As someone who is a bit more conservative than my peers, I often think of the reasons why I want to get involved in social work. While the goal of all social workers is to improve the lives of disadvantaged populations, conservatives and liberals have contrasting views on how to achieve that goal. On one hand, liberals believe that the best way to achieve that goal is through the engine of government.
Liberals believe it is the absolute duty of man to collectively help others by getting others to pay more taxes, most specifically the wealthy. On the other hand, conservatives believe that the best way to alleviate poverty is to let the free market prosper with limited government interference. Contrary to popular belief, conservatives do not hate the poor. They believe that the most efficient helping system is one where a person voluntarily offers their money and services to help others. One huge factor of why I want to get involved in social work is my past and that I grew up in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. These humble origins have led me to develop a thirst to advocate for these vulnerable population groups.
My biggest achievement has been working with policy makers in Washington, D.C and getting the Uninterrupted Scholars Act passed in January of 2013. This law permits social workers to easily withdraw the school records of foster children as they transfer from one school to another by passing up the unnecessary bureaucratic hoops that many children had to previously submit to. Such efforts are reflective of my own views on how to equalize the playing field by removing the barriers which were unnecessarily put into place, curtailing peoples’ ability to achieve upward mobility. My goal when helping a youth is that he or she goes on to become an empowered, self-reliant, productive tax paying citizen who has a never-give-up attitude.
It is no secret that within the field of social work there is, by training, overwhelming sentiment fostered by liberal thought. Students are both directly and indirectly trained to embrace this type of thought throughout university and college classrooms. Many of these students go on to become politically active social workers later in their careers. Out of the 182 Social Workers that are currently elected to local, state and federal offices, only 9 of them are Republicans. For the naive and uninformed student, it is much easier to espouse such ideology. Furthermore, the profession itself attracts the type of person who would most likely be associated as a modern day Liberal. Liberals usually possess traits of altruism, collectivism, and empathy. Liberals also seek to equalize the playing field among the social and economic institutions across society. I certainly agree with these admirable tenants. I, however, do not agree with the methods with which these ideals are being promoted. While government can play a vital part in helping the most disadvantaged transform their lives, I do not believe it is the primary vehicle in which social workers can achieve their goals.
As a student endeavoring to obtain a degree in social work, I undertake the journey to ascertain what would be the ideal conservative approach as a future social worker. Notice I said the word “ideal”. My ideology does not always line up with what I would do in a real life situation. While I disagree with many liberal positions, I fully believe that the trend of thought has great intentions and has contributed much to our world. Conversely, I believe this world would benefit from a parallel to conservative ideology. In reality I am more of a pragmatic right-of-center moderate who is willing to work with all trends of thought as long as ideas are as effective as possible. I am constantly reevaluating my belief systems and I have always come to the same conclusion: that we are all better off under minimum government dictate and our outcomes depend on each of our individual efforts.
Before the massive welfare state, communities were more closely knit and neighbors were more likely to help one another. Furthermore, churches assisted the poor within their communities. Such community ties encourage individuals to develop strong work ethic and a sense of belonging to the community. Organizations within society were more apt to decide who the needy truly were. The societal safety nets of days gone by were manifest through people and relationships, not via government programs. These days people can draw public aid and feel no sense of obligation or appreciation to the tax paying citizens that made that service possible. Human connection has predictably been cut off by a system of cold government bureaucracy. Critics may argue that such thinking is naive and unrealistic and I partially agree; such connections in modern day society are hard to ascertain due to the increasing breakdown of the institutions of family and organized religion. Understandably, there is greater difficulty in efforts to take care of our neighbors who are truly in need given that the cohesion creating ‘sense of community’ is diminished. It is my vision that we return to the that type of society in which we lean on one another in the time of need, and not on government programs. My ideal vision of social work would be to build this type of community. Funding would be from donations and volunteerism and not solely from tax paying services.
While it is true that many social service professionals and programs aided me while in the system, I genuinely did not benefit from any of the government programming I participated in. The government employees whose vocation it is to administer these programs seem to be bound by an endless set of regulations and mimic robots rather than possessing humanistic characteristics. What saved me from the usual outcomes of most children who age out of the foster care system (which will be discussed in a later blog) was a genuine relationship from someone outside of any government program setting. That someone was a teacher I saw at school every day. Her advocating and act of giving on my behalf made more of a difference than any of those services combined. I am not suggesting that we abolish government programs; I am suggesting that we encourage others to build relationships to help our most vulnerable. When we do this, we plant the seed in which sprouts a productive citizen.
To be continued…
This blog contains only my views and does not reflect the views of the National Association of Social Workers, the college I currently attend ,my employer, or that of Social Justice Solutions Inc. These views are my own.
