In the film “Her”, directed by Spike Jonze, we follow the life of Theodore Twomby, a lonely and sensitive man trying to figure out what he wants in his life. After recently separating from his wife, he is hesitant to begin another relationship. Theodore comes across an intelligent computer operating system (or OS) named Samantha. Her conscious human-like capabilities allow her to communicate with Theodore, assist him throughout his daily life, and sense his feelings. After a failed blind date, he finds comfort in Samantha’s empathizing and compassionate personality, and eventually begins to create a romantic relationship with her. As the film progresses, we can see the development of Theodore from being an isolated and sad person into a sociable, …show more content…
We perceive him as a sensitive, emotional, and soft-spoken individual. Gender’s role in Theodore’s development can be attributed to a non-conventional masculine character which is contributed by his environment. His job requires a certain level of emotion and sensitivity to be able to craft personalized letters for people who are unable to use their own words to write them; like an emotional surrogate. Ciulla says we choose work based on the things that we want, need, and are willing to give up (2011). This work environment may add to the isolation and instability that Theodore feels and looks to regulate. In addition, the majority of the people that he associates himself with are women. This can lead to development of a more feminine and sensitive being. Theodore and Amy, seem to share similar characteristics; their humor, mannerisms, and emotional understanding of each other. Lastly, Samantha's role in their relationship shows her to be the more assertive and stable partner – something that may be typical of a male in a heterosexual relationship. Social constructivist theory focuses on how people construct meaning, a sense of self, and a social world through their interactions with each other. They learn, through their interactions, to classify the world and their place in it. People interact with each other and the physical world based on shared meanings, or shared understandings about the world. The emphasis …show more content…
This sense of individuality can be troubling for a client; because it is so unique they alone have unacceptable problems, thoughts, impulses, and fantasies (Yalom, 2005). Social workers are told to ‘meet the client where they are’; according to Hutchinson, social constructionist have given new meaning to this term (2010). In social constructionist perspective, the therapeutic relationship begins with developing an understanding of how the client views the situation and specifying what the client’s goals are (Hutchinson, 2010). It focuses on a medley of interventions such as solution-focused, narrative, and storytelling therapies (Hutchinson, 2010). As a social worker, I would want to focus on the present state of Theodore as his journey through the film took many turns for the better and
The challenges that the social worker identified and the impact the abuse could have on Brandon include the trauma and abuse, illness and struggle may be injurious, but they may also be sources of challenge and opportunity. Every environment is full of resources. Resources can provide great strengths. One of social workers’ major roles is to link clients with the resources they need to empower them to improve their lives (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman,
It was an effective film to show that clarifying goals of therapy are another way to provide effective counseling rather than giving advice and solving the clients’ problems. Specially working with a minority group client, I always try to be prepared, learn about my client culture, background, values, beliefs, create a plan, make sure my client doesn’t not feel overwhelmed or discouraged by any of my statements, frame the issue in a personal context, and allow a moment of silence for the emotions to come out. In general, the counseling profession must develop multicultural competencies in order to successfully work with clients from diverse
A key element of Solution Focused Brief therapy (SFBT) is that the clients already have the knowledge and skills to solve their problems which they are facing. De Shazer et al, (1986, p.207) stated that “This is the key to brief therapy; utilizing what clients bring with them to help them meet their needs in such a way that they can make satisfactory lives for themselves”. The role of the social worker is to help clients to find their capacities. Social workers can bring change in client’s lives through many ways (Healy, 2014).
Social Workers are very important to everyday life. They are the ones that help people in need when they have nobody else to turn too. Also, they provide resources and better understanding of predicaments that you could be experiencing. I will reflect on how the class has affected me, my own experiences and how some theories have connected to my life experiences, and lastly, if the class helped toward my major. This class is important for someone that wants to become a social worker and wants to learn about the different theories used. Also, learning about me during this process of completing this class is fun and a way to see if the social work profession is right for me. There was many theories explained throughout this class but many will not be said because it wasn’t the main points that I was trying to get across. There are two tools that are used that can help a social worker organize a client’s life: Bubble map and Briefcase exercise. There are so many different ways a social worker can help a client deal with their problems and come up with a solution. It is up to that social worker to identify the client’s problem and see what theory fits.
In closing, I would like to say that the Film was very informative. In fact, I have gained a good insight into my own development as a social work therapist. I am now able to conduct interviews with clients and engage in reflective listening, an area that I once struggled with. Furthermore, I am now confident in working with clients to develop a clear treatment plan, another area that I once struggled with. Overall, the film allowed me to track my progress, and see the areas that I could use work. I looked forward to engaging in a motivational interviewing
Both SIT and social constructionism are historically and culturally specific as different historical times and different cultures use different language. Both perspectives are similar here as we are able to define ourselves through language and relationships (sometimes within a group culture). The way we u...
