Community Immersion Southeast Memphis Essay

I. fundamentIt has always been my dream to hand oer a substantial positive squeeze on the world that I live in. Since as remote seat as I capital deal remember the desire to help opposites has dominate non save my thought process, nonwith dissenting alike my actions. I deal that this desire is what has led me to pursue the societal practise field. The job of a social proletarian is complicated and very wide-reaching, unless I intrust the ultimate job description of a successful social worker whoremaster be summed up with unrivaled word help. The ultimate close of the social worker is to positively affect the lives of their several(prenominal) clients and ultimately the order of magnitude in which they live. I meet at learned that social workers conk at three levels which ultimately each(prenominal)ows them to successfully promote the change that they desire. These levels be gnomish social work, which involves working with individuals mezzo social work , which involves working with families or separate small groups and large social work which involves working with agencies. (Gillies, Ester.).When I initial began this course, I was only cognizant of social work at the micro level. Through the readings and videos that I fork up had the opportunity to review, I am at mavin time sure that it is impossible to be an effective social worker without incorporating all three facets of the social work profession. My initial vision of being in an office working independently with a singular client has been endlessly changed. I am now aware of the immense responsibility social workers have to non only affect the individuals and families that fling through and through their doors, but too the impact they must have on the friendship and auberge that these individuals and families interact with daily, in order to accomplish real change. According to the field of study Association of Social Workers, social workers have skills in cul tural sensation and cultural compe hug drugce, in which social work practice respectfully responds to, and affirms, the worth(predicate) and dignity of people of all cultures, languages, classes, ethnic backgrounds, abilities, religions, sexual orientation, and opposite(a) divers(a) features foundin individuals.Social workers look at the person-in-environment, including all of the another(prenominal) factors that influence the total health of the individual. (Craig & Elizabeth 2005). Social workers must practice at the mezzo, macro and micro level in order to be effective. In order for social workers to effectively operate at heart a assumption familiarity of interests, they must introductory understand the community on an intimate level. Without companionship of the surrounding community a social worker will non be aware of the factors that contribute to specific issues that draw with the clients and families that they serve and alike will not be able to affect long haunting substantial change within their clients who ultimately have to live and operate daily in these communities. A good example would be ascribe an individual that struggles with alcoholism. Through therapy and extensive self-reflection and specific treatment strategies the individual can make substantial progress while in your office.However, if this corresponding individual must leave your office and return to work in a bar or slightly other environment that makes it difficult to conserve the level of progress reached in the therapy sessions, then the success that is experienced in those therapy sessions is short-lived. A social worker must also be aware of the service that are available to their clients as head as other factors affecting those work such as distance (proximity)/transportation, cost, location/ recourse, hours of operation/work schedule, availability and other factors that would affect an individuals ability to acquire call for services. Lastly, before a social worker can begin to go to a client in working on issues that may persist they must first identify the issue, study the causes or underlying personal effects of that issue and then analyze the need for change before they can finally begin to formulate solutions (Netting, et al. 2012).According to social work macro practice, being a social worker requires seeing the client as part of multiple, overlapping systems that comprise the persons social and fleshly environment. The profession of social work is committed to seeking social and economical justice in concert with vulnerable and under- served states, and macro-practice skills are necessary in confronting these inequalities. (Netting, et al. 2012). II. Community DemographicsThe community that I choose to reduce on during my community immersion performance was my own likeness of Memphis Tennessee. The community iscommonly cognize as East Memphis ( more than accurately South East Memphis). I persistent to focus on t he specific null code of 38141 because East Memphis is a very large domain of a function that is divided into several different shares. distributively section has its own identity and can be identified by certain characteristics that readily distinguish them. I not only have lived in this community for the past seven years, I have also worked as a teacher and coach of multiple sports in the resemblance middle give instruction (Kirby Middle instruct) for six out of the last ten years of working for the Shelby County School system.My mother is also a resident of this same community. She lives less than a mile from my house. I am passing vested in this community for many reasons, but those are by far the most prevalent. Below is