College Grads' Outlook Grim-Wall Street Journal Article

College Grads' Outlook Grim
by Sara Murray
Monday, April 5, 2010
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Students begin the search early and look to 'plan-B' as campus recruitment falls.
Despite signs of life in the job market, the outlook for newly minted college graduates remains grim and many are trying new strategies for landing positions.
Students are starting their job hunts months earlier than usual, while others are looking into short stints at positions outside their major.

Bob Tutag began beating the bushes in October, a time when most college seniors are barely back from summer vacation. But it paid off: The 21-year-old Michigan State University student in March accepted an offer at Developers Diversified Realty Corp., a commercial real-estate firm in Beachwood, Ohio. He starts in May.

Mr. Tutag knew he faced a challenge, having majored in accounting with a specialization in real estate, a sector of the economy hammered by the downturn.
Career-fair recruiting at MSU is down 25% this year. The same story is heard on college campuses from coast to coast: Companies have cut back hiring and when they do have jobs, they have plenty of experienced applicants to pick from. College graduates typically need further training and seasoning, so many employers are skipping college career fairs this year or tapping former interns if they need fresh talent.

Meantime, the job opportunities that are available aren't spread evenly—either by sector or region—and can be hard to spot. And unlike previous years, employers are making offers, and students are accepting them, early in the fall to lock in specific candidates.

Usually, graduating students have held off until the spring to accept positions.
"Some employers might be encouraged enough to begin to add some employment," said Philip Gardner, director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at MSU. But he said, "I'm really not anticipating a significant turnaround until this time next year." But there are some bright spots: The unemployment rate for people ages 20 to 24 with a bachelor's degree was 7.2% in March, down from 7.6% a year earlier and below the 21.9% jobless rate for those in the same age group with high-school degrees only. Preliminary data from a spring poll of employers by the National Association of Colleges and Employers show college-graduate hiring could rise 3% to 5% this year after falling 22% last year.

Erika Skalski, 22, another MSU student poised to graduate in May, is still searching for a job in event planning after studying hospitality, another area hit by the recession, and Spanish. She was encouraged by the interviews she has had, but so far has no offers. "I'm actually very nervous about it," Ms. Skalski said, adding that if nothing pans out she will apply to programs that would allow her to move to Spain and teach English for a year or so. Such plan-Bs are common this year. "We are seeing more students coming into the office talking about what we call the 'gap-year opportunities,' " said Rebecca Sparrow, director of Cornell University's career services, where recruiting is down slightly this year. She often directs them to programs such as AmeriCorps, Teach for America and similar alternatives.

At the University of Florida in Gainesville recruiting has fallen 40% to 50% from the 2007-08 school year. Education is one of the hard-hit career paths this year, said Wayne Wallace, director of the university's career-resource center.
"Several years ago the state of Florida could not find enough teachers," Mr. Wallace said, "now we have school districts that are doing massive layoffs."
Meanwhile, business and technical majors are likely to see the most demand, particularly as Wall Street resumes hiring.

A recent survey from 7city Learning, a financial-services training company, found that 76% of Wall Street firms plan to hire more recent graduates than a year ago.
Certain regions of the nation are expected to do better than others. At the University of Texas at Austin, the communications school attracted 77 employers at its spring career fair, up from 51 last year. Meanwhile, Facebook Inc., which is opening an office in Austin, has been collecting student resumes to help fill 60 jobs.The country's south central and northwest regions are expected to increase hiring more than other areas.

But with such a competitive market, the biggest worry for hiring experts is that students will give up on their job search without ever starting. In some cases that means heading straight to graduate school, an investment that is only likely to pay off if students know what they want to study and why that will better position them to land a job in the future. Graduate-school enrollment rose 6% last year and will likely continue to rise this year.

"So What Are You Doing After Graduation?"