Written by RJ Bloke
Harold Rhodes Sloke, Jr., also known as RJ, has had many achievements in various fields. He was born and raised in South Carolina in an abuseful household which eventually landed him in foster care. While moving in between 30 group homes and foster homes, RJ found his way into the Juvenile Justice System all through his teen years. He attended 12 high schools and was in the ninth grade for the third time until his teacher, Karen Parker, advocated on his behalf. Influenced by the military alternative schools he was forced to attend, he joined Junior ROTC and rose through the ranks of the program. At the age of 17, RJ enlisted in the Army Reserves under the split options program, which allowed him to complete basic training the summer after his junior year, while in high school. He aged out of the foster care system at the age of 18, while he was still in high school. After experiencing homelessness, RJ found a full time job while going to school. He graduated from high school at the age of 19, an accomplishment few expected of him.
For more information on the Author, please visit rjsloke.com
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“Naive and uninformed”…I find that
interesting since so many social workers pursue a masters later in their career when they are well into the meat and potatoes of their professional and personal growth!
He was speaking about undergraduate students being persuaded by liberal ideology and not really questioning it since it’s mostly based on feelings and not on sound philosophy.
Also, I do not see how pursuing a masters later in ones career can signify one is not naive and not uninformed. Many liberals who are older than 30, in social work, and who would be gladly labeled as liberal I would deem as naive in a general sense. They don’t understand economics and how moving towards a more socialized society creates mediocrity. You don’t need to be a social worker to know that.
Interesting commentary however much of your ideas are based on generalizations. As you struggle to fine tune your own set of policy notions, understand that liberals are struggling with too. There are no “cookie cutter” social workers on either side to the spectrum. Contrary to the notion that students of social work are trained to think one way, students are taught to think critically and are presented information from different perspectives.
Society has struggled since the enactment of Poor Laws in the 16th century to find a way to meet the needs of the poor. Capitalism by nature will produce winners and losers and people often fall on hard times through no fault of their own. The Great Depression taught us that. The government has a responsibility to provide for the general welfare when that happens.
When corporations work to undermine unions and collective bargaining in order to maintain low wages, you will have a society that will become increasingly dependent on the welfare state. The state must create processes that provide for the most vulnerable and ultimately some will abuse these systems.
Law and policies are naturally complex and bureaucratic as legislators seek to find common ground. There are always a myriad of interests to satisfy. Take a look at my earlier post on this site on How Conservative Policies Ensure the Welfare State: http://www.socialjusticesolutions.org/?s=welfare+state
As a social work student myself, I can attest that from my very first social work class on, they pushed liberal bias. They presented the conservative viewpoints as crazy and insensitive, and twisted facts and wording. They then told us to think critically, hmmm…
My undergraduate posed no teaching of critical thinking. It was one perspective, a liberal perspective shoved down the throats of the students. To those who questioned the liberal perspective, the instructor laughed at and actually made a mockery of one female student with an opposing view. I will never forget that moment and it’s been over 20 years. I saw less of this during my graduate studies, but still a definite bias in my opinion.
Thanks for being outspoken and laying out your views, which seemed carefully put forward. For sure us liberal lefty’s have some deep holes in our theories, you make all of us wiser by trying to talk about some of them. I do think this is all beyond political ideology as well, many forces in play.
I hear Ralph Nader is writing a new book that tries to think out how the left and right needs to work together more on issues of common ground, kind of about trying to work where we can.
Big thanks for stirring the pot.
Bill Dare, Ottawa, Ontario.
You write, “conservatives believe that the best way to alleviate poverty is to let the free market prosper with limited government interference”, except that this is not at all what the GOP is today. Today, gov’t is fine, as long as it serves the rich. Subsidies are fine for the wealthy, but the poor are told to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. You talk of history, before “the welfare state”, but don’t mention how many people have been raised out of poverty thanks to socialist programs like Medicare and Medicaid. All we liberals want is economic equality. We want OUR tax dollars to be spent caring for us, not the industrial military complex and billion dollar corporations. Many, many variables contribute to what you call the breakdown of the family, yet you blame “the welfare state”. As social workers, we all need to work to strengthen the individual, the family and the communities in which we work. Government programs play an important part in that, so do many other things. Like all things in life, we must fine a middle way. Capitalism is our system, and void of anything better, it’s what we’re stuck with, even though it’s failing us. We should all work together to counter the deficiencies of capitalism with whatever help we can offer the 50 million people living in poverty in our country, including many who work full-time. With the GOP today cutting food stamps and other programs for the poor, while supporting tax breaks for the rich and huge subsidies for wealthy corporations, it’s no wonder they have a reputation for working against the needs of the poor. Also, how is campaigning against the minimum wage and working to destroy unions and end collective bargaining rights accomplishing the goal of economic equality?