an outline of the parameters of the 38141 champaign code where I chose to focus my attention. The area that was covered in my community immersion activity is outlined in red on the map above. Below is a come of some demographical information based o n information provided by city-data.com. (City-Data.com 2011) Estimated secret code code tribe in 2011 22,012 (By age)Education and EmploymentFor existence 25 years and over in 38141High school or higher(prenominal) 88.4%Bachelors degree or higher 18.5%Graduate or professional degree 5.9%Unemployed 10.5%Mean travel time to work (commute) 21.0 minutesMarital StatusFor population 15 years and over in 38141Never married 33.7%Now married 44.8%Separated 4.8% leave behind 3.0%Divorced 13.7%Racial demographicsRaces in zip code 38141White population 1,650Black population 17,896American Indian population 29Asian population 208Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population 5Some other race population 35 dickens or more races population 173Hispanic or Latino population 2,466Estimated median house/condo value in 2011 $101,80038141$101,800Tennessee $138,300Individual IncomeThis zip code $51,295Tennessee $41,693Household IncomeWhite Non-Hispanic householders $100,352Black or African Ame rican householders $102,691Asian householders $110,042Some other race householders $107,368Two or more races householders $93,112Hispanic or Latino householders $98,792Government AssistanceHousehold original Food Stamps/SNAP in the past 12 months 890 Household did not receive Food Stamps/SNAP in the past 12 months 6,790 owner/Renters normal monthly owner costs for units with a mortgage $1,211 (owner) Median monthly owner costs for units without a mortgage $404 (renter) Single set up vs. Co-Parent households3,160 married couples with children.3,016 single-parent households (601 men, 2,415 women).Immigrant PopulationForeign born population 1,076 (4.9%)(26.2% of them are conventional citizens)This zip code 4.9%Whole state 4.8%Private vs. Public School EnrolmentPrivate vs. public school enrollmentStudents in head-to-head schools in grades 1 to 8 (elementary and middle school) 119 Here 3.7%Tennessee 11.0%Students in unavowed schools in grades 9 to 12 (high school) 63 Here 3.4%Tennes see 12.2%Students in backstage undergraduate colleges 92Here 7.5%Tennessee 23.1%Crime Statistics for the entire East Memphis (also cognize as Hickory Hill) area which includes the following zip codes 38141, 38125, and 38115. I was unavailing to locate data for just the 38141 area code.(Point to Homes 2014)III. Community CharacteristicsIf I had to clear this community into a category, I would defiantly have to classify it as average or middle-class. in that location is very little that makes this community stand out from many of the others that I have visited end-to-end my life in many other states or so the country. The homes are very similar to one another and there is little variation within the area in the style and size of the residence. It does not meet the criteria for an affluent community, nor does it meet the standards of a low-income urban area. I believe the strengths of this particular neighborhood would have to first be the quiet that is fairly consistent in al l move that I visited on my walk through the interior of the community. My first walk was on a Sunday during the afternoon.The weather was perfect for outdoor activities. However, almost every block I visited was empty and free from activity. With the exception of the a couple of(prenominal) young boys playing basketball in the street (mostly in one of the many coves that exist), and a some children riding their bikes and scooters, there was very little movement and almost no funda moral interaction. This can be seen as a positive for those who enjoy a quiet environment, which I do however, I also believe that a neighborhood should have a safe sense of community. And that this sense of community should be evident to all that visit. I was raised in a very poor and underprivileged section of the West Side of Chicago. One of the lasting memories from my childhood was the constant interaction between everyonethat lived in the immediate vicinity of our house. at that place were ver y hardly a(prenominal) days that I remember as a child where the neighborhood that I grew up in was not buzzing with activity and movement. another(prenominal) strength of the community would have to be access to shop and other establishments that provide goods that are needed on a daily basis. all major(ip) street that surrounds this community offer a wealth of go down on dis air, restaurants, grocery stores (Riverdale only), barbershops, and many other places that offer needed goods.The proximity of these places to the residences, as rise as the variety of goods offered at most of the gas stations (Which are plentiful, more than ten) makes it not only accessible to those with vehicles, but also those that may be on foot. Another positive of the neighborhood is the opportunity to worship that is available. In my visit, which only covered a small ingredient of the whole community, I observed five separate churches that were spread throughout the community. It is always good t o have sex that there is a spiritual comportment in any community you plan to call home. Some weaknesses of the community would have to be the charge of youth gang activity. I did not witness any gang activity during my immersion, but I do have intimate knowledge of the presence of gangs in this area through my dealings with the students at my school as well as the neighborhood high school, which requires a very high police presence do to gang fighting and other