"What are you doing after graduation?" is the famous and frequent question I get now. But honestly, I ask myself the same question everyday. Graduation is considered the most depressing time for a college graduate. Some people have to return home to a strict household, some people are unsure about their future, and some are afraid they may never get that job. The school year is winding down and graduation is fast approaching. After May 9, lives will change forever and some people will begin to see the real world for what it really is. No longer will some of us feel the comfort under Tuskegee's wing. This will become the time when life will truly show who has what it takes. No longer will it be about who has the best poster or policy paper but rather who has what it takes for the position. Who has that drive? I have started applying for different jobs and I have come to learn that it is not about what degree you have or how cute your resume looks but rather how you market yourself. Of course your degree and resume matter. Most of the time employers are not fully reading your resumes but rather how determined, focused, and assertive you are. In the classroom, it can be easy to outshine seven other people, but in the job force, you are going against hundreds even thousands of other people for one job. (I learned that by applying for the state jobs) What your resume says, someone may have said something even better on theirs. I think this is the best time to build not only education and experience but mostly confidence. Confidence plays a major role for me, if I am confident about who I am and what I can do, I am more likely to persuade someone else the same idea. Some people end up in jobs that have nothing to do with their degree then there are those that do not know what to do with their degree. Overall, it is important to think about what one has passion for. With passion in your work, you will be willing to give it your all. I believe post graduation will teach people alot about who they truly are. For some it may teach them that they took college for granted. It is nothing worse then to see someone your age talk about how they wish they had stay in school or attended in the first place. Some of us may change then some of us may just stay the same. Regardless, I think everyone will sit back one day and remember and miss the college days.

Policy Papers

Policy papers were due this week. I just turned in my final binded copy. I am very happy to have finished with it. It was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was afraid to type thirty pages worth a paper but it was sort of a breeze. I attempted to make sure that I continued to do every section of it when it was due. Completing every section at a time, made it much more easier for me. The hardest part of the paper was placing everything together and going to get it binded. My binded booklet came out pretty thick in width but it did not cost more than $5. I really do not enjoy typing papers but It is something we all have to do in class. It is apart of school. I learned a little more about my topic. My topic was Equal Employment Opportunity. I did not think that I would find much information on it but it turns out the EEOC plays a major role in our society. In this day and time, people still have their personal opinions and these opinions may not be as pleasant. Job discrimination can be considered a serious crime. The EEOC protects individuals on the job or applying for a job against those who have rude, bias opinions of other people. The EEOC makes it fair for everyone to attain a job or work in a tense free environment. Even though I did not want to write the paper, I did learn a little bit more about the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Blood, Sweat, and Diamonds (Blood Diamonds-Required Reading)

I just finished reading the article "Blood Diamond." The article reminded me of the movie "Hotel Rwanda." The movie really shook me up and I was completed disturbed after watching it because it was something that happen. This article gave me that same chill. When I was become aware of the blood diamond situation, I was watching rapper Kanye West's video "Diamonds are Forever." The video gave a little exposure into the tragic siutation in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is rich in diamonds. After watching so many stars with beautiful jewelry, I think about the innocent children who lost limbs and body parts because of diamonds. I think about the innocent children forced to fight in the wars or had to die because of it. The rebels in the war would launch attacks on people from Sierra Leonea during the 1996 elections in order to scare them into voting against and they could then control the diamond mines. They would cut of hands and feet of people and even small children and infants. The rebels would even cut off civilian's hands and feet. The war also caused many people to move from their homes. More attention has to be set into this situation to save innocent people.

Pass the Bill Please!

I am really happy to know the Health Care Bill passed. It is truly a accomplishment and little hope for this country. Sitting back and listening to the debate on health care, it sounds as if some of us are still in Kindergarden. I think people who have a problem with healthcare, have it and really do not care if anyone else has it. So it seems we are teaching people to share with others or be considered of others. One of the topics that was holding up the bill was abortions. Im not against or for abortions. I think it is wrong to have them but then again who am I to judge someone one else for a decision that they make. This bill was very important and I am proud to be apart of this history to see it pass. The bill is historic and not all because it was a black president that helped push it. But because it was something that this country needed. The bill came through with the House voted 219 to 212, and "urprisingly" with no republican votes. This bill passing just showed me that it is hope for anything. If one stands faithful and determined in what they fight for, anything can happen. Working in a nursing home, I learned the effects of what not having health care can do. There are plenty people in this country suffering and its not their fault. It is plenty of families, children, and the elderly that need help.

