Although I have taken this course before, I have discovered that there are so many theories on human behavior that all contribute to different aspects of this subject from different vantage points. Every theorist has different philosophical underpinnings, beliefs, and personal histories that contribute to the way they view the world, and thus craft and mold their theories on human behavior as well. I think as human beings, and social workers, it's important to be knowledgeable about the different theories and the strengths and weaknesses of each one when we are applying them in practice. The process of writing the theory paper was extremely helpful in fleshing out the different theories and how they relate to social work. I believe that a comprehensive and accurate way to view human behavior is through the lens of different theories, so as to capture every aspect of a human being's experience. I think it's helpful that these theories and theorists are all so diverse and in their teachings, because I think this accurately mirrors the diversity in human beings. It's important as social workers, to be able to recognize what theories would work best in certain situations with particular clients, because everyone is in need of something different, and some approaches will resonate more with some than others. Ultimately, I think the review of human behavior and this class has really prepared me for the upcoming year and my future as a social worker. Thank you Professor Bunte, and the rest of the class for a great experience here! <3
I feel as though the Looking Glass self concept by Cooley is what dictates our self concept and perception of others. For instance, in the video about the dolls, the children identified who was good or bad based upon their race. The societal and cultural messages that these children received affected the way in which they viewed themselves and others. These messages remain in our subconscious minds throughout our lives, even though we are able to cognitively understand that certain races are not bad or good based on their skin color. We no longer make those generalizations as adults, but surely they remain in the subconscious mind. We only use 10% of our brains, and the other 90% is the subconscious mind, this concept of the looking glass self is really everything. I do believe that I think about what others think of me constantly, and not what I actually feel about myself. It's a daily task for me to "weed" through my thoughts and figure out which ones are mine, and which ones are there because of subconscious conditioning from society. Sometimes I wish society didn't exist, and then what would I feel about myself, truly? I think we would always compare ourselves to others around us anyway. There will always be society as long as there are human emotions and differentiation between people to make comparisons about.
The Bobo Doll video was really telling of human beings' social nature. We are not instilled with right and wrong, but are taught through behavior, and thus model that behavior. Children are extremely impressionable. Even from the age of one, they copy your sounds and behaviors. I see this through nannying a 1 year old. Babies are usually more curious about your phone or the remote than their own toys, because they see adults "play" with these things and want to be just like them. Their brains are a huge sponge absorbing everything around them. That's why it is so important to have good parenting skills and a healthy and safe environment for children because if not, it puts them at risk for mental illness and other detrimental coping skills as adults. However, the video does state that as we grow, we are able to distinguish right and wrong even when it was not modeled for us the right way as young children through reflection and empathy. These skills may help counteract any negative behavioral messages received as children. Sometimes these skills are life long skills that need to be developed in some more than others. There is clearly a lack of empathy and self reflection in the world because we still see horrific violence and apathy displayed by human beings. Some are clearly not in touch with these skills, and are operating from a subconscious level of learned behavior from parents or societal messages taught from a young age.
I think the Melting Pot theory was a way to eliminate certain cultural traditions and heritages because of a perceived "threat" to the "real" Americans. The hypocritical thing about this theory, is that all Americans are non-natives who brought their own culture and ways of doing things into this new land. But why does it have to be that we wipe out certain cultures to create an entirely new one? Why can we not all maintain our roots while still being American? To my knowledge, I thought that was what America was- a refuge for anyone seeking opportunities. I think fear of the unknown and a lack of recognizing the humanity in everyone, is what is at the foundation of the melting pot theory. It's as if it's impossible to co-exist as American and also Italian, Hispanic, Irish, or African. I really do believe it is fear that maintains this type of thought. Fear around scarcity- that there's not enough. Not enough opportunity, wealth, and space for these people to join our country. It's the Melting Pot theory is rather selfish!
