Showing posts with label Graduate School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Graduate School. Show all posts
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Professional Helpers
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A quote from my reading this week (Social Work Practice With Children, by Webb, 2003):
A quote from my reading this week (Social Work Practice With Children, by Webb, 2003):
"Some children not only survive but actually do well despite all to the contrary. Often, the influence of one adult makes enough impact to tip the balance of negative environment in a child's life. Although these 'invulnerable children' are exceptional, their life experience argues for the positive impact of professional helpers on the lives of at-risk children who are 'vulnerable.'"
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Last Days
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No, I'm not talking about eschatology or the end times. I'm talking about your "last day..."
No, I'm not talking about eschatology or the end times. I'm talking about your "last day..."
...at a job
...in school
...in a certain home or city.
"Last days" anywhere are always sort of weird. You may be looking forward to it, have been dreading it, or are just sort of ambivalent and ready to GET OUT. But the last day anywhere always feels to me a bit anti-climactic.
Today is my last day at my internship that I've had for the past 5 months. It's been a pleasant experience, and I've certainly learned a lot. But I'm only here 2 days a week, so its nothing major. Nevertheless, all the staff and teachers are saying to me, "So, it's your last day...."
And that's where the conversation starts and ends....I usually say something like, "Yep." And they say, "OK."
See what I mean. Last days are weird.
They did find a good picture to post on the door....
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
An Aim For My Life
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I have never read much by John Dominic Crossan, but his recent post on the Huffington Post Religion page was a solid read. His article is entitled: "With Liberty and Justice for All: Why the Bible Promotes Equality." It is an explanation of what the exactly is meant by the biblical concept of "divine justice" and from where that concept originated in ancient communities.
I have never read much by John Dominic Crossan, but his recent post on the Huffington Post Religion page was a solid read. His article is entitled: "With Liberty and Justice for All: Why the Bible Promotes Equality." It is an explanation of what the exactly is meant by the biblical concept of "divine justice" and from where that concept originated in ancient communities.
A few of the lines that stood out to me:
"The most serious and far-reaching misunderstanding of that biblical tradition is to interpret divine justice as retributive rather than distributive, as if it meant a proper punishment for some rather than a fair share for all."
"the biblical tradition does not proclaim "social justice" but "divine justice" -- which is something like social justice on steroids."
"But what if some of the children were starving and others were over-fed? What if some received food while others did not? What would you think of that householder -- then or now? That is the mega-model or mega-metaphor underneath the biblical tradition's understanding of its God. That is why the biblical God can demand of the powers-that-be, the rulers of this world, that they,
Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. (Psalm 82:3)
You can see from those parallel verses that "justice" is "the right" of the dispossessed. Distributive justice is not gift, charity, or handout in a world that belongs to us but the simple right of all in a world that belongs to God."
I been deeply struck by the justice themes in Scripture. Divine justice is close to God's heart, and may even be at the very center of the kingdom of God, the very thing that God is doing in the world around us. Crossan's words are helpful on a couple of accounts:
First, "Divine justice" doesn't have to mean punishment. Unfortunately, we often use "God's justice" as a battering stick over the heads of those we believe are "wrong" in whatever situation. We are so convinced that we are righteous and it is our job to dole out judgment and justice. But if justice is about sharing, as Crossan points out, then justice is my responsibility, but in a very different way.
Second, the goal of distributive justice is not a handout and is not to be equated with the negative American concept of "social welfare." I believe that our social welfare programs are failed attempts at trying to properly achieve distributive justice. It is a lofty goal! But not one that we should give up on. Rather, we must continue to search and find ways to "Give justice to the weak and the orphan, to maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute." This is God's command to all of us, and his will for the world that is his own. And he has made it the right of all his children, all people on earth.
So what does that mean for me? It means I'm continually more and more excited about being connected with the social work field. The first core value of the National Association of Social Workers is "Social Justice." That is a complex concept, and not all would define it as Crossan does here, but I see an important intersection. I believe that social workers are really trying to do what Crossan is talking about, trying to be good "householders" in the global "house."
