Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Dress Codes Should Not Be Banned - 1291 Words
Have you ever been excluded from learning because of what you wore to school? In most schools, dress codes are set in place to provide a better learning space for all students. Having a dress code can oppress students because students are given the impression that they should not express themselves. Not all families can afford the clothes that abide by the rules. For example, some students don t have the means to pay for new clothes, so they have to use hand-me-down clothing. Enforcing a dress code can lead to more problems in the long run because of the exceptions made for students who are athletes and cheerleaders. Many school faculty members including teachers and administrators think that keeping a dress code will keep students looking appropriate while learning, but this idea is wrong because it keeps students from expressing themselves and, the dress code singles out women. Schools that have dress codes are going too far. Dress codes take away students ability to dress and frame their personalities. In an article by Dylan Ankersen he explains how the ability to be free is the ââ¬Å"power to write, speak, act or dress as one wants without hindranceâ⬠(Akerson). Akerson is saying that people need the power to be who they want and not be told who they want to be. The first amendment says that ââ¬Å" Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the pressâ⬠(Bill of Rights).Show MoreRelatedWomen s Rights And Freedoms1561 Words à |à 7 Pagesworld is dress codes which single out women. Dress codes being applied in schools have lead to grounds of gender inequality and are mainly implemented towards girls. Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms it is stated that women should obtain all forms of equality, be it home, street or workplace but m ost cases show that main biases towards women are coming from their workplaces as they are expected to follow a certain dress code. Another form of sexism targeted towards women worldwide is dress codesRead MoreEssay on A Fight Aganist Public Schools Strict Dress Codes905 Words à |à 4 PagesThe belief that public schools should enforce strict dress codes has been the topic of many controversial and heated debates throughout history. Although it is uncommon for public schools to require uniforms, every school has some type of dress code. Elizabeth Forward High School in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, is no different than the rest of the nation. When caught violating the dress code, some teachers will choose to ignore it, whereas others will send the student to the high school office. If sentRead MoreThe First Amendment in High School Essay867 Words à |à 4 Pages What is the age that a person should be able to claim rights under the first amendment? The first thing would come to most peoples mind is eighteen. However, upon examination, someone could easily justify that a sixteen year old who is in his or her second year of college would have the ability to form an opinion and should be allowed to express it. What makes this student different from another student who, at sixteen, drops out of school and gets a job, or a student who decides to wear a shirtRead MorePersuasive Essay On School Uniforms979 Words à |à 4 PagesThe age old argument of whether or not uniforms and dress codes should be enforced in schools seems to never conclude. The issue of appropriate clothing in schools is controversial and provoking. Many argue that abolishing a studentââ¬â¢s choice in their attire violates their freedom of expression. Students use what they wear to express themselves; their clothing gives them a sense of a unique style and identity. Others argue that permitting students to wear whatever clothing they like can create unnecessaryRead MoreEssay on School Dress Codes and Uniforms Are Beneficial695 Words à |à 3 PagesSchool Dress Codes and Uniforms Are Beneficial Do schools really need a dress code? Just ask parents of kids who have to wear them and they will probably say yes. With the dress code policy parents would be able o save money on clothes for their children(Dress 1). This would be a big help for children with poor families who cant afford the proper clothes for them to wear. In addition, with uniforms these kids wont are looked at any different than everyone else because they will have the sameRead MoreSchool Dress Code Essay784 Words à |à 4 PagesSchool dress code can be classified as sexist and irrelevant because it draws negative attention to what students wear, limits dress options, also it implies that girl are defined by what they wear. While I was in middle school my best friend at the time would always wear the same pair of ripped jeans every day. Her family didnââ¬â¢t have the most money, so those jeans were her only pair. Everyday while walking to homeroom our teacher would make her put tape on her jeans over the rips, the crazy thingRead MoreSchool Uniforms: Should Everyone Look Like Clones? Essay920 Words à |à 4 Pageswhether or not uniforms should be enforced in the public school system. One main reason public schools have uniforms / dress code is because in 1996, President Clinton allowed the school uniform movement and said, ââ¬Å"If it means teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms.