One Friday afternoon at around 11:20, I was driving back to school from a class I take at Johnson State when a news segment caught my attention. It was Tom Ashbrook discussing the recent murder of a social worker, and the issues that are pervasive in that field today. The details of the workplace, especially with DCF workers, truly shocked me. Both the case workers and the attorneys were being saddled with upwards of double the recommended cases, while the case workers were under additional stress because oftentimes going to visit troubled families was fraught with danger and the threat of physical assault. Hearing this reported was eye-opening, but what really solidified it as an important topic to me was the discussion on the topic. See, one of the amazing features of on point is that they have an expert in the given subject on air, and then callers can phone it and tell there stories, ask questions, or simply give their take on the subject. Hearing the families of social workers talking about how their daughter, sister, or son went through emotional and physical trauma on the job, yet still returned to work and put themselves into those situations again cemented into my mind the true issues and the true importance of this profession. Now how does this connect to Vermont in particular you ask? Well, beyond this being a national issue and not just a state one, Vermont has seen a massive increase of children entering the foster system including an over 30% increase in children under 6 in the last year, with upwards of 80% of those cases due to drug addictions caused by the increased drug trade through Vermont. Not only have we had this astounding increase in children in the system, we have had an increase in violence as well. Lara Sobel, a local social worker was gunned down by the parent of one of her cases in broad daylight as she walked out of work. After listening to this news segment I must admit I went on a bit of a research binge, looking into anything and everything I could uncover about the issue, and the more I read the more enthused I began to feel by this idea.
As you may be able to tell, this is a fairly massive topic, and one that I am passionate about and narrowing it down to some small precise question that can be easily researched is painful, as that would involve leaving out parts of the issue, but if I were to do so, the question may look something like this; What are the pressing and current issues within the DCF and the foster family system in Vermont today. While collecting facts and data from published sources is important, much of the information I gather in the process of this project will be in the form of interviews, as statistics and official reports are twisted this way and that to show what people want to show, and many articles are heavily biased. While people are equally biased in person, it is easier to find out when bias is affecting the statement, and you have the chance to hear the backstory that lead to said bias, which may be a bigger story and a more important development that the original statement. Likewise, people may find it more worthwhile and meaningful to talk an honest student who cares about the topic and wants only for the truth to be told and for positive change to be made as opposed to talking to a reporter who covers the story as a part of a job. Between these two types of sources I hope to get to a point where I know, well...everything. I know that is not actually possible, but I'm looking to, at the end of this endeavor, to know things I can't hope to fathom now. When I think about this project I cannot help but look to the end as well as plan the beginning, and already I find myself planning how to present this, how to show it to the world. In my mind it would be a multi-faceted presentation, with the physical movie I create as the centerpiece and me answering questions from whoever comes to visit, but in the surrounding areas have posters of data, interview recordings playing, and testimonials from children, host families, officials, and parents whose children had been taken away. It is my hopes that my work will lead to improved conditions for DCF workers, a greater understanding and respect for the work being done by foster families and social workers, and a way for anyone and everyone within this system to speak out and let their voices be heard by all.
Hi Alex,
ReplyDeleteAs I read through your initial three posts, your comments kept generating questions, that inevitably in the course of your writing, you actually answered. As far as your thought process across the entries, I was most struck by your initial concern about technology in contrast to your final comment where you anticipated just ‘how’ your would embed multiple technological pieces within a larger product whole that requires your 'audience' to participate as learners themselves.
While I don't have any immediate ideas for how to 'narrow' your focus (or stay narrowed!), I do think your initial collecting of information via interviews and research could provide a thread/through-line that will keep your grounded in what could quickly expand into many diverse but related topics. Also as you gather data, asking yourself the following simple course question might also help:
--What's the story here? Then, How can I best convey it? Then, To Whom?
Your intent to wrestle with the tension of supposed facts and supposed subjective testimonials can really serve a useful/engaging, and to the best of your ability, accurate portrayal of a complex local/state issue. As the VPR episode might have done, I always find some component of "A Day in the Life" illuminating as an audience member, for example, blending objective details (e.g. the number of children/families in one social worker’s caseload) with Day in the Life footage that illustrates the time-intensive nature of observations, interactions, support, and reporting of just one individual child and family.
I am psyched to read your discoveries from this week,
Kate Carroll
Hello Alex,
ReplyDeleteI find your topic of DCF workers to be a fascinating one! This topic intrigues me because I have several friends, colleagues, and family members in the field of social work. Their stories always hit close to my heart and make me want to do something to better my community. I strongly sense your project will bring forth those sentiments in me as well as in others.
This topic can be very broad, but I believe your focus on conducting interviews will help keep your topic on track. I love your idea of your final presentation being full of multimedia. I think the combination of images, video, and posters will be powerful and stir responses to the current situation.
One thing I would like to know more from you is how you plan on conducting your interviews. What questions will you be asking? How will you frame your interview? Your interview questions will guide what information you receive from your interviewees.
I look forward to reading more of your writing in your future blog posts!
Best,
Carissa