My Blog...
Lincoln: 12/03/2012
1. How are the older adults portrayed in the movie?
2. Who are the vulnerable populations and are they different from today's vulnerable populations.
3. What issues is Lincoln addressing that our current President is also addressing?
4. What new information did you learn from the movie?
- The older adults portrayed in the movie seemed to use a lot of profane language.
2. Who are the vulnerable populations and are they different from today's vulnerable populations.
- The vulnerable populations in the movie included the men, women, and children slaves, which is different from today’s vulnerable population because we no longer have “slaves”. There is still discrimination but it includes a lot more groups such as different race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicities, national origin, and religion.
3. What issues is Lincoln addressing that our current President is also addressing?
- Lincoln is addressing political struggle of abolishing slavery. Obama is also addressing political struggle in regards to ending our current war, which I think is doing more harm than help.
4. What new information did you learn from the movie?
- Some of the new information that I learned from the movie include being able to imagine what Lincoln might have really looked and sounded like, what a Civil War battle might have looked like, and how that era, the city, men and women, and the politics might have been like back then. I was also able to imagine the struggles of many people as they thought about what freeing slaves would mean to the nation. It also allowed to me learn more about Lincoln’s family dynamic. Overall, I was able to refresh my memory about information regarding Lincoln, the 13th Amendment and the Gettysburg Address.
Vulnerable Populations: 12/01/2012
Website: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/demo/bpr/Fact_Sheets.html
I chose this site because it provides fact sheets about specific vulnerable populations for use as a quick reference that provides key issues, planning considerations, and agency contact information. It also provides a communications resource guide for response personnel that has information on general considerations for each population including how best to shape a message to reach this population and the best methods for reaching each population.
The information that is provided on this website incorporates the following Vulnerable Populations:
The information that I found to be most beneficial includes:
I chose this site because it provides fact sheets about specific vulnerable populations for use as a quick reference that provides key issues, planning considerations, and agency contact information. It also provides a communications resource guide for response personnel that has information on general considerations for each population including how best to shape a message to reach this population and the best methods for reaching each population.
The information that is provided on this website incorporates the following Vulnerable Populations:
- Children's Medical Services (CMS)
- Developmentally Disabled
- Elders
- Engaging Volunteer Groups
- Foster Care
- Homeless
- Individuals with Behavioral Health Concerns
- Non-English Speaking
The information that I found to be most beneficial includes:
- The CMS Network provides comprehensive physician, inpatient and home health services to children identified with acute and chronic healthcare issues. The goal of the service is to provide the maximum amount of care in a home based setting.
- “Developmental Disability” is a broad term that refers to a variety of conditions that interfere with a person’s ability to function in everyday activities.
- The population of residents and visitors older than 65 is an increasing group within our country.
- The faith congregations in the community are the front line to reaching out to vulnerable populations. These congregations have both the volunteers and the established relationships in these communities. Many have ministries targeting the elderly, disabled, homebound, and chronically and terminally ill. Some congregations may also have ministries with cultural communities who may have limited English communication skills. Volunteer Centers connect people with opportunities to serve and make a difference in their communities. Volunteer Centers can help you identify volunteers you will need to target and serve vulnerable populations.
- The homeless population includes those who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, or one who is living in an emergency shelter or similar temporary housing arrangement. A significant portion of the homeless population suffers with mental illness, and/or substance abuse problems.
The Evolution of Social Welfare Policy: 11/13/2012
After looking over the timeline, I can say I learned things that I didn’t know before such as Bush’s faith-based proposal, Reagan cutting welfare spending and addressing that government IS the problem, and information about the Watts Riot. It seems like that most of the problems mentioned in the timeline are problems we still have. Each President has added to these problems every 4 years, thinking that it was going to help but never did. It also seems like each President, after their term ends, is taking the blame of what they did, in addition to what all the previous presidents have already done to “help”.