â⬠This gave schools the power to control the students with dress code. A few pros about having dress code in public schools areRead MoreAnalysis Of The Argument : Back Off, Dress Codes1423 Words à |à 6 PagesAnalysis of an Argument: Back Off, Dress Codes. This is Not Your Call. When analyzing an argument, a reader must be able to think critically about what the author is taking about, and whether the facts and ideas are reliable and well written out. To write an argument the author must be able to persuade the audience into agreeing with what they have to say on a topic. In articles such as Karen Mangiacottiââ¬â¢s article, ââ¬Å"Back Off, Dress Codes. This is Not Your Call,â⬠it is important for the reader toRead MoreSchool Dress Code Essay1709 Words à |à 7 PagesDress Code: The Restriction of Expression Approximately 64% of the United States public education system requires a strict dress code. How does the dress code affect the students and how does it benefit them? Do the students have a say in this dress code policy? Do they have a fair vote on how dress code violations should be addressed? So many questions on how the students defend their rights in the public-school system, yet they cannot have the opportunity to have their opinions heard. Dress codeRead MoreProposed Dress Code For The National Basketball League Essay1280 Words à |à 6 Pages The case study in question relates to a proposed dress code for the players in the National Basketball League (NBL). Dress code requirements must not discriminate against members of protected groups as outlined in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In order to adequately analyze this issue, we must look at possible areas of discrimination including religious, racial, gender and disability discrimination. In this particular case the players are claiming racial discrimination against the
Monday, December 23, 2019
Prostate Cancer Informative speech Essay example - 767 Words
What is the Prostate? The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system, which makes and stores a fluid that nourishes sperm. The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut, and surrounds the upper part of the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder. If the prostate gland grows too large, the flow of urine can be slowed or stopped. Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men in the United States (other than skin cancer), and accounts for more than one-quarter of all men diagnosed with cancer each year. Some prostate cancers grow very slowly and may not cause problems for years. Common Misconceptions about Prostate Cancer â⬠¢ Prostate cancer is an old manââ¬â¢s disease. â⬠¢ If you donââ¬â¢tâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¢ Stage II cancer involves more than one part of the prostate. â⬠¢ Stage III cancer has spread beyond the outer layer of the prostate into nearby tissue. â⬠¢ Stage IV cancer has spread to other areas of the body such as the bladder, bone, liver, lungs. Symptoms of Prostate Cancer Early prostate cancer often does not cause symptoms. But prostate cancer can cause any of these problems: â⬠¢ A need to urinate frequently, especially at night â⬠¢ Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine â⬠¢ Inability to urinate â⬠¢ Weak or interrupted flow of urine â⬠¢ Painful or burning urination â⬠¢ Blood in urine A man who has symptoms like these should see his doctor or urologist. Methods of Treatment Treatment for prostate cancer depends on the stage of the disease and the grade of the tumor. Once the decision is made to treat prostate cancer, your doctor will decide the type of treatment. Prostate cancer can be managed in a number of ways: â⬠¢ Watchful Waiting may be suggested for some men who have prostate cancer that is found at an early stage and appears to be slow growing. â⬠¢ Surgery is a common treatment for early stage prostate cancer. The doctor may remove all of the prostate (radical prostatectomy) or only part of it. â⬠¢ Radiation therapy (called radiotherapy) uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. Like surgery, radiation therapy is local therapy and it can affect cancer cells only in the treated area. â⬠¢ Hormonal therapy deprives cancer cells fromShow MoreRelatedInformative Speech : Speech On Drinking Tea Essay953 Words à |à 4 PagesQuyen Brendon Duc Nguyen Professor Nina Kotelyan Coms 151 1 March 2016 Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about tea Informative Speech Outline Introduction Attention getter: Ever heard of healthy water? Geez it already sounds disgusting, but actually itââ¬â¢s quite tasteful. This healthy water that I speak of, is tea. Drinking tea is one of the simplest things that can benefit your health. Thesis: Growing up, I have seen my grandparents and all the other adults in my family drink tea. So I haveRead MoreP.E.T.A.: Animal Rights, Human Abuse1707 Words à |à 7 PagesWith over 850,000 active members, the animal rights organization People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has blossomed into an exceptionally powerful speech community. Their main goal is to enlighten others about the prominent existence of animal cruelty in the world, hoping to gain enough power to abolish it, or at least prevent it from happening as often as it does. PETA uses language as a tool of power, verbalizing its message through controversial ad campaigns, rallies, marches and protestsRead MoreSience23554 Words à |à 95 Pagesvastly under-polluted; their air quality is probably vastly inefficiently low compared to Los Angeles or Mexico Cityâ⬠¦ The concern over an agent that causes a