You wrote: “What saved me from the usual outcomes of most children who age out of the foster care system (which will be discussed in a later blog) was a genuine relationship from someone outside of any government program setting”.
Public schools are government programs funded by taxpayers. Would you also like to abolish public schools?
Frankly, I’m not sure why you are bothering to get a degree in social work. Even private social service agencies receive a good portion of their funding from the government. If your vision is realized, good luck getting a job as a social worker. But you aren’t looking for a job are you? That’s right, you plan to voluntarily offer your money and services to help others. Surely you can do this without getting a social work degree.
Dear Mr. Sloak,
I can not tell you how happy I am that you found your way out of a deadly situation and I need to say this first! When a person manages to overcome such a circumstance it is typically because they obtained support from a variety of formal and informal supports. As you know, navigating a county or state helping system – or both – often times places those seeking help in the unenviable position of dealing with professionals who are burned out on many different levels. It is no wonder that you received the most help from a teacher versus one of these other folks. It is my hope that after having practiced in underfunded systems your politics will be moderated. I say this because the best person to help others is someone who has “been there and done that.” The inauthentic practitioner can be spotted a mile away; so can one who despises the people they serve and to NOT do so will be your greatest challenge. Just as many liberal Social Workers become enablers you may become a blamer. In any case, it is required that anyone in this field make a through personal inventory of themselves on a daily basis to see how their biases are affecting them. Good luck to you in the future.
Brilliant post. I just found this today, and I will come back and comment more thoroughly later, but my first reaction to some of the more ridiculous comments is that there is a place for social work, but the government needs to act more like a safety net, rather than a hammock. Welfare and government programs should not be a lifetime enterprise, they should be temporary aid.
Welfare in particular, in more situations needs to be about investing in our potential workforce. For someone who isn’t disabled, there should be something required for their welfare check. Even if just visiting the free public library for 5-10 hours a month where people can brush up on reading and learning, or learn math or whatever. Let’s say a person spends 20-30 years on welfare under the current system, what does the government have to show for its money at the end of that 20-30 years, other than a statistic?
Again, brilliant, brilliant post. I’ll come back later when time permits.
I’m not sure if you’re aware, but there are rather strict limits on who qualifies for welfare aid and also for how long they can benefit from it. Only in extreme circumstances can people stay on welfare. Also, per welfare reform under Bill Clinton, work is required in most circumstances. It’s a bumper sticker to be angry about welfare reform, but silent on corporate welfare. I’m not saying you are, but most conservatives are angry about social welfare, while ignoring corporate welfare, which is hypocrisy to the extreme.
Despite strict limits, it is generally agreed that there is still a higher increase of people on welfare in addition to those who are already under welfare through registered families. I’m pretty sure what you say is true that regulations are getting more strict on welfare qualification, but that only applies to certain places, not all. The fault still lies with the GOP party for not properly maintaining the balance and the overall quality of life for those below or above the poverty line (despite that our definition of poverty varies b/w individuals and groups).
Things are already messed up with our minimum wage dilemma. You can ask for a raise in wages and wait for the next economic crisis to end, or we can do the opposite. Neither of which is a great solution to our nation.
Forgive me for coming into this conversation a little late, but I just came across this article and well, I can’t help but speak my mind. While I don’t disagree with many of your points, and tend to lean towards the conservative side on fiscal issues, my biggest challenge with most conservatives is the hypocrisy. So I would ask you, if you believe in voter ID laws do you also believe in requiring ID’s for gun purchases? Because I do. Many conservatives speak of smaller government but when it comes to policy that they disagree with such as abortion or the equality of the LGBT community they want to regulate it. The anti-abortion movement says that every life is a child, and yet when that child comes into a life of poverty and neglect they don’t want to spend their own dollars to help them. Frankly I feel that until we don’t have an adoption problem in this country then restrictive laws on abortion should be outlawed.
So I ask you to explain to me how these paradoxical ideologies can exist within a united conservative movement, and how can this said conservative movement appeal to a broader context of the populations that we serve? Because all I see with this article is a proffering of individual ideology and no real attempt at solution to the problems that persist working in this field everyday.
How weird and reductionist of you. Why would you assume that conservatives have a stranglehold on hypocrisy? Have you been conscious for the last six years? Of course conservatives believe in I.D. – for everything. What does a person have to hide that they would be afraid of presenting identification? Do they buy beer, write checks, ride on air planes or go to the bank? Then they should be happy to present I.D. at the voting booth.Conservatives differ in how they feel about abortion (I had one and wouldn’t recommend it or promote it!) and about gay rights. Personally, I think God made people both gay and straight – why would it dislike the gay ones any more than the straight ones? And what does that have to do with becoming a Social Worker? Such a viewpoint certainly showcases your intolerance.