The concept of recovering traumatic memories such as childhood sexual abuse was founded by Freud. He believed that through psychoanalysis talk therapy one could trace back in their memory the abuse that links to the current problem at hand. Freud often coerced and pressured clients into reliving these false memories. However, the brain cannot remember every detail of every memory, and therefore it usually "fills in" the gaps when a memory seems incomplete. This could explain why many, under the pressure of a professional like Freud, came to the conclusion that they had repressed their memories of sexual abuse as a child. This is unethical and unsound practice. Freud did not have the best interests of the client in mind, but instead had the interests of reinforcing and solidifying his theory to make it seem that all neurosis stem from some kind of sexual abuse or repressed traumatic memories.
I believe all social workers should be feminists because social workers should value respect, dignity, and equal rights for all human beings. Feminists do not want more power than men, and do not hate men, they simply want to be treated as an equal. They want the same pay, they want the same respect for their minds and their bodies, they do not want to be seen as a sex object, and they do not want to be imposed with societal standards of beauty. I don't see any reason why any social worker would oppose any of these things. Therefore, every social worker should be a feminist.
Empowerment theory in social work focuses on uplifting oppressed groups in our society. This theory goes hand in hand with strengths perspective, because strengths perspective views individuals as having the potential and resources to overcome their problems. Instead of categorizing individuals based upon their social status in society, social workers aim to empower those people to break free from the oppressive labels placed upon them. Strengths perspective states that every client has the capacity to change, and it's the social worker's job to facilitate with that change, but ultimately it is in the hands of the client to do so. This is very freeing for those placed in oppressed groups by society, because it is the opposite of victimhood; empowerment theory and strengths perspective both emphasize the client's freedom of choice to go beyond labels and reach internally and externally for the resources within themselves, to not be defined by such labels, and reclaim their power.
I feel as though LGBTQ individuals are treated differently in our society because it is still not seen as a normal part of human behavior to express sexual interest in the same sex. This has not only been reinforced by science and psychology over the centuries (it used to be considered a mental illness), but also by many, many religions. It is still under the umbrella as "unnatural" or against the "natural law" of the universe. However, I believe that if any groups of human beings are experiences the same phenomenon, it becomes "natural" I mean, what is "natural" anyway? We can't really define this, because that means that there is some form of a perfect human being. We are all abnormal in some way. It's an issue with society, not human beings. Human beings are conditioned to believe this is unnatural either from religious, societal, or cultural values. If those were not in place from a young age, no one would have any idea about what sexual preference is natural, and which is unnatural. They would simply be, and be attracted to whomever they wish.
There have been many social, economic, and technological changes in the family system that impacts current social work practice today. For example, families are in a state of division because of inflation and the economic circumstance of today. Women, who were traditionally stay-at-home Moms, are now working, perhaps out of choice , but mostly out of necessity. There are more single-moms, as it has become more acceptable. There is also a high rate of divorce, so many children have step-parents. With the inception of the internet and cell phones, families have become more interconnected as well as disconnected from each other.
The concept of family life cycle development is helpful in family therapy, because it shapes the context of the helping situation. The emotional processes that a Mom or Dad that are going through empty nest syndrome, are different from the emotional processes they will be going through when their children are adolescents. The basic philosophical assumption that underlies all the systems theories is that, it views human beings holistically. Human beings have a physical and emotional body as well as a linkage to society. Structural functionalism assumes that stability is necessary for human flourishing. On the other hand, dynamic systems theory states that radical changes, and adaptability are the factors that contribute to a smooth functioning of human life and society. Deep ecology, and ecofeminisim assume that human beings should have self-awareness, non-violence, compassion, and connectedness to all things. Lastly, ecosystems theory assumes that humans strive for a "goodness of fit" in their environment. Two of these theories (structural functionalism and ecosystem theory) in particular, conflict with social work values of diversity, social justice, and self-determination. Ecosystems theory views sexism and racisim as transactional processes that promote a "goodness of fit" to the environment. While, functionalism strives to maintain whatever values society holds, such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. As you can see, implementing such theories into social work practice can be extremely detrimental.
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