Posters, Posters

Today was the offical due date for Poster # 3. By taking a look at the posters, everyone did a great job with their posters. I really thought my poster came out nice, I also became lucky on getting some colored ink for my pictures. So my pictures on the posters really popped. The hardest task was placing the information on the poster. I always fear that the words on my poster will not be able to be seen, so I am careful of how much information is given on the poster. I try not to decrease the font to much. The poster this time mostly focused on our topic in the class. I most know the answers to the questions for the poster. We also had the opportunity this time to peer review each other's posters. Every student had to peer review on at least four posters. The people who I chose to review, had mostly great posters. Every student has a flaw here and there. The next poster is the last poster, I am pretty excited about that. I hope that this last poster can top the rest of my other posters. I was happy this time to find a place closer to print my poster, going to Montgomery was hard on gas.

Evictions-Required Readings

I read the NY times article, "A Sight All Too Familiar in Poor Neighborhoods." When I first show the picture of the woman standing next to her belongings that were placed on the side of the street, it was difficult to look at. I think placing someone's property on the side of the road is harsh. I think there should be laws in place to handle evictions better than how it is now. People mostly do not pay their rent because they simply do not have the means of doing so. But placing someone's whole life on the side of the road like trash can be heart wrenching for the person being evicted. It can be extremely hard for anyone to lose their home, especially to eviction. Home is suppose to be a place where peace and love dwells. Eviction is something that is common for most cities, as in this article. In the article, around 25 occupied homes are evicted each year. With black communities it is one in fourteen. Black women from large neighborhoods make up thirteen percent of that. Blacks and hispanics appear to make up the most in evictions. Typically the issues targets black women. People who are unable to pay for the rent, have seeked help in assistance. Sometimes the threat to losing a home can lead to depression and perhaps families spliting up.

Just Briefly...

During the last few weeks there has been a multitude of work that has to be done. The greatest project right now is the policy paper. The policy paper takes some work to perfect. My biggest struggle with the paper is trying to get the paper right as a whole. The next assignment that was due the last class was a worksheet about a social problem. The class was divided into two groups. The groups were all to come up with a social problem that meant something to them. My group social problem was geared toward dog fighting. I did not know much about dog fighting until the whole incident with Michael Vick. I was watching one of his shows which airs on BET, and he was explaining how they would treat the dogs. It was horrible to listen to it. I think that with this assignment, I will be able to learn a little bit more about dog fighting.

Political Institutions-Chapter 9

The two senators are Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions. Alabama’s representatives include Rep. Jo Bonner, Rep. Bobby Bright, Rep. Mike Rogers, Rep. Robert B. Aderholt, Rep. Parker Griffith, Rep. Spencer Bachus, and Rep. Artur Davis. Alabama Governor is Bob Riley. “The Alabama House of Representatives is comprised of 105 members. Each member represents a district of approximately 40,000 people. The members of the House are elected to four-year terms. Members of the House must be 21 at the time of their election, and must have been citizens of Alabama for three years, having lived in their respective districts for at least one year immediately preceding their election.” (House of representatives. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.legislature.state.al.us/house/house.html.) The Governor’s website was appealing and provide videos to watch along with great information.

The websites that I research were interesting. Every website provided great information and resources. Senator Shelby website included area of missing children from Alabama. I also saw an area of the listing of colleges in Alabama. Senator Shelby had an area for bill information and it gave information on how a bill becomes a bill. There was an area to send the Senator an email. Senator Jeff Sessions had a more appealing site. His site featured videos, pictures, legislative resources. Senators Session provided headline news around Alabama and as Senator Shelby, Senator Session can be contacted through email. I found the senators websites to be more appealing and informative. I had a small problem finding the Representative pages at first.

