have developed a solid grasp of many of the standards that the NASW has for cultural competency. I have been involved in a professional education around the area of cultural competency and I plan to further develop the remaining standards as I progress in the professional field of social work. Although I feel culturally competent and plan to always learn and adapt to new cultures, I realize that no one can fully understand the many cultures that exist. The final part of cultural competency is always seeking to acquire knowledge of everyone’s background and values that their lives come from, which I will always strive to do. These ideas provide me with the feeling of being competent in understanding other cultures.
National Association of Social Workers. (2010). NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice. Retrieved from
http://www.naswdc.org/practice/standards/NASWCulturalStandards.pdf
NASW Standards for Cultural Competency:
Standard 1. Ethics and Values
Standard 2. Self-Awareness
Standard 3. Cross-Cultural Knowledge
Standard 4. Cross-Cultural Skills
Standard 5. Service Delivery
Standard 6. Empowerment and Advocacy
Standard 7. Diverse Workforce
Standard 8. Professional Education
Standard 9. Language Diversity
Standard 10. Cross-Cultural Leadership
Cultural Competency is a term that has been mentioned in every class of my masters program. We have read about it in many of our books and the NASW outlines standards for us to follow as social workers to ensure that we exhibit fairness to all cultures that we may work with in the profession. But, what is the best way to learn cultural competency? Is it though reading, or having someone from your own culture teach about another culture?
I think the best way to learn the idea of cultural competency is through direct experience in another’s culture. One needs to leave their safety net and place themselves in the shoes of another’s daily life to fully understand their culture. I feel this is the only true way to understand how other cultures experience the world. This can be achieved best by traveling to a foreign environment. In my opinion, traveling is one of the grandest learning experiences that one can have. It also builds on one’s ability to meet many of the standards outlined by the NASW in order to obtain cultural competency.
Through my life experiences, I feel culturally competent. What I mean by saying this is that I have learned the ability to connect with people of diverse cultures by respectfully submerging myself as the minority in another’s culture, and displaying curiosity of their values and ways of living. I have traveled through many countries, in five continents throughout the world. Along my journeys, I have made countless connections in both easy and difficult situations. From English speaking foreigners to people where a complete language barrier was present, from Aboriginal land in the outback of Australia to Hmong villages in the remote areas of Loas, I have shown respect and have been welcomed into other’s world’s. I find this easy by giving upmost respect, understanding boundaries, and displaying patience in order for other people to welcome me into their lives.
I believe that it is my patience that lends me the most support when interacting with and understanding diverse cultures. Growing up in the United States, I understand that most of us are taught to value an individualistic way of life. We live in a culture of “me, me, me”, “succeed, succeed, succeed”, and unless we are graced with the awareness of the outside world, we tend to ignore other ways of life. I have had relationships with and have experienced interactions with others, where people dominate conversations and pause only to think about what they may say next, rather than listen to the other half of the conversation. This style of interaction tends to offend people and will not lend to your abilities in interacting with other cultures. I have heard and understand that listening is thought to be 70% of a conversation. So, when one spends the majority of a conversation talking, they do not display a respectful interest in the other’s thoughts and feelings, which may lead to the other person feeling disrespected and thus causing them to disengage. Patience lends me the ability to listen. With it, I display a calm curiosity and in lends towards my ability to develop cross-cultural knowledge, skills, and leadership.
I have developed a solid grasp of many of the standards that the NASW has for cultural competency. I have been involved in a professional education around the area of cultural competency and I plan to further develop the remaining standards as I progress in the professional field of social work. Although I feel culturally competent and plan to always learn and adapt to new cultures, I realize that no one can fully understand the many cultures that exist. The final part of cultural competency is always seeking to acquire knowledge of everyone’s background and values that their lives come from, which I will always strive to do. These ideas provide me with the feeling of being competent in understanding other cultures.