I'm excited about my role in that profession, and for myself, I will continue to try to adopt and internalize the heart of God, one that desires and works for justice for all.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Every "Yes" is a Thousand "No's"
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I struggle with making big decisions. I am plagued by a desire to do it all. So I dream big, but I dream different every day, and I usually end up not doing anything. I forget my day-to-day dreams, and I simply continue with life as commonplace.
One reason I hesitate to follow any one particular dream is because to do so would mean that I could not follow my other dreams. This is one reason why I struggled to decide upon a Master's program for several years. If I chose theology, I couldn't also do international studies or social work, and vice versa. You can quickly see how silly this logic is. Wouldn't it be better to do at lay one thing you want, rather than nothing?
But in reality, I go around in circles in my head, and end up just where I started. I want to do it all, but I feel like I end up doing nothing.
Right now I'm thinking about choices I have to make for the summer, for potential trips, choices about what classes to take, what field placement I would like, and what I want my professional career to look like. I feel burdened by these choices. I want to do it all!
In times like these, I try to remember what my special director reminded me, that every yes is a no to everything else. Every decision to do one thing is necessarily a decision not to do everything else.
I want to choose a path. I want to feel confident about out, to be excited and energized and passionate about my future. I don't want to feel haunted by the "no's" - instead I want to believe in my "yes."
I struggle with making big decisions. I am plagued by a desire to do it all. So I dream big, but I dream different every day, and I usually end up not doing anything. I forget my day-to-day dreams, and I simply continue with life as commonplace.
One reason I hesitate to follow any one particular dream is because to do so would mean that I could not follow my other dreams. This is one reason why I struggled to decide upon a Master's program for several years. If I chose theology, I couldn't also do international studies or social work, and vice versa. You can quickly see how silly this logic is. Wouldn't it be better to do at lay one thing you want, rather than nothing?
But in reality, I go around in circles in my head, and end up just where I started. I want to do it all, but I feel like I end up doing nothing.
Right now I'm thinking about choices I have to make for the summer, for potential trips, choices about what classes to take, what field placement I would like, and what I want my professional career to look like. I feel burdened by these choices. I want to do it all!
In times like these, I try to remember what my special director reminded me, that every yes is a no to everything else. Every decision to do one thing is necessarily a decision not to do everything else.
I want to choose a path. I want to feel confident about out, to be excited and energized and passionate about my future. I don't want to feel haunted by the "no's" - instead I want to believe in my "yes."
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Poverty Is...
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This quarter I am taking a class on poverty, and our first assignment was to respond to this YouTube video -
Below is my essay response. Coincidentally, the day after I wrote the essay, I read a post that stated that "Poverty is a Perception."
Anyway, here is what I wrote. It might be a little over the top, but I really believe it (I think).
---
This quarter I am taking a class on poverty, and our first assignment was to respond to this YouTube video -
Below is my essay response. Coincidentally, the day after I wrote the essay, I read a post that stated that "Poverty is a Perception."
Anyway, here is what I wrote. It might be a little over the top, but I really believe it (I think).
---
In the simplest sense, “poverty” is the state of being poor, having insufficient resources to live independently day-to-day. However, even this definition begs the question, what is the standard for poor? For example, in the United States, “poor” would be making less than $10,000 a year. Yet around the world, many people survive on only a few dollars a day – far less than the standard of living in developed countries. This basic example is used to highlight the inherent complexities of poverty. In addition to relative social standards, other factors include the effects of education, race and gender, the cycle of poverty within families, the prevalence of mental illness among the poor, and the accessibility to resources within differing regions of the world.
Therefore, my personal definition of poverty would be the state of being below the standard of living for a given country or region, a phenomenon that will continue throughout human history but will vary in its description and standards as societies progress and decline. But there is deeper aspect of poverty, highlighted in the video show in class, which must be described.
The video began with the question, “Does this disturb you?” and proceeded to list statistics of poverty along with sentimental images. Clearly, the point of the video is to show that such statistics and images should upset any person who takes the time to think about it. I believe that this is truly the essence of poverty: A state of existence so disparate, there exists an inherent power to draw people from differing socio-economic statuses together, and in such a “coming together” an experience of life that goes beyond “poor” and “wealthy” is found.