Richard shelby. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorShelby.EmailSenatorShelby
Jeff sessions. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sessions.senate.gov/public/
U.s. senate. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.senate.gov/g House of representatives. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.alabama.gov/sliverheader/Welcome.do?url=http://www.house.gov/ eneral/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=AL
House of representatives. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.legislature.state.al.us/house/house.html

Lessons Learned for Protecting and Educating Children after the Gulf Coast Hurricanes

Natural disasters are something that any of us cannot control or prevent from happening. The best thing is just to prepare when they are predicted to come. Natural disasters can cause people to be left without a home, schools, communities, neighborhoods, can be destroyed. Natural disasters can leave people to figure how their future will turn out. According to the article many children and families were greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina. These events can cause children to question their parent of why these terrible events happen. It can also raise questions in the minds of parents and officials. Worries about safety, continued education, jobs, missing families, and homelessness can raise questions and many concerns.

The article discusses the disaster plans that could improve protecting children. In this plan school can open earlier when school personnel to coordinate how resource will be allocated. With school in session, the community can continue in other improvements after the storm. Child welfare services cad provide needed services to foster parents. The article focuses on the challenge of locating missing children. Children were separated from their parents and were sent to shelters. The NCMEC is responsible for helping children to reunite with their families. With special delivery challenges, all out of state foster families were managed by caseworkers in Louisiana with nearly any supervision by the case workers. Foster families who stayed out of state were hit with problems of having their health services and medication accepted. During great chaos, levels of stress are heightened and this can cause for more protective service intervention. Some foster parents were unable to handle the situation of the hurricane and returned children back to the agency. There was great concerned about how the aftermath of the storm would be funded. These would help with recovery efforts.


Gao. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06680r.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJS_Q53tSHE
This is a link to a trailer on youtube called "Katrina's Children." It is a documentary on children affected by Katrina.

Where's the Care?

I was sad, disappointed, and had almost given up on people when Victoryland was closed. I do not gamble, I understand that it hurts families because of addiction. But I did support how many people it employed and how many funds it gave to school in Macon County. Macon County is a rural area and everyone has to do whatever they have to do to survive and make it. The richest part of this county is its natural resources and its history. The history of Macon County is really all that we have. There are millions of people who have heard or admire the Tuskegee Airmen, the Syphilis Study, Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver..etc. The list can go on. I felt bad about the closing of Victoryland because so people depended on that job. Some people do not have enough skills or education to just pick up another job. I think about those children at home who's parents do not have a job anymore. What are they to do now? I am sure there were college students who worked at Victoryland and depended on their jobs for school and daily living. Some students are already far from home. Closing Victoryland in an area that is poor, only makes the situation worse then what it was before now. There should have been a solution or opportunity to fix the situation besides dictating it. I am beginning to lose respect and faith in those who chose to do harm then do good but I am not giving up on those who are trying to make it and unfortunately got caught up in the cross fire.

Posters & Doughnuts

The poster presentation this week were absolutely grand. Everyone stepped up from the last poster. I think every peer needed the opportunity to understand what to do for the posters then they can let their creativity flow. This poster for me was a little more challenging then the first poster. I spent around two to three hours on this poster. The poster was more challenging because there was more information to find and look up. We were also instructed to pick a state and find the information on that state. My state was Ohio. I picked Ohio because many of my friends are from there and I have to hear about Ohio all of the time. Its a great state. The Ohio government website was able to give me great information about the state that I needed. The site also had direct access to Ohio representative websites, this made it easy because I did not have to look for the information all over the Internet. At first it was very hard to place all of my information on the poster. I become worried because I knew that it all had to fit. Then a fellow peer directed me to the other poster template. It had more space, but I still found it harder to place all of the information. I found this application on PowerPoint that allows you to place information on spaces and save them as pictures for the poster. I was so happy to find this because it aided me in placing all of my information on the poster easier. When my poster printed out, it was so pretty and I was so proud of it.

