Theoretical Frameworks And Model Of Social Work
As a non-social work student, I was unaware of the various theoretical frameworks. The strengths perspective allows me to look at things from another angle, because what we might perceive as a “weakness” could be potential for growth and strength. Before learning about the ecological perspective, I used to believe that my personality and values were mostly intrinsic and innate without giving it much thought. However, this perspective shows me just how important external factors can be in shaping one’s personality, beliefs and values, and there is always a reason for why we are what we are. I believe that the biopsychosocial spiritual model ties in closely with the ecological perspective, both postulating that environmental and social factors are very important influencers in a person’s life. Adopting all three theories in this reflection, I have come to realise that many of my personal values, beliefs and philosophies are shaped by various systems, and that there are potential strengths and challenges that could help or hinder me as a prospective helper. At the macro-systemic level, the government instils the belief that illness can be prevented and we exhibit an element of control over it, constantly encouraging active ageing. This has led me to believe that while illness is inevitable, there is also hope that through our own hard work, we can age gracefully and reduce the onset of illnesses. Singapore’s meritocratic ideology, emphasises that we need to work hard for what we want, holding us accountable for our successes and failures. Thus, it “forces” me to take a more proactive role with regards to my health, constantly striving to choose healthier food alternatives, and to be more active on a daily basis.
While meritocracy is a fair system, it is also one that has caused my society to become very competitive and “kiasu” (afraid to lose). The competitive nature of my society had made me incredibly fearful of failure because there were no safety nets, and even if there were, so much emphasis is placed on doing well that failing did not seem like an option. This pressure caused me to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety in secondary four after having continual panic attacks in school. With the biopsychosocial model, I found that my illness could have been “inherited” as my mother and grandmother had suffered from depression before (biological aspect). With the major triggers being my own fear of failure and self-doubt (psychological aspect) and my environment and its competitive nature (social aspect) as going for classes was a major anxiety trigger. Though this was a very traumatic experience for me, it also brought me closer to my parents because they were there for me throughout the ordeal. When I had a very severe panic attack at home all of a sudden, they knew something was wrong and immediately brought me to the Institute of Mental Health for help. Seeing how all the stress was affecting my mental, and subsequently my physical health, they offered me the option to quit school and focus on getting better. The value I place on family can be attributed to my personal experiences, societal influence and my religious teachings. From my experience with mental illness, I knew that I would always have my family’s support especially regarding my mental and physical health. Therefore, I truly value my family and the support they provide me which enables me to have better control over my anxiety and depression. For the societal influencers, Singapore is very family-centric, constantly underlining the importance of the family unit as the primary source of financial and emotional support, in order to reduce one’s burden on the society and government.
Family is so important that they are integral in decision making processes, especially regarding medical decisions. Thus, I generally rely on my family for support. Additionally, much emphasis is placed on filial piety, which has largely shaped my views towards illness, that I am not responsible for my own health alone, but also that of my parents. This constant emphasis on filial piety is present in our advertisements, one that really struck a chord in me appeared on television in 2011, featuring an old lady and her son. Despite her deteriorating condition and uncooperativeness, the son continued to care for his mother, being unwilling to give up on her because he remembered all that she had sacrificed for him when he was younger. After watching the advertisement, I shed tears as it was a reminder for me to be grateful and to one day repay their kindness. At the meso-systemic level, my religious faith has also had a large influence on me. As a Catholic, emphasis is also placed on the family and filial piety, ‘Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever’. Thus, reinforcing my views on the importance of family. My religion has also taught me to be compassionate, empathetic and selfless. During Catechism classes, we were taught about the sacrifices Jesus made for us to save us from our sins and we were taught to be grateful – ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son’. As a result, I believe that if I have the means to help others, I should always try, to be selfless like Him. The premise behind every religion is faith, while you may not see God, we have faith he is there and that there is an afterlife. This translates to my everyday life as well, enabling me to have hope even when others may doubt. Regarding illness, religion enables many people, including myself, to have a more hopeful outlook. Enabling me to believe that there is always a way and miracles could happen. However, this might reflect rather unrealistic beliefs that I may cling onto, which could also be detrimental.