one in a million change in the odds of prostate cancer is obviously going to be much higher in a country where people survive to get prostate cancer than in a country where under-five mortality is 200 per thousand. ââ¬âà Lawrence Summers, Let them eat pollution, The Economist, February 8, 1992. Quoted from Vandana Shiva, Stolen Harvest, (SouthRead MoreHsm 542 Week 12 Discussion Essay45410 Words à |à 182 Pagesthat the staff have an professional development with working lunch. The working lunch would cut back on staff member not able because of child care or schooling. The working lunch would all me as the owner to bring in outside presentors to give informative data and the lastes technology or ethic laws to help the staff and protect the patient for the best health care at my local for success. The working lunch for workshops or training will be scheduleà monthly and suggestion of what food choiceRead More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words à |à 1422 Pagesto do the following: 1. Decide whether existing information is adequate or whether additional information is required. 2. If necessary, collect more information in a reasonable and thoughtful way. 3. Summarize the available data in a useful and informative manner. 4 Chapter 1 ââ" The Role of Statistics and the Data Analysis Process 4. Analyze the available data. 5. Draw conclusions, make decisions, and assess the risk of an incorrect decision. People informally use these steps to make everyday
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Examine the Advantages and Disadvantages to the Possible Future Free Essays
There is a growing crisis over the worldââ¬â¢s energy resources to try and find sustainable solutions to the worldââ¬â¢s problems. There are 3 responses to help cover the crisis; Business as usual, Multi-energy solution and energy conservation. The business as usual scenario involve the world to keep using the fossil fuels and the International Energy Agency predicts that fossil fuels will still dominate energy into 2030, which cancels out the predictions of fossil fuels running out by then with the growing population and the rapid development of nations such as China and India. We will write a custom essay sample on Examine the Advantages and Disadvantages to the Possible Future or any similar topic only for you Order Now This solution would involve natural gas consumption doubling and oil to increase by 1. 4 billion barrels a day. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to this solution. One advantage is that that development will continue without constraints which mean countries wonââ¬â¢t have to spend time and money on developing any sustainable solutions, they can just continue with fossil fuels and develop as nations which would increase economic growth and the wealth of the countries would increase. Another advantage would include that it is very costly to switch to a sustainable solution because the energy will need to be collected and stored and would need to be implemented around the whole country which costs a lot, and for developing nations this would mean that they canââ¬â¢t use that money for better purposes. Disadvantages would include fuel cost increasing. Because of the growing demand from developing nations and the increasing populations within countries, this would mean a higher price because supply is running out so eventually only the rich countries would be able to afford the oil. Also, as it is such a necessity good, consumers are willing to pay any price to get the oil or resource. Another disadvantage is that global warming would accelerate faster. With this response, more fossil fuels are being burnt, hence increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air which would enhance the greenhouse effect. The second possible solution is Multi-Energy Solution which is meeting future energy demands from a mixture of renewable, recyclable and non renewable sources. This would mean countries would have energy security to maintain an affordable supply for people and industry. Some advantages of this solution are that the country is not dependent on one type of source meaning that its energy secure. For example, wind power is useful for windy places but if for some days there is a lack of wind, people wonââ¬â¢t have energy, so the country could use solar or nuclear energy to support their needs. Another advantage would be using enough of the fossil fuels now, while developing the new type of sustainable renewable sources which will be very useful, thus creating jobs into that type of research and development. Disadvantages would include renewable energy has its costs such as it is very expensive to build and maintain, collecting and storing the energy is difficult and it is very inconsistent. This type of energy would include solar and wind power, so they might not choose to use it when it is still developing as a type of sustainable source of energy which would ensure security. If a country is using nuclear power, then it could be very dangerous as the storing of the waste would become expensive and might harm the surrounding environment. Although it is a very reliable energy source, countries are unlikely to use it because of Chernobyl and if that happened today, the effects will be much worse. The last possible solution is Energy conservation which is a response to meeting the increasing demand based on decreasing the amount of energy we use. Reasons why they would want to reduce