After-School Policy Brief 2: A Fact Sheet on Children in Youth in Out-of-School Time

This was a great and a favorite article. After school and out of school programs are extremely effective. Education just does not have to be in the classroom with a teacher during certain hours all of the time. Education can be after school and most important at home. After school programs provides students with activities outside of the classroom. After school and out of school programs help students to improve and strength knowledge and skills. After school programs give students the opportunity to communicate and strengthen their social skills with other students. These programs can provide parent workshops and English-Language classes After school programs provide physical, dental and eye exams. Mental health counseling and teen parent programs can be provided in the programs. Students who are in after school programs are more likely to not participate in risky behavior. After school programs also broaden students in other areas of education such as arts and music. After school programs are great programs but also require more funding to continue its programs. Funding has to be set aside for trained after school workers high quality technical assistance, and program evaluations.

Obama Seeks Freeze on Many Domestic Programs - NYTimes.com-Required Reading

I found this article very interesting to read. I support the President and I understand that he is doing all that he can to run this country and reduce our deficit. However, is it necessary to freeze spending in other programs that need funds? I read that education would be one of the programs would be education. Education is an area that needs money for better schools, highly qualified teachers and better learning opportunities for all students. The military forces are an important part to protect this country. However, there is already enough spending in military operations. Regardless I support President Obama and what he is trying to do for this country. There are so many people expecting him to make a miraculous turn around overnight for this country but improvements will take time.

The Art of Advocacy: Advocacy Handbook

This handbook was very effective. The handbook gives positive and helpful tips on what steps to take when advocating. In social work it is important to advocate for clients but it is also important to know exactly what to do in order to get the message across. With the guidelines of advocating, organizations are able to make the public aware of issues, build relationships with policy makers, and amend policies. An advocate stands for those who cannot stand for themselves. It is important to have the tools and insights to make a change. With advocating, it is important to know who is in government positions and who can benefit the mission. It is important to gather information about the mission so that policy makers are able to understand the work of the program. Organization should unite with other organizations with the same mission. It is essential for organizations to have a goal of the issue, target, message, messengers, partners who share the same mission, tactics, and action to advocate. Writing letters is another useful way of advocating. Emailing is become a major useful tool in advocacy, however some individuals still prefer phone calls.

Cookies and Posters

Policy class today consisted of the poster presentations. The project included constructing our own National Budget Stimulation. We were all instructed to place our posters on the wall to be viewed. This gave everyone the opportunity to view every peer poster. Everyone did a marvelous job and the poster looked wonderful. This was the first poster and for the first one, the effort was great. No one achieved over the other because everyone had minor flaws and excellent points to make. Participating in this project at first, I was a little irritated. I realized that creating a budget for the entire country is a complex job. My values include fairness and I wanted to support almost every issue but it was impossible. This is because I could not necessary maintain complete fairness or balances the way I wished to. Also my mind constantly stayed on the nature of the deficit. My major area was education because I believe with education we could possible be a better country. A degree is incredibly important today. With higher education, this calls for better jobs and better opportunities. Higher education can possibly pull plenty of families out of the low income area. More money should be placed to build better schools especially in poor areas so that children in these areas can have just as a better education as children in high income areas. Community colleges should be supported so that individuals from low income families can have a better opportunity to attend college. I focused on Community and Regional Development where rural communities can attain more jobs, job training, job services, and public services. There were many areas to touch with this budget but not everything could be sited on the poster. The poster speaks for itself but also there were plenty of things that I came across or research that I never knew. There were many things that I learned from this poster that I could have talked about. There was no possible way to just slap something on a poster with this project because one way or another we are all effected but this project. The budget affects all of us as being college students. With this project you had to stop and think about things as least once. Most importantly values and lifestyles are deeply rooted somewhere. The cookies and walking around to view the posters gave it an exhibit touch. ;-)

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Tragic Consequences- Detention of Haitian Asylum Seekers

The article was a great read. The article focused a lot about the discriminating and harsh policies the people of Haiti had to encounter. The article comes at a time when the people of Haiti are already dealing with the devastation the earthquake let behind. The article really gave me more insight into the issues the people of Haiti haven been dealing with. It is not fair to accuse or assume that people are automatically a risk to national security because they fit a certain description of another terrorist. It was a harsh punishment to separate families and place people in harsh conditions. There were Haitians who stood for justice and went on hunger strikes because they knew it was wrong to be treated the way that they were. It was difficult to read that the children of Haiti were restricted from being simply children. They could not go out and play or become involved in other recreations. No matter if its American citizens or immigrants, everyone deserves to be treated as an individual and not an animal.

