A Social Work Paradox: By Holding the Space we are Silent
All articles filed in Gabrielle Francis Conrad-Amlicke, MSW
Advocate for Environmental Social Work & CEO Founder Environmental Social Work LLC
Practitioners must be Careful about Blaming Oppressed People for their Troubles (Gitterman, 1996)
This was for a course but I think we can think this one through together.
In Gitterman’s (1996) description of the Life Model of Social Work Practice, he states, “Practitioners must be careful about blaming oppressed people for their troubles” (p. 389). In light of this statement, how do you think he would perceive the arguments made by Rank (2011) and Miehls (2011) about the effects of poverty and race? Would he agree with their positions, or would he view their work as blaming? Write a short paragraph (4-5 sentences) to share your thoughts.
My Answer: Overall, Rank (2011) recognizes that socioeconomic status has a correlation to specific environmental quality’s (Rank, 2011). Rank (2011) puts forth that that those with lower socioeconomic status can be harmed by poor environmental features of a person’s life. Which leads me to believe that Gitterman (1996) would agree with Rank (2011) due to the fact that one can not blame an individual for the environment in which they develop. Similarly, Miehls (2011) describes how People of Color have long been seen as inferior due to their physical characteristics (Miehls, 2011). Because physical characteristics are something one can not change about themselves, I believe this view would alline with Gitterman’s (1996). This is due to the fact that Gitterman (1996) emphasises that practitioners must be aware of the holistic nature of life and Natural environment and biology of a human which symbolically affects individuals.
Your Answer in the Comments!
Thought provoking! Would you say a person has a higher chance of having a positive feedback loop with his/her/their environment…
Thank You!. Will DO!
Thank You!!!! It seriously means so much to know people are enjoying my thoughts within this space. Nice to meet…
Keep these good articles coming.
Macro/policy Practice Article
Creating space: ecological social work
Gravity is “invisible” but not removed from sensation; we can feel the effects of gravity daily, for example dropping something on your foot. In short gravity relates to mass, “People have mass too, and while our physical bodies might not exert gravity the way the Sun affects the Earth, our interests, experiences, appearance, ethics, morals, values, and life choices combine to create a peculiar gravitational pull” (Frono, 2019) on those around us.
As social workers we go to great lengths to understand how our; values, ethics, morals, values, and life, affect our practice. Through this individual introspection we cultivate the type of practitioner we will be.
For me, it seems relevant to analyze the physical environment as a variable which holds tremendous “gravitational pull” on each aspect of ourselves and client population we work with or advocate for. So, to analyze my thoughts I turn to research.
Since most environmental systems are open and interconnected, the changes in any process-response system have effects on many, these effects are known as feedback loops. The term ‘feedback’ refers to the effect that occurs when the output of a system becomes an input to the same system (Smithson et al 2008 p. 12).
Feedback loops may be positive or negative: positive feedback occurs when the effects of an original change are amplified or accelerated to produce a ‘snowballing’ effect, in other words a positive feedback loop… in contrast, a negative feedback loop in the environment occurs as a result of the interaction between predators and their prey (The Earth Systems and its Components).
Let’s think of the metaphor of a tree. A Tree gives us shade: when were hot we might seek it out. However, whither were consciously aware of it or not, medical science tell us that there are feedback loop within our body to regulate body temperature.
This tree is then cut down, we no longer have access to the consciously seeking out shade when we’re feeling hot. In terms of human environment interactions, I purpose that the removal of the tree disrupts a feedback loop that we established with this element of our natural environment.
The lesson is that feedback loops may be interconnected. One action acting as a variable to more than one “loop.”
If humans are understood as predators of the environment, that is preying on the natural earth through destructive actions then the result becomes a negative feedback loop.
The who, where, where, when why, how, questions have large answers that are interconnected. Blaming the cause of the occurrence of Environmental Injustice on one system working within a feedback loop (say an oil company or builders who deforest for the means of a new shopping mall) doesn’t work. This is because the systems are interconnected. It seems the best way to advocate for the progression of environmental consciousness is to understand the variables and impacts of each system and begin to make links.