Election: 11/06/2012
Well, the results were as expected. I think it became predictable after a certain point. I was watching the election on CNN. When they were announcing projections, I think they did a great job with elaborating. What stood out the most was when they made the projection that President Obama will get another term. It seemed that one minute they were saying how Florida only has 78% of their votes counted, and the next minute they're announcing his presidency, even though they didn't have all the votes counted. I eventually figured it out but I just thought it would take a little more time. After the President gained California, I knew it was over for Romney, because both Florida and Ohio were leaning toward Obama anyway. I also was very surprised to find out that both Ohio and Florida were having issues with counting their votes. Both states need to find a way to be a little more efficient. Hopefully they will have a better plan next election. Overall, I guess all I can really say is that a lot needs to be done to change the world into a better society. Hopefully Obama can use these 4 years to make a little dent for the next President.
Presidential Debate: 10/18/2012
To be honest, I am not the into politics. Watching the debate was outside of my norm, but it was interesting to see both the President and Romney go at it. It is very hard to be on the spot and get grilled with questions but both candidates did a good job with answering them. I thought it was funny to see the President try to make some jokes to try and ease the tension in the room. What I found interesting is that both of them mention, “It is against the law in this country”. There are many things that are against the law, but people are still involved in those activities. Making it law doesn’t mean people will stop, so I think saying that phrase doesn’t mean much. Even though they talked about many things, I don’t think that focusing on what happened in the past will lead to a better future. It seemed like most of the questions were asking the President why he did what he did for each particular situation. Lastly, it was funny to see how both of them began to answer the intended question, but ended on a totally different note. I understand they wanted to get in enough information as possible, but it was very entertaining.
Quiz: 10/11/2012
I did a lot better on this quiz. It may be because I read the chapter first. I learned a lot of information from this chapter that I did not know much about before.The timer was longer on this quiz but 30 minutes would have also been sufficient. I thought it was interesting to read about the different philosophers and the different theoretical perspectives. It cleared up a lot of different misconceptions I had about the modern approach, the libertarian approach, and the post-modern approach. Overall, it was an interesting quiz that helped me gain some more knowledge about our society.
Quiz: 10/04/2012
I will admit that I did not know much about the Great Depression, the Roosevelt administration, and the New Deal. So I played the quiz game before I took the actual quiz. After taking the quiz, which I did not do so well on, I did learn a lot of interesting facts that I did not know. Some bits of information I found interesting were about the New Deal program and its three main goals of relief, recovery, and reform. I also found it very interesting that Roosevelt closed all the banks for a ten-day holiday to rescue the banks. This is probably never done now a day. Another attention-grabbing fact I learned was how the CCC gave the young men working in its camps a wage of $1 per day. I can hardly imagine working for minimum wage in today’s society. I could never work for $1 a day. Overall, I found this quiz to be very fascinating and informational.
Trattner Chapters 5-8: 9/22/2012
Three most informative and useful things I’ve learned this week…
1. I thought it was interesting to read about how the Civil War impacted social welfare in America and drew the states together to be more coordinated in creating reforms. But when it ended, it seemed to cause more problems for the freed men and women that wouldn’t have any skill set to help them find a job because of their lack of education. It was also interesting to read how the nation’s first federal welfare agency came to be. I think it was necessary for the people who needed it to help them transition from them abrupt life change after the war.
2. Another informative thing I learned was about child welfare. Chapter 6 gave a lot of information on how the children in need were taken care of. A great point that was made was about why child welfare interested so many people and it was because of the fact that children were the youngest in the society and they were not responsible for the cards that they were dealt. They held the hope for a better future. They were the most and still are the most deserving of what welfare provided. I think John Locke made a great point when he said that children are, “souls of the newly born are just empty tablets afterwards to be filled in by observation and reasoning.” So if children are taught to be good, observe how to be good, then they will be good.
3. The third piece of information that I found to be illuminating was the information on immigrant wages. They made $10-$12.50 per week which they could not survive on at all. They came to the “New World” with the impression that with hard work anyone could prosper, but that didn’t seem very likely with what they were getting paid. Their hopes and dreams became a fantasy while they all went into poverty. They were not given a good enough chance to prosper to begin with. At least the settlement house movement came along and tried to bring the rich and the poor together, to reduce some of the class division.
How do you see these useful things informing your practice today…
Well, I think these informative things will help me in practice because it shows me that when there is a need; it should be taken care of. And once you start cutting corners and start trying to look for the “cheaper way”, it starts to hinder your ability to help those in need to the best of your ability. I know money plays a big role when it comes to helping people, but that doesn’t mean we should take the easy way out and cut corners. In the long run, less people would benefit.