Screaming for Help

I was sadden to hear about the earthquake disaster in Haiti. My prayers and thoughts really go out to everyone there and their families. When watching the news segments, my mind quickly went back to Hurricane Katrina. There were people walking the streets in search of food and pure water. There were people crying out about their family members that were gone and those that they could not find. Relief is slowly moving in and troops from the U.S are being shipped out. Organizations should as the Red Cross are providing services and relief for Haiti. Rapper Wyclef Jean, who is from Haiti, is conducting a text message system where people can text to a number and $5 can donated to the organization through their phone bill. President Obama has ask former President Clinton and President Bush to contribute to the relief funds. Internet sites such as Facebook are participating in helping with the relief. There are sites available for those seeking missing family members. Aid workers have been flown in Haiti gathering children, families, and creating safe havens. Aid workers are scrambling for clean water as well. Working with the relief can be difficult, a worker may have to also be concerned of their own safety. It is tragic to watch it unfold on television. Haiti will have to heal from this nightmare, more help will still be needed. Haiti will need more funds, pure water, food, medical care and possibly emotional help for those during this time. I plan to donate money to the relief to help, I hope other peers plan to help as well.

The Tortoise and the Hare

Today I attended my social policy class and I got the chance to start on my newsletter. I was not expecting the template to be as nice as it looked. I think that I am excited to see how it comes out. It would be really nice if it could come in color. Whenever there is alot to do I start to feel very anxious and antsy. I feel this way because my mind seems as if it is racing a thousand miles per hour. I am constantly thinking to myself, "I have to do this then do that." I want to jump at every assignment all at once and I want to finish every assignment all at once. Once I start something, I really cannot stop to finish it at another time. I try to pace myself and complete every assignment at all a time. But it does not work. I find myself a little overwhelmed and I have to calm myself down. This happens everytime but honestly I feel that it keeps me on my toes. I am able to finish things on time and in a better fashion. However, I am extremely exhausted after it is all done. I am learning to manage time more and give myself the opportunity to relax before jumping on every assignment. I think I spent from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. that night in one spot working on things. I know that it is bad but that is just how I work. Whenever I am in this zone, it still seems that I am still working slower and not enough. Improvements & time management---------> In progress.

Class Act

I attended my Social Work Policy class today. I had the opportunity to look more into the projects that the class and I will have to participate in. I am feeling confident that I will be able to take on the assignments and projects that are required. It will take a little more time to learn the new sites and understand everything that needs to be done. Some of the project are going to be very interesting. The projects and assignments give the opportunity to display creativity and it is a better way of learning about policy. I am sort of looking forward to the scrapbook. I have never done a scrapbook before. My instructor advised us to sign up for this blog journal. I must admit that I really enjoy it. I have the opportunity to voice my opinion if required and I think that it is a great way to practice my "writing" skills. This site also gives me the opportunity to speak up about what I have learned. This year has started well and I am very proud of myself of reaching this point in my life. I have accomplished so much and I know things will continue to climb. I am very proud of my peers, some of them I started with and I am excited to see them accomplish so much as well. I have great confidence in them. Off to a great semester!------>

Why is Policy Important-Video Summary-Pop Quiz 1

Policy is important because it affects how a social worker creates a helping relationship with their clients. Social workers need to know how policies affect their practice with their clients. A Entitlement Program is a program where the government gives a person financial services or benefits. There are two types of entitlement program characteristics which makes up an entitlement program. The first characteristics is the benefit or service deemed a legal right. The second characteristic is the funding to pay for benefit is provided without Congress help. Entitlement Programs are important because they are the center of US social policy. Entitlement programs are considered the larger social programs of the US. They are considered the major law for social workers to know. There are five major categories of programs under the Social Security Act of 1935. The first is the Social Insurance Programs, these programs provide cash benefits alleviate the lost of earnings. The second, Federal Assistance Programs, these provide cash benefits to protect the elderly and other groups against poverty. The third, Medicare, protects the elderly for medical care. The fourth, Medicaid, provides health insurance assistance program for low income families and individuals. This aids with medical care and covers all children but not many poor adults. The last is foster care, provides funds for the neglected and abused removed from their homes. There are two Entitlement Programs in legislation other the Social Security Act. The first, Food Stamps, provides food for the poor and the near poor. The second, Earned Income Tax Credit Program, a refundable tax credit for low income families. There are loop holes in the entitlement programs. There are missing health care for everyone, child and family allowance, maternity and paternity benefits, Worker's benefits, and housing allowances. AFDC was changed to TANF-Temporary Assistance for Needy Families-this was the focus of welfare reforms.

