Community Systems Photo Essay

1. Community Systems Photo Essay Cydney Jones Western Washington University

2. Learning Outcome #1 Summarize the historical roots of community development and organizing, advocacy, and social movements.

3. Learning Outcome #1: Summarize the historical roots of community development and organizing, advocacy, and social movements. • Saul Alinsky is often referred to as the Father of Community Organizing (Seal, 2008). The quote shown on this photo represents a key principle in community organizing. You must meet the world, the community or an individual where it is in order to make lasting change. Saul Alinsky Photo courtesy of Googleimages

4. Learning Outcome #1: Summarize the historical roots of community development and organizing, advocacy, and social movements. • Studs Terkel was fascinated by the everyday lives of people. He would interview them and write about their experiences. He did this, for example, about the experiences of people during the Depression in his book Hard Times. It was said that he could tell the stories of others better than they ever could themselves (Spartacus Educational, n.d.). Terkel is an early example of an advocate; speaking on the behalf of others when they didn’t have the opportunity to have their voices heard. Studs Terkel Photo courtesy of Googleimages

5. Learning Outcome #1: Summarize the historical roots of community development and organizing, advocacy, and social movements. • Dorothy Day was considered to be somewhat of a contradiction; she was both a saint and a troublemaker. She was a devoted Catholic, but she took a stand against the things she didn’t approve. In fact, she was arrested multiple times for protesting war and social injustice (Forest, 2006). Day is a great representative of the historical roots of advocacy and social movements. Dorothy Day Photo courtesy of Googleimages

6. Learning Outcome #1: Summarize the historical roots of community development and organizing, advocacy, and social movements. • The Women’s Suffrage Movement was one of the earlier social movements in the United States. Studying this movement is a great reminder that changes take time. Women were not granted the right to vote immediately. In fact, the movement technically began in 1848 and the 19th Amendment wasn’t passed until 1920 (NWHM, 2007). It can be easy to become disheartened when there isn’t instant gratification from your work, but social change is an ongoing process that requires a lot of time and energy. Women’s Suffrage Movement Photo courtesy of Googleimages

7. Learning Outcome #2 Analyze community systems and structures, and design and evaluate processes to initiate and sustain change through specific strategies, tactics, activities and social policy advocacy.

8. Learning Outcome #2: Analyze community systems and structures, and design and evaluate processes to initiate and sustain change through specific strategies, tactics, activities and social policy advocacy. • An important thing to keep in mind when trying to design a process to make change is that you can’t do everything. Social issues are huge and impossible to tackle all at once. We must start small, which can be frustrating because you don’t see large and significant changes right away. But by keeping the big picture in mind, we can feel satisfied by the small changes we make. Starting Small Photo courtesy of Googleimages

9. Learning Outcome #2: Analyze community systems and structures, and design and evaluate processes to initiate and sustain change through specific strategies, tactics, activities and social policy advocacy. • A strategy that can initiate and sustain change is to work together. Homan (2011) said, “remember this fundamental principle: Any problem that involves more than one person requires the involvement of more people than just you to resolve it” (p. 9). This may sound very simple, but some people dread asking for help fearing that it may make them look weak or inadequate. But in order to make lasting change, working together may be very necessary. Working Together Photo courtesy of Googleimages

10. Learning Outcome #2: Analyze community systems and structures, and design and evaluate processes to initiate and sustain change through specific strategies, tactics, activities and social policy advocacy. • By researching a particular policy this quarter and writing a policy brief, I learned a lot about being an advocate in a larger system. I was more familiar with advocacy for an individual, but advocating at Lobby Day in Olympia gave me a new perspective. I was able to see the power of speaking with various legislators and rallying for important social causes. Our legislators are there to represent us, the people, so it is our responsibility to make sure they hear our voices. Lobby Day Used by permission, Anna Valkov, personal communication

11. Learning Outcome #2: Analyze community systems and structures, and design and evaluate processes to initiate and sustain change through specific strategies, tactics, activities and social policy advocacy. • Something that has proved its success to me time and time again is public awareness campaigns. This photo is an example of a time when I, along with a group of people, marched through campus with posters in an attempt to raise awareness about domestic violence. In my policy brief, I suggested that a public awareness campaign be implemented to raise awareness about the legal protections of immigrant women under the Violence Against Women Act. I believe this is one of the most crucial strategies to initiate and sustain change. Raising Public Awareness Used by permission, Katie Plewa, personal communication

12. Learning Outcome #3 Record, assess, and reflect on experiences with community and the influence of human services values, attitudes, and ethics in relationship to community change.

