The Diversity Immersion project has really made me think of the various groups of people I may have negative feelings or thoughts of. I have had a difficult time picking a group because of the area I live in and the available resources are limited. So, with that being said, I had to dig deep to find a group of people that I feel I need to understand better. The group I have chosen is the homeless community. We have many homeless individuals in our area, and I am positive that we are not the only community that have people who have little monetary resources and no possessions to their name. Some of these people used to have homes, jobs, and a purpose in society but for some reason they now live on the streets begging for money, searching for shelter and food, and wandering the streets aimlessly.
I personally cannot imagine how a person is homeless. I find it difficult as I am driving down the road and witness a gentleman sitting along the street holding a sign that reads, “I need spare change for a hot meal”. My first thought is please find a job like everyone else! Some of the prejudices I hold toward a homeless individual is that they that they are lazy, needy, and dirty. I have had conversations with people regarding individuals who are homeless and many of them have the same negative thoughts that I experience. This tells me that this could be a community issue against homeless individuals. According to our text, the prejudices we hold against people can lead to discrimination. Discrimination is defined as “the unfair treatment of a person, racial group, or minority; it is an action based on prejudice” (Zastrow &Ashman, 2015). I am fairly certain the homeless population experiences discrimination on a daily basis. While I have not had experiences with this population in the past, I cannot say that if given the chance, I would have treated them the same as I would someone I felt contributed more to the community. In all honesty, I would probably avoid a homeless person entirely.
With this assignment I hope to volunteer with our local Union Rescue Mission. I believe this will give me the opportunity to understand this particular group and learn the difficulties they have experienced which caused them to become homeless. I would like to learn how to be sympathetic of their situation, their needs, and to be able to accurately advocate for them when necessary. If I am not able to understand this community, I am afraid it will affect my career as a social worker because there may be instances where I will have to help a family who may not be the cleanest and are struggling because they have lost their home do to unforeseen circumstances. If I am unable to get past the idea that homeless people are lazy, and that they are just looking for free handouts, I may not be able to see a person for who they truly are and effectively help the people that I cross paths with.
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) clearly states that as a social worker we are to respect the dignity and worth of a person. This does not mean a person who we feel deserves respect and dignity but anyone whom we encounter. An even better source of how we should treat a person is the Bible. Matthew 7:12 states “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets”. (HCSB) It is easy to get caught up in the world and adopt the views that are popular for a particular group of people. We must push our biased thoughts aside and focus on the needs of our clients above what our personal thoughts or feelings are. I look forward to learning from the homeless community and believe they will teach me a new way of seeing people which I will encounter as a social worker.
References
HCSB study bible: Holman Christian standard Bible. (2015). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible.
National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (approved 1996, revised 2017). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Washington, DC: NASW. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ms_ArtLqzeI%3d&portalid=0
Zastrow, C. and Kirst-Ashman, K. (2013). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning, Inc
Alyssa Dolly 