Understanding Generalist Practice- Chapter 4

This chapter discussed the use of macro practice skills while working with a community or organizations. Macro Practice involves focusing on perplexed social issues and global policies. It involves changing the larger environment that can benefit the individuals and families. Social workers intervene in this area to effect social change. Social workers are able assess a community’s needs and what actions need to be taken. The social worker is able to focus on the target population. Most importantly rapport can be established between the worker and the community. Social workers and the community or organizations can work together to influence decision makers about issues. Petitioning can be an effective way to persuade decision makers about particular issues. There are so many issues that can be addressed in larger groups. Growing up in my community, I have realized that there is not much education on health and nutrition. I grew up in a black community and in the grocery stores where I shopped there was not many choices on healthier foods. Now I do most of my grocery shopping in other areas and in the larger food markets. I would often find a wider range of healthy choices of foods there than in my community. Another issue with attaining healthier foods is that many people in my community do not have the transportation to travel to other areas for better foods. With the black community having a higher risk of developing health issues, it is important to understand nutrition, exercise, and eating a healthier diet. Obesity is considered prevalent amongst African American children. Some programs are striving to teach the community more about health and exercise. Farmer markets are open that sale fresh vegetables and fruits in the community. However more has to be done. First Lady Michelle Obama has taken on a project to create a fresh vegetable/fruit garden outside of the White House. The purpose of the garden is to set an example for all families to eat healthier and to get children more involved in growing their own food. The garden also sets an example to low income families who are more tempted to purchase cheaper processed food.

The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy-Chapter 1

I think that it is important to understand the policies that we work under as well as who are the people that are creating them and modifying them. Policies can hinder how a social worker works with a client. Policy can make it hard on a social worker to work with a client. Some social issues are difficult to handle because of the policies behind them. Some programs may lack in funds, resources, or how to handle the issue. There are several factors of why a policy may change. It may range from the economy, the government, politics, and most importantly…social workers! A social worker’s job is to advocate for all clients and stand against social injustice. Reading chapter one made me think of the country’s laws and debates that social workers may face. The hottest debate is the health care reform bill. The Health Care Reform calls for improving health care services, expanding the population that receives health care, provide better access to a health care provider, and affordable health services. The debate consists of the right of health care and who should have access to it. The United States is considered to be the wealthiest nation without universal health care. More social workers should evaluate their views and thoughts about the health reform. This should be given thought because it may affect some of their work ethic. Social workers should think about how the health reform would affect their clients. Workers should advocate pushing for patient care, patient protection, and affordable health care for clients.

Oreo Video

This video really gave me better insight into the issues of the United States. I was able to better understand what the government was doing with the citizen’s money. I always watch the news on the topics and it is so easily to get caught up in other people’s opinion. I have always thought that it was important to provide more money for schools. I understand that it is important also to protect our country as well. But growing up in a black community, I have experienced what can happen when a good education is not given or received. When I was in high school, I knew of many students who dropped out of school or just did not care about school. But now that I am in college, I see those same friends that wished that they could have finished high school and attended college. Most people still want to attend school but just do not have the money or knowledge of what to do. I think that education should start in the early part of a child’s life. With all the debate surrounding President Obama, I really like the fact that he is focus on developing early education. The Head Start programs meet the needs of many children and families. I truly believe great education and character starts at home. Head Start provides quality care and services for child and family development. With these programs, studies show that children benefit in the long term and they provide better home environments. I was in Head Start with I was very young.