The changes in Theodore and Samantha’s relationship can best be described using the Helical Model of Relationship Development. According to Stewart, Zediker & Witteborn (2005, pg. 267), the Helical Model of Relationship Development is composed of four stages: Security, Disintegration, Alienation, and Resynthesis. When something disrupts a relationship, the relationship enters the Disintegration stage - a stage filled with unease and questioning. To alleviate the uncertainty of the relationship, the participants withdraw and enter a period of alienation. Soon after, the participants work together to redefine (or resynthesize) the relationship and enter into a new state of security.
Narrative theory is underpinned by ideas of postmodernism, which makes an assumption that truth is subjective and embedded in stories or experiences of individuals (Connolly & Harms, 2013). Therefore, social workers who incorporate this theory wants to understand the ‘truths’ or ‘problems’ that people have constructed about themselves, depending on the context of their own experiences (Payne, 2006). Constructing stories about themselves and their experiences are part of meaning-making process. Each person’s experience of depression is personal and unique to them (dep. org). Witnessing and listening to people’s stories and validating their experiences such as impact of oppression and grief is important for recovery and to reclaim their lives
Furthermore, social constructivism allows students to be presented with the same learning experience while giving them the ability to experience it in a way personal to them. I understand we all have varying life experiences that influences our perception of things in the world around us. I fully intend to help guide students to the knowledge needed to be successful, but I will not influence how they apply their knowledge to life experiences. I strongly feel an educator should not be a dictator in the classroom, but instead only a guide to help assist students in testing the capability of their own learning. A social constructivist class is set up in a manner conducive to such and affords students and teachers the opportunity to nurture such style. I place great value on making sure the environment is fair, safe, and welcoming to all. My management style will allow students to feel secure and comfortable to question learning processes and reflect on the “hows” and “whys” without feeling as if they are questioning authority which can often happen in a teacher centered classroom unfortunately. My student centered
The Social Construction Theory is defined as the event of individuals and or groups perceive real life events and objects and put a meaning to them. Social construction is an ongoing process and views can be modified because the concept is relying upon the communication from one person to another and different people can interpret things differently. One way society has constructed ideas is with animals. Throughout history people have created stories using animals as characters and those stories were passed down from generation to generation. Those stories can influence how people feel about the actual animals.
For this reason, some of the brief therapies, such as strategic family therapy or solution-focused therapy, that focus on rapid change without much attention to understanding, might be more appropriate. However, I believe these brief therapies do not give clients enough time to really parse out their problem. I am wary of counseling that limits clients’ ability to tell their stories fully, which seems like just one more way of silencing people, oppressing them, and keeping them in line. In working with my clients I want to collectively understand how problem-saturated stories developed, the cultural, familial, or biological factors that might be involved, and the availability of choices. I believe that narrative therapy is the most flexible approach in this respect because although not brief, it is efficient and seems to be effective long-term, although more research is needed, which is challenging because of the subjective nature of this approach (Madigan, 2011). In my therapy practice, I want to leave clients feeling hopeful and liberated by helping them to see the problem as separate from their identities and as only one story to choose from several, and by acknowledging the contextual factors contributing to the
Open University (2011) K(ZW) 315 Critical Practice in Social Work, CDA1, Panel Discussion on Critical Practice (Tracks 1-5), Milton Keynes, The Open University.
The term social construction is the understandings childhoods are not the same everywhere and that while all societies acknowledge that children are different from adults, how they are different and what expectations are placed on them, change according to the society in which they live and what culture they are born in to. Every individual child goes through emotional changes that occur between birth and adolescence. A Childs development is impacted by the environment and nurture during this course. For example having both parents can add stability to the child’s life which encourages a healthy development. As opposed to being raised by one working parent who can’t provide the child with the same amount of time a two parent family can which some may argue impacts the child’s progression. Social construction of childhood and youth is how culture dictates the way people act and treat children and the way this impacts their adulthood. Ideas about children and childhood
Wilson, K. et. al., 2011. Social Work ' Introduction to Contemporary Practice'. 2nd ed. Essex, England.: Pearson Education Ltd .
...nstructivism. Core to social constructivism practices is the creation of a social environment where students can use language to communicate, collaborate and socially interact with each other to learn. The prevalence of constructionist principals in current education attests to the importance of Vygotskys’ theories and their successful application in the classroom.