I will further explain the inherent power – and beauty – of poverty by pointing out the fundamental flaw in the video from class. While the video gave many compelling statistics regarding poverty, it failed to quantify the rate of happiness amongst the poor. Of course, this is because happiness is very difficult to quantify. The subliminal message of the video was this: “People living in poverty, like those pictured in this video, live in very bad situations in terms of material goods, and therefore the life of the poor is worse than the life of the wealthy.” But we all know that there are people who are wealthy who are unhappy, and there are people who are extremely poor who exhibit joy and satisfaction in life. Something about human nature does not depend solely upon material goods in order to determine the quality of life.
What then is social work? Or in other words, if the poor are able to be happy, why work to remedy the situation? Why not allow human beings to live disconnected lives, maintaining the existing socio-economic statuses? The answer is that to do so would be to miss out on the experience of “coming together,” the experience that, as previously mentioned, goes beyond material goods to the core value of a society, namely the connection between human beings. Poverty, in its worst forms, separates and disconnects people. The poor live in “ghettos” and the wealthy move further away into the suburbs. Separate cultures of the poor and the rich develop, and the two paths rarely cross in daily life. But, as the profession of social work demonstrates, societies cannot exist fully separate from one another. Rather, the inherent power of poverty draws those who are privileged to attempt to engage and assist those in need, thereby bringing what was once separate together and creating something better.
Poverty, in its most beautiful forms, takes us beyond any measurement of material goods. Smiles, laughter, hugs, shaking hands and offering a kind go beyond quantifiable value. The practice between two people of offering and receiving help is of such worth that it literally erases the lines of poverty. This is why I want to be a social worker. Issues like poverty draw humans together, and at the point of intersection between two souls where more is found in common than dissimilar, a new way of life emerges. This way of life goes beyond statistics, heart-wrenching images, and or governmental policies. This way of life teaches me that to really live, to really experience life, I have to give of myself to another person, and I have to be willing to receive life from others.
Poverty, in all its forms, pushes me to live this in this way. Poverty is simply the external catalyst that sparks the encounter, casting a hopeful light on what statistics say is a dark world.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Registered for OSU MSW
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For a few months now I've been considering the Master's of Social Work program at the Ohio State University. In all honesty, I know very little about social work as a profession, even less about the graduate field and I'm only started to get to know the program at OSU.
However, I'm excited about the program for a few reasons:
First, I need a change of pace; I need to challenge myself; I need to get moving on a graduate education.
It has been a full year since I was asked to leave GCCS. I loved teaching, and at the point when I was asked to leave, I had come to a point where I thought I could teach at that school for the rest of my career. Being asked to leave on short notice made me rethink what I really wanted to do with my life, and that proved to be a difficult question. Even after a year of reflecting, talking with a spiritual director, going to retreats and conferences, and getting advice from family and friends, I still don't really know what I want to do "when I grow up." I don't feel like I have a clear vision or goal for my future.
I'm trying to be OK with that. But it's tough. Perhaps that what it means to enjoy the journey for what it is, but I think it would be easier, and perhaps I would be more "successful" if I had a clear goal.
But what I've learned through the course of this year is that I easily sink to the lowest level of demand being placed on me at the moment. So I work five days a week, and enjoy my evenings and weekends. This is a pleasant life, for sure. But I don't feel satisfied, challenged, or fulfilled. I don't feel as though I'm doing what I could be doing; I'm not being who I want to be.
I believe that returning to full-time studies, in a field that is totally unknown to me, at the graduate level, will "kick my butt in gear," will open up new ideas and possibilities, and will hopefully help me to find out who it is that I am and who I want to be in life.
Second, OSU is local (don't have to move), convenient, and affordable for in-state students.
Kellye and I have talked about many different options for us, including ideas like moving across the country or even out of the country. I'm drawn to the sense of adventure, but the reality is that our home and our community in Columbus is really good. There aren't many reasons to leave something that is so good for our family. Furthermore, as we consider possibly starting our own family in the next few years, we'd like to be close to our parents and other loved ones.
