Social Work Intervention Essay

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Introduction In social work it is important to develop a critical understanding of the principles, basic assumptions and theoretical foundations of community-based social change. One must be able to appreciate the complexity and diversity of community-driven social change. Analyze the obstacles to social change and imagine innovative approaches help overcome these obstacles. Upon reaching that understanding one must have strategies and tools to convert visions into action. Social work interventions in disasters have focused on the variety of ways that such events affect individuals, families, organizations and communities. Areas of concern have included traumatic stress, resources for disadvantaged and vulnerable populations and co-ordination of various …show more content…

Yet ‘Initial media coverage of Katrina’s devastating impacts was quickly replaced by reporting that characterized disaster victims as opportunistic looters and violent criminals and that presented individual and group behavior following the Katrina disaster through the lens of civil unrest (Miller, 2012) Framing the consequences of Katrina in ways that highlight social and economic inequality should actually increase intervention by the federal government. However the corresponding response was individualised, evaluated and processed on a case-by-case basis which led to the responsibility and assistance being diminished. However, even as the watching world was presented with media images of the worst imaginable circumstances, some blame was directed towards the victims. The explanations offered were that the people stranded in the Superdome were there because they 1) did not heed evacuation warnings and 2) they were ‘guilty’ of being poor. (Piano, 2010) With the lack of government response and media scrutiny New Orleans was facing, the affected communities needed were ready to take matters into their own

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