consumption are based on reducing costs, reducing harmful emissions and promoting energy security. Advantages are that it will satisfy environmentalists because they would be using sustainable solutions and cutting down on fossil fuels which would decelerate the greenhouse effect. Another possible advantage is that renewable energy would develop as the main source of energy countries would use, which means not using fossil fuels and so unnatural weather patterns and disasters wonââ¬â¢t occur. Some disadvantages are that the transition from non-renewable to renewable is very expensive as installation, storing and distributing the power will all cost money and could be very unreliable at the start meaning countries wonââ¬â¢t be energy secure. Also, countries will reject the plea of changing to renewable energy sources as they will want to develop as nations like we did and would want to have the industrial revolution and use up as much as they can to grow the country economically. How to cite Examine the Advantages and Disadvantages to the Possible Future, Essay examples
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Critique of Theoretical Framework free essay sample
It is generally accepted that the church has been a locus of social service and social change throughout Americaââ¬â¢s history, and ââ¬Å"that the concept of human services emerged, at least partially, from a religious baseâ⬠(Ellor, Netting, Thibault, 1999, p. 13). Furthermore, it is recognized that the social work profession in the United States was influenced by a long history of religious traditions (Ellor et al, 1999; Hugen, 2012; Rosethal, 2006). The social welfare system that emerged in the United States, formerly and presently, continues to be a mix of faith-based and secular organizations and groups with diversified perspectives and approaches (Ellor et al, 1999). The diverse perspectives and approaches to social welfare in the United States are rooted in an expansive array of worldviews and faith traditions. The U. S. is a pluralistic society characterized by a diversity of people, opinions, and religions (Monsma, 2012). The church is simply one of many places where social welfare ideations have manifested themselves, and the battles against social injustices have been fought. For many years a great variety of religiously affiliated organizations, colleges, hospitals, and social service agencies have received federal welfare funding. There is nothing profoundly new about the inclusion of faith-based organizations in the delivery of social welfare services to the disenfranchised and vulnerable populations (Karger et al, 2007). What is new is the prominence of postmodern, humanistic ideologies in social welfare that began in the 20th century (Hugen, 2012). The clashes between present-day humanistic and faith-based ideologies have spawned a lasting political debate over the correctness of federal government funding of faith-based social services. A major landmark for this political debate occurred in 1996 when the United States Congress passed a set of provisions under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) section 104ââ¬âalso known as the Charitable Choice clause (Daly, 2009; Wuthnow, 2004). Charitable Choice removed many of the restrictions on integrating religious content with faith-based delivery of social services, and positioned faith-based social service agencies as equivalent to secular social service agencies (Karger et al, 2007). The movement to incorporate faith-based social service agencies was further fueled by President George W. Bushââ¬â¢s Faith Based and Community Initiative (FBCI) (Kennedy Bielefeld, 2006; Daly, 2009; and Wuthnow, 2004). The Bush administration aimed to do two things based on the core judicious principles of Charitable Choice: first, to increase the amount of federal social-welfare resources going to faith-based organizations; and second, to protect the organizational autonomy and religious identity of these groups when contracted with the government (Daly, 2007). As a result of the Bush-era FBCI, eleven faith and community-based offices were created in federal agencies, and many states began to develop programs to expand the role of faith-based social services in delivering anti-poverty assistance (Reingold, Pirog Brady, 2007). The Bush-era faith-based initiative was strong enough that the Bush administrationââ¬â¢s proposed budget for 2002 allocated nearly $90 million to organizations that expanded or emulated models of faith-based social service programs (Twombly, 2002). Today, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), there are 956,738 public charities, 97,435 private foundations, and 370,745 other types of nonprofit organizations (NCCS, 2013). According to the NCCS Core Files, public charities reported over $1. 59 trillion in total revenues, and $1. 49 trillion in total expenses in 2011. Of the public charitiesââ¬â¢ revenues: 22% came from contributions, gifts and government grants; 72% came from program service revenues, which include government fees and contracts; and 6% came from other sources (NCCS, 2013). Blackwood, Roeger, Pettijohn (2012) reveal that there was a 42. 