Thus, the Person-In-Environment theory that the practice of social work uses becomes a valuable tool. As I have promoted before, the practice of social work must engage heavy with research to back links with statistical significance. Without empirical research, we are study is a version of, The Myth of Sisyphus, because no large-scale change will occur, in other word, policy change.
It seems pertinent that social work professionals begin or continue to integrate themselves into all professional fields. This integration will allow for elevated pressure on the individual worker as other schooled professionals can provide their theory/research.
From the context of analyzing my personal philosophy on social work I arrived at activism that serves to dismantle the negative feedback loop. I hope that as I continue to learn my “educational mass” increases; thus, exerting a larger gravitational pull. However, I believe that my effectiveness will come from working with other professionals who have a deep understanding of their profession.
What I mean is that my explanation of gravity, feedback loops, environmental science, ecx, would be more valuable if I were working with individuals who dedicated their lives to these practices. With the current state of the environment, now more than ever, it seems so pressing to finally collaborate and leave the typical built environments which we typically preform our professions.
The researcher in a lab has a lot to say but is anyone giving them a platform? Sure, published papers are a platform is only as effective as the amount of professionals it reaches who are going to apply the academia to real world interactions.
Environmental Activists of Color – Yes! Magazine
Elsa Mengistu
— Read on www.yesmagazine.org/issue/world-we-want/2020/02/19/environmental-activists-of-color/
Resources for Prospective Social Workers — The Political Social Worker
Rachel L. West, MSW, LMSW The Political Social Worker A couple of days ago a Tumblr follower asked me for some advice about applying to an MSW program. This gave me the idea to put together a small list of resources for perspective (and current) social work students. socialworkhelper.com A social networking site for helping […]
Resources for Prospective Social Workers — The Political Social Worker
This Many Hands Not Need Eyes to See- I Write This Poem In Solidarity
We can do so much or so little.
The button of these new overalls won’t fit.
Produced, manufactured, stitched
The hole is bound.
Before binding we measure.
The measure is susceptible to human error.
yet, measures are not what they seem.
Do you, or I, myself, know it wasn’t the fault of a machine.
The button has force but only through my body, my fingers my energy.
Hands that once forced buttons through tight holes are skeletons.
Skeletons killing skeletons is the fact of the matter.
300 bones at birth fuse together to make 206. 206 bones learn through the environment.
The splendors of life decomposing.
The degradation of one’s ability to choose the measure, the amount of force needed to get the button through its hole.
If you fear your overalls won’t fit you push harder.
Strap up and strap in or stagnation, transient thought of fabric pushback upon the first attempt of this action.
Whether the machine was off the count or the hand may we pounder.
What must you think of your counterpart?
The button can not speak; no mouth it was given. No bones, no face, no nothing like you, I, Me, We, All are.
300 bones don’t fuse to 206 to become organic matter by such forceful thoughtlessness.
See 206 took, the process, 206 took.
211 cant decipher through the receiver Where to route the calls. 206 bones become 412 at the moment of conception to being 270 to breath.
Fingers learn skills through cognition; family patterns and out of systems 206 bones.
The manufactures pick; price, worth, and gloating prosperity. Manufactures are not ghosts in presents. 206 bones they take skill them to slay; skillful systematic- targeted beyond belief.
206 bones cant breath – 206 bones feel eyes burnt – 206 bones plead – 206 bones proclaim don’t fear me I’m here to protect not manufactured to oblige to cries.
Bones attempt to write the manufacture – 206 bones are sent back copies of the manuals and procedures.
We tear it up, burn the book. We demand refunds on 206.
The fight will continue until a new skill is fabricated- we will die trying. We are hunting for gold with eyes wide shut. yet, we cant equate the power of many hands belonging to bling owners in unison searching; to the gaze of their eyes projecting power.
