Statement of Purpose My understanding of the social work profession has evolved over time as I have learned about the occupation, while also being a recipient of its assistance. It is an approach to people of being able to practice unconditional positive regard with any population with whom I work, and being able to accept, respect, and help others even after a most heinous act. It is keeping myself free from judgement and helping all of those in need. It is not strictly the act of doing things for others, but rather empowering them to be able to make life changes for themselves. The profession of social work has undergone many changes in the wake of our current global society and all of its associations and consequences. There are social, …show more content…
Military. I am familiar working with diverse populations of people, both in the civilian world and government. My experiences have showed me that people are more alike than they are different and that we all deserve to be treated fairly and with respect. However, with that said, caution must be utilized when facing cultural differences. Flexibility, understanding, and acceptance are vital qualities to exhibit among diverse people. Our American values may not be the same as their cultural values and misunderstandings could occur. Communication is the key to success. We must not be afraid to ask questions and learn about each other. My feelings about working with people who are different than me involve compassion, understanding and being non-judgmental. However, I recognize that we all need to be educated about these difference and I eagerly seek instruction in these cultural or socioeconomical differences, whether that is formal study or from informal conversations. No matter the situation, my first thought will always to be how I can show the person who is different from me that I care about …show more content…
I am part of a research team with the head of the human services department on campus. The Faculty Scholar release time provided by the school has enabled Dr. Phan to work on a project entitled “The Readjustments to Civilian Life: The University Experiences of Student Veterans.” This is a pilot project to do qualitative interviews with 30 student veterans on campus about their university experiences. It is hoped to learn the strengths and challenges they face trying to navigate the university system, thereby discovering their coping strategies, as well. This pilot scholarship will serve as an impetus for a larger study on veterans’ readjustments to civilian life. Providing research mentorship for five (5) students, the research team has performed a literature review and received IRB approval for the research. Data has been collected with the goal of producing an article for
I come to Fordham University with expectations of completing my Masters of Art degree in Social Service. As a single parent, I have faced many challenges raising my special needs child. My innovation to help disadvantaged children with social and emotional problems encompassed me to continue to pursue a career in the Social Service Profession. This will increase my chances of being a successful Child Therapist. I am aware, prepared and committed to devoting my time towards my studies at Fordham University as well as taking advantage of all the necessary resources that Fordham University has to offer. My personal, academic and profession experience has given me the opportunity
Recognizing differences among cultures is important, but we should also be aware that differences also exist within cultures
Social work as a profession strives to help the welfare of those within the community whether its persons or families through advocacy. Often times clients are those who may be vulnerable and disadvantaged. Social workers aim to help people fulfill basic needs in their everyday lives and assist them by providing beneficial resources and intervention counseling. They do more than just help them in their current situation, it’s about helping them to survive and set attainable goals to live a fuller and better life for themselves, and most time for their families.
My passion to become a social worker began when I was pursuing an undergraduate degree. From a young age because of my compassion and empathetic nature, I knew that I wanted to work inside the human service field. I wanted to use my personal characteristics to improve individual’s lives. Social work was my calling because of the many different areas in the field that are all primarily focused on making a difference. I am interested in clinical social work, working with individuals and families.
My interest in becoming a social worker started at a very young age. I remember always possessing the desire to help people who were in need and have frequently being the person who others have approached when faced with difficult situations. Often, I felt as if listening was not enough. I remember feeling unequipped to help them. When I spoke about this career choice with some of the big influences in my personal life, I was told no matter what situation I have ever been faced with I have always managed to handle myself appropriately in what were, sometimes, delicate situations. Whether these situations were with complete strangers or people I have known for years, mediation, has been something that has come naturally to me. In addition to
This paper will explore what the primary mission of social work as a professional means to me. Through self-reflection of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, I will delve into why I chose social work as a career, the type of social worker I want to become, and ponder what challenges and obstacles may impede my chosen path.