The MSW program at Ohio State can be completed in two years (as a full-time student), and the total cost would be under $25,000. To receive a solid, versatile degree from a recognized institution in such a short time for a relatively low cost is a great opportunity that I feel I should take advantage of.
I recognize this degree program will not be everything, but it is a good start.
I dream about being at an institution where the faculty and staff have close relationships. Where I live near campus and walk everywhere. A place where I love my studies, have an opportunity to teach and even minister to students. A place where my Christian faith is informed and challenged. I realize that this will not happen at OSU. It won't be the "dream graduate school."
However, an MSW is a versatile degree, and OSU is a school that offers many opportunities. As a large institution, I will have chances to take classes in different fields if I want, network and make connections, and hopefully learn more about career opportunities and areas in which I would like to continue to study and work. The bottom line is that, as best I can tell, an MSW will put me in the position in two years to be a strong candidate for a good job in an organization that I would be excited to work in.
So, as best I can tell right now, I will be a full-time graduate student beginning September 2010.
I've written about this as much to process for myself why I'm making this decision, because honestly I also have a lot of uncertainty. But I also welcome any feedback or advice that anyone has to offer.
For a few months now I've been considering the Master's of Social Work program at the Ohio State University. In all honesty, I know very little about social work as a profession, even less about the graduate field and I'm only started to get to know the program at OSU.
However, I'm excited about the program for a few reasons:
First, I need a change of pace; I need to challenge myself; I need to get moving on a graduate education.
It has been a full year since I was asked to leave GCCS. I loved teaching, and at the point when I was asked to leave, I had come to a point where I thought I could teach at that school for the rest of my career. Being asked to leave on short notice made me rethink what I really wanted to do with my life, and that proved to be a difficult question. Even after a year of reflecting, talking with a spiritual director, going to retreats and conferences, and getting advice from family and friends, I still don't really know what I want to do "when I grow up." I don't feel like I have a clear vision or goal for my future.
I'm trying to be OK with that. But it's tough. Perhaps that what it means to enjoy the journey for what it is, but I think it would be easier, and perhaps I would be more "successful" if I had a clear goal.
But what I've learned through the course of this year is that I easily sink to the lowest level of demand being placed on me at the moment. So I work five days a week, and enjoy my evenings and weekends. This is a pleasant life, for sure. But I don't feel satisfied, challenged, or fulfilled. I don't feel as though I'm doing what I could be doing; I'm not being who I want to be.
I believe that returning to full-time studies, in a field that is totally unknown to me, at the graduate level, will "kick my butt in gear," will open up new ideas and possibilities, and will hopefully help me to find out who it is that I am and who I want to be in life.
Second, OSU is local (don't have to move), convenient, and affordable for in-state students.
Kellye and I have talked about many different options for us, including ideas like moving across the country or even out of the country. I'm drawn to the sense of adventure, but the reality is that our home and our community in Columbus is really good. There aren't many reasons to leave something that is so good for our family. Furthermore, as we consider possibly starting our own family in the next few years, we'd like to be close to our parents and other loved ones.
The MSW program at Ohio State can be completed in two years (as a full-time student), and the total cost would be under $25,000. To receive a solid, versatile degree from a recognized institution in such a short time for a relatively low cost is a great opportunity that I feel I should take advantage of.
I recognize this degree program will not be everything, but it is a good start.
I dream about being at an institution where the faculty and staff have close relationships. Where I live near campus and walk everywhere. A place where I love my studies, have an opportunity to teach and even minister to students. A place where my Christian faith is informed and challenged. I realize that this will not happen at OSU. It won't be the "dream graduate school."
However, an MSW is a versatile degree, and OSU is a school that offers many opportunities. As a large institution, I will have chances to take classes in different fields if I want, network and make connections, and hopefully learn more about career opportunities and areas in which I would like to continue to study and work. The bottom line is that, as best I can tell, an MSW will put me in the position in two years to be a strong candidate for a good job in an organization that I would be excited to work in.
So, as best I can tell right now, I will be a full-time graduate student beginning September 2010.
I've written about this as much to process for myself why I'm making this decision, because honestly I also have a lot of uncertainty. But I also welcome any feedback or advice that anyone has to offer.
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