13. Learning Outcome #3: Record, assess, and reflect on experiences with community and the influence of human services values, attitudes, and ethics in relationship to community change. • Homan (2011) made the suggestion to “provoke people… to get them thinking differently and thinking about behaving differently so they will begin to believe in the possibilities” (p. 288). The word “provoke” may sound somewhat negative, but this is actually a great piece of advice. By shocking people with the harsh realities of social issues, you can spark a new passion and sense of awareness that makes them want to take action and make change. When people are provoked like this, I believe we are influencing them with human services ethics, like believing that every person is worthy of respect and acceptance. Provoking People Photo courtesy of Googleimages

14. Learning Outcome #3: Record, assess, and reflect on experiences with community and the influence of human services values, attitudes, and ethics in relationship to community change. • Human services values the strength diversity can bring. By asking for the opinions and viewpoints of a variety of people, especially those from diverse populations, you can get a better idea of what the actual needs of the community are and therefore come up with a better and more effective plan for community development and organizing. Diversity Photo courtesy of Googleimages

15. Learning Outcome #3: Record, assess, and reflect on experiences with community and the influence of human services values, attitudes, and ethics in relationship to community change. • Human service professionals should strive to use empowerment-based models with their clients as often as possible. As stated in the ethical standards, human service professionals promote the self-determination of the client, and recognize and build on their strengths, both of which are key components of empowerment (NOHS, n.d.). Empowerment Photo courtesy of Googleimages

16. Learning Outcome #3: Record, assess, and reflect on experiences with community and the influence of human services values, attitudes, and ethics in relationship to community change. • Safe Space is a program people can be trained in that provides them with the skills to be an effective ally for the LGBTQ population, and listener in general. These skills can be applied to being a strong advocate and community developer, as well as to any population. Those trained in Safe Space make a commitment to being open and accepting of all individuals, which is a major value of human services. Safe Space Photo courtesy of Googleimages

17. Learning Outcome #4 Analyze the systemic issues related to culture, diversity, and social class in the context of community systems.

18. Learning Outcome #4: Analyze the systemic issues related to culture, diversity, and social class in the context of community systems. • The prevalence of racial disparities really prevents communities from embracing their diversity and engaging with people who are “different” from them. For example, black people are disproportionally represented in prisons. These inmates spend their time primarily with those who share similar racial backgrounds. This creates a stereotype that black people are criminals so other racial groups look down on them and are less likely to associate with them. Racial Disparities Image courtesy of Googleimages

19. Learning Outcome #4: Analyze the systemic issues related to culture, diversity, and social class in the context of community systems. • One major issue communities face is a lack of cultural competency. Sometimes people look at others who are different from them in one way or another like they are someone from another planet. They don’t take cultural practices or norms into consideration as an explanation for some of their differences, or even look to find commonalities. Cultural Competency Image courtesy of Googleimages

20. Learning Outcome #4: Analyze the systemic issues related to culture, diversity, and social class in the context of community systems. • When individuals come to the United States from another country, they may speak very little English or none at all. While this should make our society richer because of the diversity it brings, it often causes a lot of issues for those non-English speakers. There is a lack of resources in most communities for these people so they often can’t apply for or receive services, or even just engage with their fellow community members. Language Barriers Photo courtesy of Googleimages

21. Learning Outcome #4: Analyze the systemic issues related to culture, diversity, and social class in the context of community systems. • Power imbalances are everywhere in our society, whether it be in relation to gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and a wide variety of other things. Sargent (2009) recognized this, saying that all relationships have some sort of power dynamic. This leads to one person, or group of people, being the dominant ones or the “haves,” which in turn creates the “have-nots.” This lack of equality is a major systemic issue. Imbalances of Power Photo courtesy of Googleimages

22. Personal Learning Outcome Human services professionals must keep an open mind and think critically about social issues in their community.

23. Personal Learning Outcome: Human services professionals must keep an open mind and think critically about social issues in their community. • In addition to my learning through the designated learning outcomes, I learned how important it is to research the opposition’s viewpoints, think critically and be open to their ideas. While it did not happen to me, a few students found that after really looking into their topic of choice for their policy brief, they changed their minds on what their stance was. In human services, you must be willing to do the background research to make sure you are strong in your opinion and have the information to back it up, as well as be willing to change your mind, or “flip flop”. Flip-flopping Photo courtesy of Googleimages

24. References • Forest, Jim. (2006). All is grace: A biography of Dorothy Day. Retrieved from: http://www.jimandnancyforest.com/2006/03/24/all-is-grace/ • Googleimages. (2013). Googleimages. Retrieved from: http://www.google.com/imghp • Homan, M.S. (2011). Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. • National Organization for Human Services (NOHS). (n.d.). Ethical standards for human service professionals. Retrieved from: http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals • National Women’s History Museum (NWHM). (2007). Causes: The woman suffrage movement. Retrieved from: http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/progressiveera/suffrage.html • Sargent, Lyman T. (2009). Contemporary Political Ideologies: A comparative analysis. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. • Seal, Mike. (2008). Saul Alinsky, community organizing and rules for radicals. Retrieved from: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/alinsky.htm • Spartacus Educational. (n.d.) Studs Terkel. Retrieved from: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAterkel.htm