1. I thought it was interesting to read about how the Civil War impacted social welfare in America and drew the states together to be more coordinated in creating reforms. But when it ended, it seemed to cause more problems for the freed men and women that wouldn’t have any skill set to help them find a job because of their lack of education. It was also interesting to read how the nation’s first federal welfare agency came to be. I think it was necessary for the people who needed it to help them transition from them abrupt life change after the war.
2. Another informative thing I learned was about child welfare. Chapter 6 gave a lot of information on how the children in need were taken care of. A great point that was made was about why child welfare interested so many people and it was because of the fact that children were the youngest in the society and they were not responsible for the cards that they were dealt. They held the hope for a better future. They were the most and still are the most deserving of what welfare provided. I think John Locke made a great point when he said that children are, “souls of the newly born are just empty tablets afterwards to be filled in by observation and reasoning.” So if children are taught to be good, observe how to be good, then they will be good.
3. The third piece of information that I found to be illuminating was the information on immigrant wages. They made $10-$12.50 per week which they could not survive on at all. They came to the “New World” with the impression that with hard work anyone could prosper, but that didn’t seem very likely with what they were getting paid. Their hopes and dreams became a fantasy while they all went into poverty. They were not given a good enough chance to prosper to begin with. At least the settlement house movement came along and tried to bring the rich and the poor together, to reduce some of the class division.
How do you see these useful things informing your practice today…
Well, I think these informative things will help me in practice because it shows me that when there is a need; it should be taken care of. And once you start cutting corners and start trying to look for the “cheaper way”, it starts to hinder your ability to help those in need to the best of your ability. I know money plays a big role when it comes to helping people, but that doesn’t mean we should take the easy way out and cut corners. In the long run, less people would benefit.
Trattner Chapters 1-4: 9/16/2012
Three most informative and useful things I’ve learned this week…
1. I learned a lot from the first YouTube video, which were all the different duties a social worker has the opportunity to do throughout their career. Social Workers are advocates: They advocate because silence is not an option and someone has to stick up for those who do not have the courage yet do stand up for themselves. Social Workers are educators: They let people know they can make a difference and they have do have the right to be protected. Social Workers are the brokers: They are the activists that bring social and political change. Social Workers are the negotiators and the group facilitator: They help people focus on common goals that they need to work towards to give themselves the better lives they deserve. Social Workers are the counselors who help express people needs. They are the researchers, the enabler, the initiator, the mediator, and most importantly the EMPOWERER! What stood out to me was that “Social Workers are Doers!” I believe this to be very true! Not only can Social Workers listen and be there for the people, but are also able to act to make a difference for the people.
2. Another informative thing I learned were the “Startling Facts”, which was that nearly 3 billion people live on less than $2 a day. This fact was very shocking to me. I could not imagine what that $2 could do for someone, especially if they had a family to provide for. Also, 8 million people die each year because they are too poor to stay alive. Though very sad, I can believe this fact. The question they asked “Does this bother you?”- Regardless to whether your career choice is Social Work, the answer for everyone should be YES! But not everyone thinks this way and therefore this is why the world needs social workers!
3. The third piece of information that I found to be valuable was how Hartley Dean and Pete Alcock, both described what the social policy is. Hartley Dean described it as the study of human well being, the systems that are necessary to sustain human well being, and the social relations upon which human well being depend on to flourish. It is how we care about each other in a society of interdependent human beings. Pete Alcock described it as promoting well fare and wellbeing, making it possible to live safe, fulfilling, and healthy lives. It is how we deliver welfare and wellbeing to human beings. It is not just what the government does. There are a wide range of relationships that help things happens, which include the informal relationships, family relationships, community relationships, and also the voluntary relations. I think together, both described social policy in the same way. The main point being that social policy is figuring out how to everyone can live fulfilling, safe, and healthy lives.
