Miami Dade College Well Being of The General Society Discussion Post

Congratulations! You are almost done with this 5-part series on Values: Purpose and Reflection. This final exercise provides you with an opportunity to bring this together.

What have we learned so far?

• Each of us is unique – and we were all socialized differently based on our individual experiences and circumstances.
• We learned our values over time – and we were probably drawn to Social Work because of our belief and commitment to the Social Work Core Values.
• We met a “Killer” in an episode of a Netflix program. We saw that they were raised differently than us – and we examined their lives. What role did trauma play in their lives? How were they socialized to the values that we share as social workers?
• Remember, policy provides a structure for a societal purpose to take place.
  • Criminal Justice is one policy directive that we need to examine.
    • LO1-5 Learn the Varieties of Social Policy (Constitutions, federal, state, and local laws, court decisions, budget and spending programs, International Treaties, stated or implied purposes, rules, and procedures and regulations – pages 7 & 8 in your textbook)
    • LO1-6 Explore the Purpose of Social Policy (needs-meeting policies, regulations, opportunity-enhancing policies, social and medical services, education policies, civil rights, referral and linkage, equality-enhancing, asset accumulation, infrastructure, economic development, protective, preventive, disaster relief – pages 8 & 9 of your textbook).
• What is the policy purpose of prisons? Is it to keep the rest of us safe? Punish people? Improve society? Rehabilitate people? All of the above?
• We examined two different prison systems via a Netflix show: one in a country that you selected and one in Norway. Which prison seems best equipped to keep us safe in the long term? Which one is consistent with our core values?

What have you learned from this series of exercises?

Discussion Post

What are your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs based on these issues? Share your opinions on what you learned and where you stand on these important topics. Then, review your colleagues’ responses and support or challenge their perspectives via the Discussion Board.