At the micro-systemic level, my parents have been the major influencers in the development of my character. My parents have constantly taught me to be mindful of my actions and words. When I was very young, my sister and I would quarrel and say hurtful things to one another. My parents would reprimand us, reminding us to be mindful of each other’s feelings. My mother would also trick me into believing that even toys had feelings, that buying a toy would separate it from their family and friends, making them sad. This lesson, while being a cruel ploy to prevent me from buying more toys, also served to teach me to be more sensitive and in-tuned with my own feelings and that of others. These lessons put in place by my parents were to show us that our actions and words are much more powerful than we think. My mother is a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in 2010, she went through surgery, after which, enduring a 9 months long course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Her condition was quite critical and she was experiencing many debilitating side effects from the treatment. My mother’s will, mental strength and faith allowed her to have a positive outlook amidst her turmoil. Despite illness and disease having mostly physical manifestation, from my mother’s experience I learnt just how important the mind is when it comes to health and illness. Her experience with cancer changed my attitude towards illness, while seeking treatment for the physical symptoms is important, the mind plays an equally if not more important role when faced with illness and sometimes it is truly mind over matter. Upon reflection, as a prospective helper, I believe I would be most challenged serving in palliative care. While my religion makes me believe in the prospect of an afterlife, my anxiety causes me to fear things that are unknown and beyond my control. Thus, death can be incredibly fear inducing for me. Additionally, my empathetic nature sometimes causes me to feel too much, as a result I can become very emotional and affected by others’ situations. These aspects of my personality could potentially cloud my judgement when formulating treatment or care plans. This would be a problem especially if the client choses to opt for palliative care while the family is still adamant on seeking aggressive treatment. I know that I might try to convince the client otherwise, to seek treatment instead because I would empathise with their loved ones, understanding their fears of losing someone they love. However, this is an ethical violation of the principle of self-determination and client autonomy. Therefore, special attention would have to be placed on compartmentalising my emotions, to keep them in check. I would need to constantly remind myself to carry out non-discriminatory social work practice and respect client autonomy, to prevent my own feelings and fears from interfering with my ability to help my client make informed decisions. However, my empathic nature would enable me to detect the subtle nuances in how treatments are affecting the patient, making me more well-informed of the client’s mental and emotional state with regards to their health, current relationships and more. Thus, enabling me to be in a better position to discover potential stressors to formulate more effective intervention plans. Therefore, by viewing my empathy and sensitivity as a potential strength and learning how to effectively handle my emotions, I believe that I would be able to use this trait of mine to my advantage. Another issue I foresee is when working with clients of a different religion or who have no religion. I draw comfort from my religion, when I feel hopeless I turn to God and in death we believe in the prospect of eternal life. While death of a loved one is something I do fear, I believe my religion would help me come to terms with it more easily. However, my beliefs are not shared by everyone and in that situation I may find it difficult to help my client and their family find comfort when facing illness or death, especially if their religion differs. In that situation, I would need to conduct thorough research on their religious and/or non-religious beliefs, to be able to understand them better. Thus, enabling me to utilise this knowledge to find ways to help them and their families cope with their illness and/or grief.
With all challenges there are also opportunities for growth. As a future helper there are bound to be differences in personalities, values and beliefs between my clients and I. However, through proper research and reflection, I would be able to pinpoint areas that I may need to improve. Sometimes I may have to put aside my beliefs and values in order to remain open minded so that I can look at things from a fresh perspective, enabling me to fully understand the client. I truly believe that through application of the social work theories such as the – ecological, biopsychosocial spiritual and strengths perspectives, it would enable me to gain a holistic view and understanding of my client. Thus, allowing me to come up with suitable strategies and to impart skills that would help them tackle their own problems, empowering them. Even if I do not become a social worker in the future, I believe these theories would really aid me in my daily life and would serve as a constant reminder for me to always continue to reflect. As it truly enables me to discover aspects of myself and of others I did not think was there.