National Association of Social Workers. (2010). NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice. Retrieved from
http://www.naswdc.org/practice/standards/NASWCulturalStandards.pdf
Friday, February 12, 2010
The Importance of Technology in Reaching Present Communities
As my first blog, I’d like to express something that I have learned over the past semester. I am currently an MSW student and am enrolled in a Community Work SW class that extends over the entire school year. My professor is very thought provoking and has a teaching method of pushing his students to achieve more, sometimes by going beyond our comfort zones to try new methods of reaching people and spreading our ideas. At first, a couple of our assignments were met with resistance from my class. These assignments required internet blogging and creating a “youtube” clip expressing social action. The argument ranged from not being tech savvy to not wanting to be viewed publicly. For myself, I was weary of meeting my professor’s and the world’s standards with my writing. So, here I am, writing my first blog, understanding that it isn’t so hard, and realizing once again that my procrastination is my biggest handicap.
I have learned through several events since starting the fall semester just how important it is for us as community gatherers, to harness and utilize technology. We are riding the wave of the future and for us not to use technology to help spread information would be like stepping off our surfboards while trying to stay on top of the wave. So many of us use the internet as part of our daily lives and as a way of accessing our daily news and information. It makes perfect sense to utilize this tool to spread our messages and attract people to join our groups. And, best of all, it is instantaneous and currently free.
I decided to write a blog on this topic after reading Noam Chomsky’s essay entitled Media Control. He highlights how and why our media was developed and the power it has in controlling the public opinion. In 1916, the Creel Commission was developed under Woodrow Wilson. The purpose of this committee was to study and develop methods of propaganda to sway public opinion, from the pacifist thinking that the country was under to a war mongering mentality, in order to become involved in World War I. This idea became a method of controlling the public mind and has proven to be successful ever since. Chomsky states that propaganda “when supported by the educated classes and when no deviation is permitted from it, can have a big effect” (2002). This was also a lesson that Hitler learned from and was successful in controlling an army to carry out atrocities. If swaying the public mind can be used to stimulate war, it can also be used to create peace.
We, as social workers and community gatherers, have to learn from these examples as well. Much like state propaganda, if we get our messages broadcast through the available media sources, we will be able to attract the attention of the masses. The internet is an excellent tool for us to take advantage of, in order to attract people to our causes so that we are able to have a profound effect when trying to rally the public to understand injustices and strive for justice for all.
Chomsky, N. (2002). Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda (2nd Edition). New York: Seven Stories Press.
As my first blog, I’d like to express something that I have learned over the past semester. I am currently an MSW student and am enrolled in a Community Work SW class that extends over the entire school year. My professor is very thought provoking and has a teaching method of pushing his students to achieve more, sometimes by going beyond our comfort zones to try new methods of reaching people and spreading our ideas. At first, a couple of our assignments were met with resistance from my class. These assignments required internet blogging and creating a “youtube” clip expressing social action. The argument ranged from not being tech savvy to not wanting to be viewed publicly. For myself, I was weary of meeting my professor’s and the world’s standards with my writing. So, here I am, writing my first blog, understanding that it isn’t so hard, and realizing once again that my procrastination is my biggest handicap.
I have learned through several events since starting the fall semester just how important it is for us as community gatherers, to harness and utilize technology. We are riding the wave of the future and for us not to use technology to help spread information would be like stepping off our surfboards while trying to stay on top of the wave. So many of us use the internet as part of our daily lives and as a way of accessing our daily news and information. It makes perfect sense to utilize this tool to spread our messages and attract people to join our groups. And, best of all, it is instantaneous and currently free.
I decided to write a blog on this topic after reading Noam Chomsky’s essay entitled Media Control. He highlights how and why our media was developed and the power it has in controlling the public opinion. In 1916, the Creel Commission was developed under Woodrow Wilson. The purpose of this committee was to study and develop methods of propaganda to sway public opinion, from the pacifist thinking that the country was under to a war mongering mentality, in order to become involved in World War I. This idea became a method of controlling the public mind and has proven to be successful ever since. Chomsky states that propaganda “when supported by the educated classes and when no deviation is permitted from it, can have a big effect” (2002). This was also a lesson that Hitler learned from and was successful in controlling an army to carry out atrocities. If swaying the public mind can be used to stimulate war, it can also be used to create peace.
We, as social workers and community gatherers, have to learn from these examples as well. Much like state propaganda, if we get our messages broadcast through the available media sources, we will be able to attract the attention of the masses. The internet is an excellent tool for us to take advantage of, in order to attract people to our causes so that we are able to have a profound effect when trying to rally the public to understand injustices and strive for justice for all.
Chomsky, N. (2002). Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda (2nd Edition). New York: Seven Stories Press.
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