Senior seminar: research and scholarly inquiry

Senior Seminar

Before enrolling in the School of Human Services, I had worked with some volunteer organizations and was vaguely aware of the problems facing my community and others like it. Crime, juvenile delinquency, spousal abuse, substance abuse, disempowerment, racism, and poverty are only a few of the issues that I vowed to confront throughout my career. Knowing that I wanted to dedicate my life to helping others improve their lives, I sought out ways to train and educate myself in social services.

The School of Human Services offered a program that suited my needs perfectly. Instead of staying stuck in an academic library to pour over other peoples' research, we were thrust into the field. Because of the projects we have completed and the real-world situations we have encountered in the SHS, my awareness of the human condition has expanded tremendously. Previous social service work I have performed such as volunteer positions rarely involved fieldwork. Being a student at SHS was the first opportunity I had to make a direct impact on individual lives. Listening to people's life stories, hearing about their past traumas and their regrets, all helped me to form a more realistic perspective on human suffering.

For example, before undertaking the senior project I did not fully understand the reasons why many people are repeat offenders. It is easy to dismiss such problems as being related to psychological problems or general anti-social behavior. However, meeting individual inmates at local correctional facilities allowed me to view offenders are real people. Many of them had experienced major traumas as children and had not grown up in a supportive family or community. Their background in no way condones criminal behavior but does illustrate ways that society breeds crime.

The senior project we completed examined the root causes of recidivism: mainly, the lack of adequate transition services for inmates. Upon release, few offenders can find rewarding jobs. Many cannot find adequate housing situations and most experience scorn and rejection. The criminal justice system and community service organizations need to work more closely together to offer offenders viable reasons to change their behavior and practical means to transform their outlook on life. From my research I learned also that many sociological problems like crime and recidivism are shared collectively by all members of the community. Institutional supports can contribute positively to communities by helping reduce crime rates and rates of recidivism.

In conjunction with scholastic research, a group of my fellow students and I organized a field project that might actually benefit the community. Our work was highly practical and can realistically be extended into an ongoing community project. At the School of Human Services, I have learned not to view social problems as abstract issues or lists of alarming statistics but as an unfortunate collection of stories from individual's personal lives. Although they might collectively illustrate broader sociological trends, the people who suffer in our world are not numbers. The School of Human Services has taught me to view human suffering as being real and visceral, and to not be sheltered from it. One of the most significant learning experiences for me during my time at SHS has been to approach social service as hands-on work rather than as an academic endeavor.

However, the academic resources available at the school help students like me to formulate hypotheses and think critically about the problems we are interested in solving. Without formal research, we would have few theories on which to base our direct action. I appreciate learning what others have done before me, trying to replicate effective studies, improving on others or adapting them to the specific needs of my community. Rather than become overwhelmed by the subjective aspects of human suffering, scholastically trained professionals can apply research to the real world. My work at the SHS has therefore prepared me to meet the challenges of humanitarian service both by increasing my awareness of academic research available in different areas and by increasing my practical ability to serve others.

The value of an education at the SHS extends beyond the personal gains I or any other student may acquire as a result of the diploma such as a promotion, increased salary, or higher status job. In fact, most students are aware that social service positions are not necessarily keys to fame or fortune. We would not have invested so much of our time and energy into the program if we did not feel strongly about social issues. The true value of an SHS education is in its ability to make me able to help others. My education has vastly increased my awareness of the human condition on a practical level. For example, I have been able to work in the field with individuals in need of immediate support. Through my studies I have also met with social workers and professionals like me, who are dedicated to helping others. Therefore, the value of an SHS education can also be quantified in its ability to improve my potential to serve. If my studies have shown me anything it is that I can make a difference and I will make a difference by working with like-minded people.

Studying at SHS has increased my self-confidence too. Now that I have completed the program I don't feel as powerless as I once did or as overwhelmed by the range of human suffering I have witnessed first hand. I believe that many people become apathetic because they feel powerless and unable to help. Instead of being overwhelmed, I can take action and become an agent of change. In whatever institution or organization I find myself in the future I know that I have the ability, potential, and preparation to be of use.

Presentation: Major Issues of Education

Encounters with professors and instructors have shown me how other social service professionals have translated their desire to serve others into real-world action.