We hear all the time that the world is become more and more diverse. Well part of diversity is not that we only know about other cultures, but that we have knowledge about the cultures too. This relates back to our text ones again with “cross-cultural understanding requires that we reorient our mind-set and, most importantly, our expectations, in order to interpret the gestures, attitudes, and statements of the people we encounter. ” Also if you ever want to be a manager or work in human relations, and you hire someone of a different culture than your own, you need to fully understand their background in order to know why they are the way they are, and how that affects them in the world place.
Interviewing somebody from a different racial, ethnic, or national origin group different than mine was not difficult, it was the reflection after the interview that was challenging. Although two persons grow up in the same city, their values, beliefs, customs, traditions, language, and worldview can be similar, but at times extremely different from one another. I will explain the similarities and differences I found amongst my interviewee and myself.
"The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession's focus on individual well-being in a social context and the well-being of society. Fundamental to social work is attention to the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living" (NASW code of ethics).
My strategies for interacting with people who are of a different background or those who come from an unfamiliar situation to my own is to try and understand to the best of my abilities how that individual person is trying to adapt to their new surroundings as well as learn their personal goals. By learning these different aspects of individuals, I find it will be much easier to interact with others in a positive way than insist on sharing all of my personal beliefs. I think the best way to approach the initial interactions with people is to listen what they have to say, and to be cordial and inclusive while still observing. By being inclusive, it is easy to create a close community which will be beneficial for many in a completely unfamiliar
As a student who began her college career without specific objectives, I never thought I would be writing a personal statement for an application to receive a Master’s Degree in the social work profession. However, I feel now that there is no other future for me than that of offering my education and personal commitment to vulnerable individuals in order to stabilize their lives. After careful consideration of all areas of social work, I have found that my main area of interest is in providing resources and encouragement for individuals with disabilities to gain the freedom to live independent lifestyles without discrimination. My personal goal in this profession is to make every possible effort in assisting these individuals with finding the means to satisfy their needs.
I will do this through self-evaluation and reflection, as well as consulting my peers and supervisors if I begin to struggle in this area. Through my social work studies, I have been emerged in situations where studying culture and diversity is required; this has provided me with comfort in my knowledge on other cultures. After graduation, I may not be required to study diversity and culture, and as a professional, I will have to make time to educate myself on diversity issues, attend continuing education courses concerning culture, and be unafraid to ask questions to further understand differences. I do not feel uncomfortable about any of the inventory items, but I feel I can always do more to be educated about my own culture and the culture of others. In the future, I may interact with clients completely different than I, and to best serve these clients it will be important to learn more about their culture through research and asking questions. Furthermore, I must remember not to make assumptions about any individuals, even if I know a great deal about their culture, rather I should ask individuals questions and understand their personal perception of their
I believe that it is important to have an open mindset to other cultures and the way they view the world and live their lives to be a strong advocate and social worker. I also believe that the best way to learn about different cultures, including their history and their life styles, would be to immerse yourself directly into that culture and see it from their perspective. This study abroad program was able to open many doors for me as I progress in the field of social work. My direct focus in social work is in different fields of international studies, and I have been able to broaden my own horizons and mindset through this experience. I was able to do this through interactions in the classroom, with new friends from the department and the
Social work practice has become a vital part of our society. They are found in almost every aspect of our community as well as our schools. Social workers are problem solvers that help people deal with daily issues that may become problems that affect them. As our society becomes more challenging, social workers help bridge the gaps for people who face extraordinary challenges in their lives. The social worker’s scope of practice may contain helping at risk or overwhelmed individuals find resources, develop new coping strategies, resolve problems and conflicts, and secure opportunities to improve their quality of life. (Flynn, 2013) Although the scope of practice is basically the same, there are various types of social workers with various levels of education. It doesn’t matter if you are a medical, clinical, school, military, psychiatric or community social worker, the goal is
The social work profession is defined as “a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people (ISFW, ‘Global Definition of Social Work’, 2016).” The definition may be true about the profession but it is more in depth than just that. To me, the profession’s primary focus is to help others through life as much as we can while letting them make their own choices and guiding them. In society, social workers are utilized in many different nonprofit and government roles. They serve the community in many different ways from monitoring parent visits to helping people through mental illnesses. Human beings are so complex and things that happen