I really enjoyed this discussion board post thought I would share my thoughts. Grad school courses are going ok, I am surviving. Getting back into the swing of things with carting kids to sports, full time work, school, chores is daunting. Lets see how the rest of September goes.
My understanding of the notion of worthy and unworthy poor is that throughout the history of social work, this notion is still prevalent and underpinned in our society in our current social climate where more deserving poor often see more changes or protections made over time. As we read in Chapter 2, Elizabethan Poor Laws and adaptation by the early colonies in America treated the worthy poor (children, older adults) more favorably by “auctioning them to wealthy families who were willing to care for them in return for labor and services, and placing poor and sick individuals under the supervision of couples who were willing to assume responsibility for their care.” (Cox, p.41). With the societal change over time (Progressive Era,and and the expansion of social protections in the 20th century) the over-arching political atmosphere did not change. I would argue that this stems from groups and movements fighting for societal change were from disenfranchised groups themselves. Thinking about Jane Addams and her efforts with the settlement houses in Chicago or the Abolitionists, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B Dubois, Lillian Wald , These efforts, while notable historically, they were not equipped or able to fight at a political level to effect societal change. While many strides were made with various laws in the 1930s, and 60s, the training, education, licensure, and the formation of a united code of ethics, are most likely one of the key aspects of more change in the future. Now, in the present social climate, working with families (currently employed at Guardian Ad Litem) that have been separated for various reasons, I see these notions of unworthy poor discriminations coming into play at times unfortunately outside the courtroom. I have seen families with lower income judged on their ability to be reunited with their loved ones, I have seen people who are working towards rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol admonished for a positive drug screen. These notions of unworthy and worthy are still prevalnately. I hope with my tin fightinge able to have a more diin fighting fight for social injustice.
What has shaped my views initially was growing up in a rather conservative household I continued to be affiliated with conservative ideals, even moving through my undergraduate degree in 2006 What shaped my views slowly progressed from my personal experiences that began near the end of college After college I went to work out of state for my first job at a local college in North Carolina I began to deteriorate with what I didn’t understand, lost my full time job I went on unemployment, and struggled with serving gigs at restaurants Later that summer I was diagnosed with a de-habilitating mental illness I struggled, hospitalized most of that summer In 2007, I applied for SSDI benefits, and was granted luckily on my first attempt I remained on SSDI for the next 12 years. “Social Security Disability Insurancepays benefits to you and certain members of your family if you are “insured,” meaning that you worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.” (SSA.gov) SSDI afforded me the opportunity not have my car reposted and paid off completely It allowed me some extra income to stay home with our children since it was unknown how I could ever manage working again I started volunteering in 2017 and working part time. In 2021, I fully came off disability If I had not had this protection, if the mental health parity bill had not been passed as I was a young adult struggling. I would not be here today, having the opportunity to gain professional training and licensure to be someone that can empower those seemingly underserving poor. These personal experiences have shaped my political and social views to be more liberal over time I believe that the unworthy poor, or those that appear to be, this cycle will continue with more evidenced based approaches and research into the causes of these generational attitudes. My values have shaped my perspective. As I study to practice social work, I must have my values influence advocacy strategies to assist those like me who have struggled. To not only give them the tools to overcome, but is our ethical obligation to create change and justice for these social communites.
The Seascapechronicles 