activities.I expected to encounter some gang graffiti or other signs of gang activity during my immersion, because I know that I have seen it before. However, to my surprise, there was none present during either of my immersion days. I would also have to list the lack of gentlemans gentleman interaction as a weakness. Although it makes for quiet neighborhoods, I just didnt get the feeling of a very close-knit community during my visit. about of the movement that I observed was individuals in vehicles traveling to and fr om their destination. I know that the world that we live in is fast paced and always moving, but I believe in order to truly call a place a community there should exude a feeling of family and togetherness. in that location are many educational opportunities in this community for learners of all ages. I am not fully aware of the quality of these educational institutions, but I will say there is a high quantity. In this specific area there is an elementary school, middle school, as well as high school.If you stretch the boundaries out a little there are three other middle schools, two of which are getschools, and one other elementary school and high school. There are also day cares that are located on Riverdale and Kirby as well as some home daycares that are located within the community. There are also learning opportunities for bountiful learners. There is a cosmetology school located on Riverdale Rd. There are also other services that are available to those in need, such as a tiddler medical clinic located about one mile outside of the community. The only medical establishment located within the parameters of the neighborhood would be an orthopaedic clinic as well as a dialysis clinic.There is no mental health or social service center located within the community according to Lt. Robinson of Engine direct 55 (Personal communication 2014), whom I had the pleasure of meeting during my immersion. He has worked in this community as a fire fighter for over ten years and says the only services that are available to the residents are an assisted living facility for the fourth-year and the fire station which serves the whole community. We both agree that there is not enough support offered to those that may be in need in the immediate community. IV. Community Structure and Decision-makingThe Mayor of Shelby County is Mayor A. C. Wharton Jr. There are two legislators listed for this specific area Rep. Joe Towns and Sen. Reginald Tate. Our representative is Ste ve Cohen (City of Memphis 2014). The city council has a difficult influence on the make up the community. They are accountable for deciding which businesses are allowed to open, and which have to close down. The presence of certain businesses in the area has an impact on the overall living conditions of the community. They also have a great impact on the education system and administrate changes that happen at the school level. This area is very close to Germantown, which is a more affluent section of the city, so there is a strong police presence (both city and county) that maintains order and help to promote safety and deter crime. There is a very strong religious presence in the community.Along with the wide variety of churches in the area, there are two mega-churches which have a very close relationship with the community and its residence. World Overcomers Christian Church is one of those mega-churches that has recently purchased and renovated the main shopping mall in this area that was ravaged by tournedos that came through this area a few years ago. This mall will offer jobs and other valuable resources that will help thecommunity to move in a positive direction. New Direction Christian Church is the other mega-church in the area (my church home), which also currently serves as one of the area charter schools. The have recently purchased a very large portion of land previously owned by a dilapidated flatbed complex. They are currently in the process of building a major town center that will have schools, assisted living facilities, adult education and other children centered activities that will be a great lift for the community. V. Reflection and ConclusionI thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to swallow myself in my community. I have lived here for some time and have become very comfortable in my surroundings. This activity gave me an opportunity to look at my community through the eyes of a tourist sort of of that of a resident. I would have to say that there were very few (if any) surprises, because I frequently go into the community with my children and have traveled these same streets many a times by car, bike and foot. But this activity did force me to take a closer look at what is around me every day and start to see things through the eyes of a social worker instead of that of a normal passer-by.ReferencesCity-Data. (2011) Retrieved from http//www.city-data.com/zips/38141.html City of Memphis (2014)Retrieved from http//www.cityofmemphis.org/ Craig de Silva, Elvira., Clark, Elizabeth J., subject Association of Social Workers (2005) NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in wellness Care Settings Gillies, Ester. 1.2 Spectrum of Social Work Practice Unit 1 (video) debut to Macro Practice Values and Significance, Part I Lt. Robinson of Engine Station 55 (Personal communication, May 25, 2014). Netting, F. E., Kettner, P., McMurty, S. L., & Thomas, M. L. (2012). Social work macro practice. Chapter 1 p.6-9 (5th ed.). Bo ston, MA Pearson Point to Homes (2014) Retrieved from http//www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/TN/Memphis/Hickory-Hill-Demographics.html