3% growth in the number 501(c)(3) public charities from 2000 to 2010. In New York State alone, there are 15,362 religious or spiritually related public charities (IRS Business Master File 04/2010). Eric Twombly (2002), an affiliate of The Urban Institute, and Ira Colby (2007), a social work professor at the University of Houston, point out that many faith-based organizations, such as The Salvation Army, United Jewish Communities, Catholic Charities, and Lutheran Social Services have historically received government support and played a significant role in social service provisions in the United States. These groups are key players in many local areas in both direct social provision and setting government service priorities. The goal of this essay is to explore the political debate over Charitable Choice and the faith-based initiative, and secondly, to uncover the implications for social work practice and social work education from this debate. It is evident that faith-based organizations play a substantial role in the delivery of social welfare services in the United States (Nagel, 2006). To begin our exploration of this issue, we will look at the relevant worldviews and belief systems that support or refute the federal government support of faith-based social service agencies. Worldview/ Belief Issues Republicans have favored the privatization of social welfare and reinforced the value of nonprofits. Conservative thinkers believe that churches can address welfare better than the government and the secular social service system (Cnaan Boddie, 2002). Conservatives vigorously attack the belief that government should finance and deliver social services to the population (Karger et al, 2007). Conservatives argue privatization has become a paradox in social welfare because the private sector has been utilized in service provision and precedes the welfare state in many instances. David Osborne and Ted Gaebler (1992) assert in Reinventing Government that the private and public sectors have different roles. The governmentââ¬â¢s role should consist primarily of establishing the objectives of social policy, and the private sector role should consist of executing the policy. David Stoesz (2007) co-author of American Social Welfare Policy argues, ââ¬Å"nonprofit organizations have been poor competitors, often losing out to for-profit firmsâ⬠(p. 193). He further asserts that the nature of nonprofits make them less competitive than commercial firms, and when for-profits enter the same market, they often take a substantial portion of the market until nonprofits adopt the same management procedures and become more efficient. A large assumption is this: if for-profits suspect that they can generate a profit by providing superior service to a clientele, they will seek to subcontract with the government and provide the service. Conversely, Ira Colby (2007) the Dean and Professor of social work at the University of Houston asserts that privatization of social services as the answer to creating effective service provisions for the poor is a ââ¬Å"grossly erroneous assumptionâ⬠(p. 194). According to Colby (2007) the catchphrases of ââ¬Å"compassionate conservativeâ⬠or ââ¬Å"faith-based social servicesâ⬠are simply resurfacing ideas from a previous welfare era where greater reliance on the private sector was emphasized. Liberal ideology asserts that the government should play a central role in the provision of servicesââ¬âthat government is responsible for ensuring that all people, regardless of status in life, receive needed services and supports that maximize their well-being and ability to participate in society. In essence, basic social services are the business of the government (Colby, 2007). Monsma (2012) identifies 5 factors that underlie and work to mold how liberals view the public role of faith-based organizations. The first is a strong emphasis on the free, autonomous, choosing individual. The second is a suspicion of traditional values and religion when they enter the public square. The third is seeing government as a potentially positive force for social change and improvement. Fourth is its embrace of the strict church-state separation, no-aid-to-religion standard. The fifth and final factor is the legacy of the nondiscrimination statuses of the 1960s. These factors, which can be considered beliefs, lead liberals to look negatively upon faith-based human service providers. The emphasis seems to be instead on freedom of choice and what the government can potentially do to improve societal conditions. Rev. Robert Owens (2001) posits that a negative correlation exists between the amount of funding received by religious organizations and the strength of religious mission. Owens, in his stance against public funding of religious organizations, argues that accepting government money to provide social service programs only deepens the confusion in communities about who works for whom. Accepting government money turns the state/ church relationship upside downââ¬âwhere the church works for the state. The solution then is to keep religious congregations independent of the influence of government. Political, Legal, Social Policy After the Great Depression, President Rooseveltââ¬â¢s New Deal political ideations focused on the structural conditions contributing to poverty and social inequality. Because of the depression, it had become obvious that personal morality could not prevent or be the primary cause of poverty (Nagal, 2006). Therefore, the public responsibility for social welfare was emphasized, and the popular moral dimension was minimized in social service delivery. Following the New Deal era, the Reagan administration shifted the focus back to the inclusion of faith-based organization in social service provisions. President Reagan