Action For Social Justice example essay topic

Accomplishments in social justice by social work pioneers are studied, but these people are treated as awe-inspiring individuals, not necessarily people that are possible to aspire to become. Graduate level studies often offer a micro (clinical) concentration or a macro (community organization, economic development) concentration. If we are ethically mandate to work at both levels, why are they separate specializations? It is presented as an option, not as an obligation.

In a profession that is struggling to define itself, the range of social works' obligations dilutes the profession and makes it difficult to be taken seriously. This range can even cause internal conflict as it has in the past with Jane Addams promotion of social action versus other workers' base in direct practice (Segal & Bruzuzy, 1998). Obviously, social action to promote social and economic justice is not just an admirable goal but one that is necessary to accomplish. The ineffectiveness of Charity Organization Societies was primarily because they did not address social or structural causes around issues. There needs to be an association of social work with social action among social workers themselves. If it is ethically mandated, in his or her job description, a social worker should be able to state they have a societal focus, as well as an individual, group, and community focus.

The profession needs to define itself and then educate itself to its' own goals. If social workers are expected to participate in action for social justice, provisions should be made so they can do so. Reduction of caseloads, recruitment of social workers, promotion of participation in professional organizations and in politics, and support among each other to participate in action could help our mandated goal to promote social justice. Except for the concern about justice the social worker has to have excellent communication skills. Interpersonal communication plays a huge role in our everyday lives. The interaction between two people or a small group is a prime example of interpersonal communication.

We partake in interpersonal communication in almost every situation we encounter through out our day. At school, work, or social gatherings interpersonal communication is being used without thought. Communication helps us define our perception of others as well as our own self- perception, self-concept, and self-esteem. If we can successfully communicate with others it helps build a positive image of ourselves knowing that we can communicate our thoughts and ideas to another person clearly and meaningfully.

If others cannot communicate clearly and meaningfully it has a poor effect on our perception of them. Our self-concept or mental image we have of ourselves is shaped by the responses we receive from those we communicate with. If our communication skills are perceived and responded to in a positive way this boosts our self-concept in turn boosting our self-esteem. The same goes for the negative perceptions people may have of us.

(Fanning. 1995) These negative responses can be detrimental to our self-concept and self-esteem. People that don't have good perception skills may have the opposite of reality when it comes to how people perceive them. Interpersonal communication also has a large impact on how we perceive others.

How others look in the physical aspect play a major role in our perception of them. Their manor of dress and the way they carry themselves are two important things that lead us to our initial perception of that person. This factors in to a person's social behavior. A person's style and or mannerisms sometimes bring out social behavior. These things may cause a person to be perceived as nice, funny, rude, or shy. These perceptions that are made are usually judgmental and often are founded by stereotypes, the time of the interaction, the emotional state of the person or persons as well as cultural or gender differences.

This is why it is not always wise to judge a book by its cover. Verbal communication is the most widely used form of communication in the world. The use of verbal communication or language is sometimes the best way to express our ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Language barriers can cause problems in cross-cultural exchanges due to the fact that it is so necessary. We use language to define, discuss, explain, and survive.

Not only do we need to worry about cross cultural exchanges but also subgroups in out own culture. The use of the same words or variations of the same words (slang) can leave someone with the wrong idea or completely lost and confused. There has been associations made to differences in language use between genders. Nonverbal communication is as big of a factor in interpersonal communication as verbal communication. These nonverbal actions that a usually interpreted as intentional include; bodily and hand actions, vocal qualities, and facial expressions. These motions vary by culture and can convey a message without words.

A person's posture, facial expression, gestures, and the amount of eye contact they use can control the flow of a conversation. These small and sometimes subconscious gestures can show feelings, or illustrate what a person is really saying. (Fanning. 1995).