THE CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL WORK BY EMILY MACARTHUR, RSW
When I tell people I’m a social worker I am sometimes met with strange reactions. When I told people that I was going to school for social work, I was met with criticism and sometimes negativity. Although the career of social work has its challenges, I feel like there is a lot of misconception in the public about what those challenges are. I preface this with sharing that I am a new social worker. As well, the profession of social work has a diverse and broad range of fields to work within and each come with their unique set of challenges. I am speaking solely from my own experience. Often, people assume that clients are the most challenging aspect of the work. While sometimes clients may be challenging, in my experience the real challenge is working with limited resources, and within oppressive systems rooted in colonization, heteronormativity, and patriarchal values. It is also important to note that when there are challenges with the people with which we work, it is usually much more complicated than we can ever understand at face value. They may have a distrust of systems because of past experiences, they may be struggling with their mental health, or we may fail to recognize how our approach is playing a role. The most difficult parts of my career have been related to the feelings of helplessness that tends to accompany the lack of services. When people are crying out for help and there is no one to hear their cries. When they are stigmatized because of the judgement of their identity or lived experiences. When they are retraumatized by systems that were intended to help the most vulnerable, but instead patronize or punish them for reaching out for support.
30 Connection | Fall 2019
These experiences as a social worker have been challenging, humbling, and enlightening. I am constantly reminded of the importance of navigating privilege and power dynamics. My practice has become rooted in the concept that people are the experts of their own lives, and it is a privilege for me to walk alongside them if they so choose.
The people with whom we work do not owe us anything, and our role as social workers is not to “save” or “fix” someone. Rather, it is more about “fixing” oppressive systems. While I deeply value front line work and supporting individuals and families, a big component of social work is done at the macro-level. If there is no engagement in societal change, we as social workers overlook a crucial aspect of the profession. A commitment to social justice is one of the overarching values as described in the Code of Ethics which guides our practice. While the notion of societal change can be daunting or overwhelming, I feel that it also sustains us and promotes resiliency. Scrolling through social feeds or consuming news media can be significantly disheartening. Community engagement has taken on many forms for me such as joining boards and committees, attending rallies and protests, attending professional development opportunities, and volunteering for causes about which I’m passionate. These activities have allowed me the opportunity to align myself