Two new things I’ve learned this week from the readings and how they can be used in social work practice…
1. The first thing that I learned was from Chapter 1 “The Background.” I think it is very true that the current social welfare system stemmed from the customs, statues, and practices of the past. I did not know how it all began, and I thought it was real interesting to read about it. I think they started out with the right idea of helping the poor and needy, but when the population began to grow, the amount of people that needed help started to grow as well, and soon the majority of people needed help and a system of rules and regulations began to develop. Some that needed help may not have received it and some that may not have needed help did receive it. This relates to present day very much because I think this happens all the time. People abuse the system, which ruins it for those who needed most. This can be used in social work practice by helping us remind ourselves of what we have to fix. Our goal should be promoting the wellbeing of everyone equally or at least to the best of our abilities.
2. Another thing that I learned was from Chapter 4 “The Trend Toward Indoor Relief.” I think Dorothea Dix did a great job advocating for poor mental patients. She never gave up and got many different populations involved in her fight. Her example can be used in social work practice by helping us understand that everyone needs to be taken care of, no matter what mental state they may be in. Also to never give up, no matter who rejects our views. To know that in the world we live in, which is very diverse, that someone will get in our way in bettering the society, but we have to look past those people to do what is best for the majority and every minority.
1. I learned a lot from the first YouTube video, which were all the different duties a social worker has the opportunity to do throughout their career. Social Workers are advocates: They advocate because silence is not an option and someone has to stick up for those who do not have the courage yet do stand up for themselves. Social Workers are educators: They let people know they can make a difference and they have do have the right to be protected. Social Workers are the brokers: They are the activists that bring social and political change. Social Workers are the negotiators and the group facilitator: They help people focus on common goals that they need to work towards to give themselves the better lives they deserve. Social Workers are the counselors who help express people needs. They are the researchers, the enabler, the initiator, the mediator, and most importantly the EMPOWERER! What stood out to me was that “Social Workers are Doers!” I believe this to be very true! Not only can Social Workers listen and be there for the people, but are also able to act to make a difference for the people.
2. Another informative thing I learned were the “Startling Facts”, which was that nearly 3 billion people live on less than $2 a day. This fact was very shocking to me. I could not imagine what that $2 could do for someone, especially if they had a family to provide for. Also, 8 million people die each year because they are too poor to stay alive. Though very sad, I can believe this fact. The question they asked “Does this bother you?”- Regardless to whether your career choice is Social Work, the answer for everyone should be YES! But not everyone thinks this way and therefore this is why the world needs social workers!
3. The third piece of information that I found to be valuable was how Hartley Dean and Pete Alcock, both described what the social policy is. Hartley Dean described it as the study of human well being, the systems that are necessary to sustain human well being, and the social relations upon which human well being depend on to flourish. It is how we care about each other in a society of interdependent human beings. Pete Alcock described it as promoting well fare and wellbeing, making it possible to live safe, fulfilling, and healthy lives. It is how we deliver welfare and wellbeing to human beings. It is not just what the government does. There are a wide range of relationships that help things happens, which include the informal relationships, family relationships, community relationships, and also the voluntary relations. I think together, both described social policy in the same way. The main point being that social policy is figuring out how to everyone can live fulfilling, safe, and healthy lives.
Two new things I’ve learned this week from the readings and how they can be used in social work practice…
1. The first thing that I learned was from Chapter 1 “The Background.” I think it is very true that the current social welfare system stemmed from the customs, statues, and practices of the past. I did not know how it all began, and I thought it was real interesting to read about it. I think they started out with the right idea of helping the poor and needy, but when the population began to grow, the amount of people that needed help started to grow as well, and soon the majority of people needed help and a system of rules and regulations began to develop. Some that needed help may not have received it and some that may not have needed help did receive it. This relates to present day very much because I think this happens all the time. People abuse the system, which ruins it for those who needed most. This can be used in social work practice by helping us remind ourselves of what we have to fix. Our goal should be promoting the wellbeing of everyone equally or at least to the best of our abilities.
2. Another thing that I learned was from Chapter 4 “The Trend Toward Indoor Relief.” I think Dorothea Dix did a great job advocating for poor mental patients. She never gave up and got many different populations involved in her fight. Her example can be used in social work practice by helping us understand that everyone needs to be taken care of, no matter what mental state they may be in. Also to never give up, no matter who rejects our views. To know that in the world we live in, which is very diverse, that someone will get in our way in bettering the society, but we have to look past those people to do what is best for the majority and every minority.