considered religious organizations to be more effective than public or secular, nonprofit social service providers (Cnaan Boddie, 2002). Reagan went so far as to use the parable of the Good Samaritan as a metaphor for the cause of poverty. His perception of the biblical parable contrasted a bureaucratic caseworker against the Good Samaritan: The story of the Good Samaritan has always illustrated to me what Godââ¬â¢s challenge really is. He crossed the road, knelt down, bound up the wounds of the beaten traveler, the pilgrim, and carried him to the nearest town. He didnââ¬â¢t go running into town and look for a case-worker to tell him that there was a fellow out there that needed help. He took it upon himself. (Denton, 1982, p. 3 as cited in Cnaan Boddie, 2002) Reagan believed in volunteerism and the increased responsibility of private organizations to meet societyââ¬â¢s social-welfare needs. The emphasis on volunteerism resulted in a decrease of government spending on social welfare initiatives in the 1980s. Reagan challenged the private sector to step up and meet the needs of society. He called on churches to provide for the needs of the poor within their own neighborhoods (Yancey, 2007). President Clinton took the challenge one step further and suggested that organized religion would be able to make a significant contribution to reducing the need for social welfare if each congregation in the United States would hire one person in need (Wuthnow, 2004). Here is what President Clinton said: Under this law [Charitable Choice], every state, when it becomes effective, every state in the country can say: If you will hire somebody off welfare, weââ¬â¢ll give you the welfare checks as a supplement for the wages and the training. It means, folks, when you go back home, your church can receive a personââ¬â¢s welfare check and add to it only a modest amount of money to make a living wage, and to take some time to train people and bring their children into the church, and make sure their children are all right and give them a home and family. I just want every pastor in this audience to think about it. Just think about it. If every church in America hired one person off welfare, if every church in America could get some work to do that, it would set an example that would require the business community to follow, that would require the charitable and other nonprofit organizations to follow. We cannot create a government jobs program big enough to solve the whole thing, but if everybody did it, one by one, we could do this job. (Associated Press, 1996, section A2) Throughout the later part of the 20th century, the federal government called on the Church to act as the primary safety net for people in need. History reveals that faith-based organizations have always been a part of providing social welfare services. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 with the Charitable Choice clause and Bushââ¬â¢s Faith Based and Community Initiative simply increased the collaboration between faith-based organizations and the federal government. Separation of Church and State Before the Charitable Choice provision of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, faith-based organizations contracting with the government had to remove all religious symbols from the room where service was provided; accept all clients; refrain from any religious ceremonies; hire staff that reflected society, not the organizationââ¬â¢s belief system; adhere to government contract regulations; and incorporate separately as an 501(c) (3) nonprofit organizations (Cnaan Boddie, 2002). All this changed after the PRWORA of 1996. First, faith-based services providers retain their religious autonomy; second, the government could not curtail the religious expression or practice of faith-based services; third, faith-based service providers were exempt from complying with employment policies mandated by the Civil Rights Act of 1964; finally, faith based organization contracting with the government were no longer required to establish a separate, secular 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization (Cnaan Boddie, 2002). There are, however, some stipulations that remain in order to contract with the government. Faith-based organizations are fiscally accountable to use government funds for the intended social services and not for religious worship or proselytization. The purpose of this section of the law is to ensure a clear separation between church and state. In order for the government to remain neutral to the religious or secular character of organizations, both are offered an opportunity to participate in social service programs. As Rosenthal (2006) states in his conclusion on Charitable Choice Programs and Title VIIââ¬â¢s Co-Religionist Exemption: By offering religious institutions the opportunity to participate in social service programs, Congress is faithfully engaging the constitutional principle of neutrality by affording these organizations the same opportunities as non-religious organizations. On the flip side, however, the Constitution requires that this participation be both secular and non-discriminatory, so as to ensure that religious organizations are not benefited simply by virtue of their religious character. (p. 665) Implication for Social Work Practice David Stoesz (2007) in his response to Should Social Services be Privatized asserts that the social work profession traditionally sides with social welfare. This leads