Social Work Journal

For my social work seminar, we had to write a reflection paper on the topic "the city as the context for faith and learning." What follows is the reflection I wrote, which summarizes many of the things I have learned and thought about during my time in Chicago. Just thought I would share it. :) I'll post another update on what I have been up to the last couple of weeks later on this weekend. Enjoy!

Lessons in Social Work in a Windy City Classroom
When most people think of a classroom, the images that come to mind may include desks, a white board, lectures, note taking, and possibly, naps. But, according to dictionary.com, a classroom is “any place where one learns or gains experience.” With this definition, my suspicions are confirmed: this semester, Chicago is my classroom. I am the student and the people I meet on the street, the other tenants in my building, the clients and staff at my internship site, the CS staff, and even the people on the subway are my teachers.
During my undergraduate education as a social work major, I remember learning about the six core values of the social work profession, as laid out by the NASW: the importance of human relationships, service, social justice, integrity, competence, and the dignity and worth of people. But I have learned more about these values in the last month of city living than during my entire three and half years in a traditional college classroom setting.
The first value is the importance of human relationships. Being in Chicago, I find it amazing that a person can pass by literally hundreds of people on their commute to work without really having a meaningful interaction with anyone. It is very easy to get lost in the busy-ness of city life and to neglect relationships. Remarkably, it is possible to be in a crowded subway and yet be totally alone. During my short time in the city, I have learned that even when surrounded by people, I must be intentional with relationship-building because we all need each other. I need the people who run the CTA, the lady checking me out at Jewel, and the individuals who clean the kitchen at my internship site. We are all interconnected and should value our relationships, whether they are casual friendships or professional alliances.
The second social work value I have been learning about in Chicago is the dignity and worth of people. There are two men who are outside of Walgreens almost every day selling the Streetwise magazine. Their names are Andres and Sean. For the first couple of weeks I lived here, I walked by them every day without even acknowledging them. I feared making eye contact because I knew they would ask for money and I do not have a lot to give. But one day I talked to them. I learned their names, asked them about their day, and gave them some Valentine’s Day candy. Come to find out, they are not scary guys; in fact, they seem quite nice. Though I do not know their stories yet, I would love to learn them and I plan on stopping by and saying hi to them more often. After all, they are human beings who deserve dignity, respect, and Valentine’s Day candy. Just like every other person I pass throughout my busy day. Even if I cannot help them much financially, I can be a blessing to them by acknowledging them as the treasures they are—human beings created in the image of God.
This leads right into the next social work value I have been contemplating in a fresh way in my new city classroom: social justice. I find it interesting that on the “El” I see people from all walks of life; some men have business suits and briefcases, while others carry their belongings in a garbage bag and look like they have experienced more than their fair share of troubles in life. Sometimes I wonder where social justice is, or if it really exists for some people. I wonder what it would look like if all of the resources of the city were redistributed equally to all people. How would it change the futures of the children I see walking down the sidewalk? How would it impact the rates of crime? What would it to for Andres? What kind of city would Chicago be?
I am also learning a great deal about service. I am given many opportunities to serve during my average day. I get to serve the clients and staff at my internship site by helping with daily tasks such as loading the dishwasher, organizing files, and folding laundry. I serve the kids by listening to them when they want to talk and helping them resolve conflict. I can serve people on the subway by giving up my seat when someone else needs to sit down more than I do. Then I can come back to my apartment and can serve my roommate by cooking dinner or taking out the trash. In a city of almost 3 million, there are dozens of ways to serve people every day. The key is to keep my eyes open and take action when I identify those opportunities.
The fifth value I learned during my undergrad studies in social work was competence. I enjoy the fact that I have the opportunity to put my social work knowledge and skills into practice. I feel so blessed for the education I received and believe that it prepared me well for a career in social work. But I am also learning that in many ways, experience is the best teacher and real life situations require more competence and common sense than just book smarts.
Finally, as I continue my internship, I am reminded of the importance of integrity, the final core social work value. In one of the best movies of all times, Spiderman’s uncle tells him that “with great power comes great responsibility.” I know that by working with children in a residential setting, my actions and example will impact them. I must always make sure that I am modeling behavior and character that overflows with integrity.
For me, the city truly has been a context for faith and learning. Reading textbooks and listening to professors have their place in the sphere of education. But to truly learn, one must get out of the four walls of the classroom and claim all of life as their classroom, every person as their teacher, and every second an opportunity to learn.