You seem like a very angry, resentful person. Are you sure you’re mentally healthy enough to counsel others? Why would you be afraid of having diversity around you – that is, people who think differently than you? Is it that you can’t control them? See, to me, a person raised by seriously mentally ill individuals and sent into protected custody until I could become an emancipated minor – I resent the hell out of crazy people who want to control me. It’s why I so dislike “liberals” aka control freaks. i suffered a great deal under the manipulative “care” of people like you – people so angry and resentful that there could be another point of view aside from their own. Please try to keep in mind that your job is to help others to help themselves and not to judge them or tell them what’s proper to think.
We are far from being able to consider ourselves a “welfare state.” The reality is that the “safety net” of days gone by did not exist only in the Leave it to Beaver World. Jane Adams did not create Hull House and become the first “garbage inspector” because the good church folk were reaching out into the poverty stricken neighborhoods of Chicago in order to make sure those living in poverty could live free of disease. In regards to letting the free market be the great equalizer of society; this idea first implies that all citizens are created equally and all have opportunities. The reality is if we have to create rules and laws making discrimination illegal, then people obviously are not willing to look at other citizens as equal. It also contradicts the conservative vantage point that each individual must “pull him/herself up by his/her own boot straps” which implies individuality not collectivism. Finally, I would like point out that I for one do not think conservatives “hate” poor people, but I do believe they split “poor people” into two classes: that of the deserving and that of the undeserving poor. As long as our society continues to support the existence of two classes of poor , we will never be a true “welfare state.” There will always be people “left out.”
Your grasp of history is appalling. Jane Addams was the adoring daughter of John Addams, the originator of the Illinois Republican Party. She and her father were both avid supporters of Abraham Lincoln, the Republican who freed the Southern slaves (from the Democrates, the only slave holders in America). Jane Addams was a very religious Quaker and she saw her outreach into the community as a way to spread religious Quakerism and to care for the indigent. Her father greatly supported her in this aim. What kind of crappy history were you taught in Social Work school?
First my disclaimer… I am a government employee…. And I’m pretty freaking tired of being bashed on by the media, politicians, political pundits etc. We work our asses off and more often than not do it because we are dedicated to our mission. Mine is working with the homeless. However to the young man entering my esteemed beloved field… I suppose on some level you can say we overall have a liberal slant, however, please do not mistake this for the belief that we think the Govermemt can fund, change or solve our various social challenges. No social worker I know believes this. Further ALL monies are tied to some sort of expectation. Even the so called faith based services. It’s a far more complicated macro web that’s has been weaved. And trust me the Conservatives have their hands right in there with legislating regulations, laws, etc. So tax payers can see some sort of outcome for their dollars just like donors want to know how their money is being spent. To that end as you grow in the field you will hopefully get to experience that many of our interventions and goals are implemented with the hope we assist someone with sustaining on their own. Free from dependence on a system. That’s not to say they may be forever free of mental health services or benefits say through the VA but moreover independant from so called welfare services. The goal is to always try to work yourself out of a job. I could historically go on as some have with examples of how conservative legislation has actually created more need from our field to provide services in the community but I will end by saying this… We welcome the diversity. I love when I see my hard kick ass Marines become Social Wokers. I love what their experience brings to the field just like yours will. As whomever previously said and was right… A BSW is one thing… A MSW is far deeper of an understanding of what we do and well hey a LCSW… Well the possibilities are endless. Happy Social Worker month!
Most BSW and MSW programs are cesspools for leftism. Period! I was in a MSW program but left after 1 semester because the entire semester was used as a platform to indoctrinate the students with leftist propaganda. Alternative views were never presented; moreover, one of my professor’s would usually caricature other non-leftist views or straight-up lie and misrepresent them.
For non-leftists who aren’t sure whether they want to pursue social work as a major, seriously consider what you’re getting yourself into. It’s almost a guarantee you won’t receive a true education where different views are openly, honestly and critically discussed. Quite frankly, you’ll only receive leftist propaganda. That’s not a true education and it certainly isn’t worth the thousands of dollars students pay.
I liked this post as the writer was willing to dialogue with an aim to bring us all to a bigger picture on politics, quite interesting as Ralph Nader speaks of left Right convergences.
Here is a link to an article examining Social Workers roles in politics.
https://socialhealthpracticeottawa.wordpress.com/category/social-policy-meets-the-frontline/
whoops, here is the actual link, https://socialhealthpracticeottawa.wordpress.com/2015/09/15/social-workers-place-in-policy-and-more-to-the-point-politics/
Thank you! I really appreciate this post and it is a breath of fresh air in the bias that exists today in the field of social work.