to the dismissal of nonprofit agencies and blatant hostility to for-profit agencies. Because of this bias, social work education is devoid of the knowledge and skills that are essential to business strategies in service provision. The implication for social work education would entail an increase of content in finance, marketing, information systems, and contracting. This would equip social workers to be more competitive in the new human-service market. With access to government funding that no longer regards the religious character of the service provider as a hindrance to the separation of church and state, it is likely (if not already evident by the NCCS reports) that more faith-based organizations and churches will engage in partnership with the public sector. This significant change has influenced social service delivery. As a social work practitioner, I could easily find myself working within a faith-based organization or at least collaborating with a faith-based organization in service delivery. Social work is a value-based profession. Although more secularized than ever before, social work can provide leadership in shaping the collaborative effort between the helping professions and faith-based organizations. This is especially important in considering the integration of spirituality and religion in social work practice. With the prevalence of faith-based organizations providing social services, it would be beneficial for social work education to increase the content on ethical social work practice within religious settings. With an increased competency in the integration of social work practice with religion and spirituality, social work practitioners can further appreciate the efforts of religious organizations to address social problems. Social work should also ââ¬Å"proceed cautiously to outline the parameters of ethical social work practice in religious organizationsâ⬠(Sherr et al, 2009, p. 164) so that service delivery does not cross the ethical line and become an opportunity for proselytizing. The profession of social work continues to realize the importance of religious and spiritual beliefs for clients. The importance of these issues in social work education is supported by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Educational Policy and Accreditation Standard, 2. 1. 4: Social workers understand how diversity characterizes and shapes the human experience and is critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, political ideology, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientationâ⬠¦ [Social workers] gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse groupsâ⬠¦ (CSWE, 2008, p. 5) The NASW Code of Ethics (2008) points to the importance of recognizing religious and spiritual beliefs in order to practice in a holistic, client-centered manner. Section 1. 05(c) of the Code of Ethics states: Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, martial status, political belief, religion, immigration status and mental or physical disability. (NASW, 2008, p. 9) Competently addressing religious and spiritual beliefs is part of the holistic approach to working with the multi-dimensional personââ¬âbio, psycho, social, and spiritual. To ignore the value system of a client leaves the door open for social workers to taint the helping relationship with their own beliefs and values (Zellmer Anderson-Meger, 2011). Summary There is nothing profoundly new about the inclusion of faith-based organizations in the delivery of social welfare services to the disenfranchised and vulnerable populations (Karger et al, 2007). History reveals that faith-based organizations have always been a part of providing social welfare services. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 with the Charitable Choice clause and Bushââ¬â¢s Faith Based and Community Initiative simply increased the collaboration between faith-based organizations and the federal government. Conservative thinkers believe that churches can address welfare better than the government and the secular social service system (Cnaan Boddie, 2002). Conservatives vigorously attack the belief that government should finance and deliver social services to the population (Karger et al, 2007). Liberal ideology asserts that the government should play a central role in the provision of servicesââ¬âthat government is responsible for ensuring that all people, regardless of status in life, receive needed services and supports that maximize their well-being and ability to participate in society (Colby, 2007). With an increased competency in the integration of social work practice with religion and spirituality, social work practitioners can further appreciate the efforts of religious organizations to address social problems. With the prevalence of faith-based organizations providing social services, it would be beneficial for social work education to increase the content on ethical social work practice within religious settings. The clashes between present-day humanistic and faith-based ideologies have spawned a lasting political debate over the correctness of federal government funding of faith-based social services. In the American pluralistic society, public funds should not be used to promote any particular religion. Therefore, the social work profession should take a leadership role in appreciating diversity, and ethically navigating social welfare and the faith-based initiative.
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