Fools handing us the book thinking we can’t rewrite our history- this many hands not need eyes, digging our graves, the graves of those manufacturers took to you to die.
This many hands not need eyes to see.
I say “distant but not alone” Class of 2020
The Many emotions of getting my tassels in the mail
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I say “distant but not alone” • I have been designing a lot through the hurt that all this has caused. I feel #humbled and #scared • Not everything is black and white but right now attempting to color this sorrow is an act which promotes the thought that we should downplay.
I never took well to the whole commentary which goes alone the lines of “someone is suffering more” though this is true I ask then what is mindfulness. Being present patient and still with your emotions, notice them. It’s in the silence that you find comfort because the second we put words to emotions we distort them.
I love languages but some things are better left without #cognitive distortion.
HERE’S A POEM
I share, it makes me vulnerable, but I also know maybe someone will be inspired to write a better one
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This is by me @the_environmentalsocialworker or AKA @_g.francis –
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If you frame life right now from a biological standpoint everyone is adapting.
Sustainability is the reciprocal process of that which is sustained.
We could not sustain post-viral pandemic
Policy play a role to prevent and save the population
We obey
Thus, the market will also adapt.
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A new beginning is before us. The premodern feedback loop has been broken. Entropy of the premodern was imposed upon causing the human race to do as it does in any ecological system: adapt.
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The fragility of our essence is brought to light. Survival of the fittest is brought into context here with full compassion. Nature is not beautiful or a force which is predictable. Feedback loops are causal only through the ability to conceptually frame the variables.
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Biologists forfronted this through extensive field processing of habitats and life sustained through the given environment.
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The current state of affairs contradicts that which was natural law. The natural world is law-less. This is a critical period.
Economic Globalization, Sleep-Wake Rhythms & COVID-19
Macro/Policy Environmental Social Work Perspective
Economic globalization become a worldwide trend (Han, 2019). With globalization comes technology. Technology and the environment should be of growing concern. Now more than ever. Given COVID-19, are legislators and enforcers thinking of the stimulus and social welfare in terms physiological rhythms in humans?
Studies show that relevant to the environment (the built environment that is, the once we are all confined to… if heavily impacted by environmental cues; light, noise, and temperature are synchronizing to Sleep-wake rhythms in humans.
As the current state of our lives will have it, much of work is being done in the same spaces we often strive, or should strive to keep sacred. This is because our rhythms are extremely effected by noise pollution, night work, social media, blue light. Thanks to open data it has been found that
“Extensive open-access databases now focus on these disturbing environmental and societal cues”
Damien Legerab & Christian Guilleminaultc
The fields associated with sleep are: noise, light, radio frequencies, transportation, and internet”
Damien Legerab & Christian Guilleminaultc
These environmental open data may help us in understanding better sleep rhythms globally”
Damien Legerab & Christian Guilleminaultc
- Insight of the day: “the development index of Digital Economy and Society (DESI), an instrument that can detect a data system in order to quantify the level of technological development at the macro level and the micro level” (Vanessa Russo : Qualitative and Quantitative Models in Socio-Economic Systems and Social Work pp 427-442| Cite as Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). European Guidelines and Empirical Applications on the Territory)
Global Public Goods(GPGs):Global Social Issue
Global Public Goods (GPGs) is a variable which serves global agendas due to the necessary use of Intellectual Knowledge house in GPGs as platforms for strategic building in developing countries. As social workers engage with international relations the profession must have access to the most recent research. Often research is housed by gatekeepers. Thus, GPGs should be of a global concern for the way that Intellectual Knowledge promotes strengthened links to Resources for Social Workers to utilize within their; scope of practice, research, and application to practice theory.
Promoting Intellectual Knowledge as global public goods (GPGs) is an important element of the development agenda .
(Sahay , 2019)
Mainstream economics fails to recognize environmental limits to economic growth (Czech, 2013). Thus, Social Workers at an international level must engage with and have access to GPGs to support global social welfare; from a community focus to the varying economic impacts that come from GPGs being gated by a numerical cost.
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