Competency 3
ADVANCE HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
ADVANCE HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education. Social workers understand the global interconnections of oppression and human rights violations, and are knowledgeable about theories of human need and social justice and strategies to promote social and economic justice and human rights. Social workers understand strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social goods, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, environmental, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected.
To display Competency 3 through my work as a BSW student, the first artifact I chose is a draft of an email I sent to Senator Debbie Stabenow after Texas banned abortions after 6 weeks. This was apart of an advocacy assignment in SW 317: Generalist Practice I. The issue of Women's Reproductive rights is one that I am extremely passionate about, and according to Competency 3, it is a social worker's responsibility to promote social justice where oppression lies, and taking action by writing to local legislature was a way I decided to do so. Next, for my second artifact I selected a Padlet presentation I made for an assignment in SW 300: Social Work and Difference, Diversity, and Privilege. A Padlet is an interactive webpage, and I chose to do the assignment on the topic of Immigration, specifically analyzing a recent bill at the time: H.R. 1177: The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021.
This letter is reflective of Competency 3 because it represents a time I practiced advocacy in an area I identified oppression and the limitation of rights. As I mentioned previously, Women's Reproductive Rights is an issue I prioritize and resonate deeply with. At the time that this letter was written, Texas had recently passed Senate Bill 8 which made abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy illegal. As a woman, and as a student of social work, I was, and am, outraged to say the least. The bill made no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from incest or rape, made no exceptions for the health or well-being of the mother, and was highly restrictive of Women's Rights, especially considering that most women do not even know they are pregnant at 6 weeks. I had written this letter hoping for the assurance that Senator Stabenow would do everything in her power to stop this bill from spreading, especially to Michigan. At the time I referenced that this bill was in direct violation of Roe v. Wade, which federally legalized abortions. As I was afraid of, Roe v. Wade has since been overturned, which is a threat to Women's Rights that I never could have imagined happening even a few years prior. Now more than ever are we at risk of having all of our reproductive and wellness rights taken away, and if the trend continues, these limitations will not stop at reproductive rights. Promoting social change and justice as per Competency 3 is an action we all need to continue taking.
Padlet Presentation: SW 300
This interactive Padlet presentation was on the issue of immigration in the United States, with a focus on the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, also known as H.R. 1177. My motivation for researching and advocating on the topic of immigration was to promote social change in the attitudes towards the migrant population in the United States. Immigration is a very charged issue in the U.S. today. As someone who comes from a family of immigrants, and having grown up in a community with a sizable Hispanic population, where I have witnessed gross mistreatment of people who are very valuable and capable and are entitled to human rights be reduced to slurs and stereotypes, I feel very strongly about reforming unjust and restrictive immigration policies. After the Trump administration, I noticed this discrimination had been heightened, and experienced multiple ICE raids at the restaurant I worked at throughout high school, as well as an influx of hate crimes and general discriminatory behaviors. The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 was a very promising bill that was proposed at the time, and its goal was to provide a clear, earned path to citizenship, as well as addressing the root causes of conflict at the southern border, and ensured that derogatory terms such as "alien" would be expunged from legal documents and statuses. Currently, there has been no further progress with H.R. 1177 other than its introduction to the House of Representatives, however I am still hopeful in the implementation of this policy and future policies with the goal of reforming unjust immigration sentiments and laws.
Competency 3 is one of my favorite competencies because I think it is representative of the ideals that draws most of us to the social work field: advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice. Advocacy, action, and promoting social justice and social change is why I am aspiring to become a social worker. When I started college, I wasn't sure what I wanted to study, or what I wanted to do with my life but I did know this: I wanted to work with people, and I wanted to help them. I am seeking a meaningful life, and to me this means being happy, healthy, feeling loved and exuding love for others, and using my abilities, power, and privilege to aid others in seeking their own meaningful life. From my time in the BSW program, I have learned that promoting social justice is an avenue that I plan to do so.