Types of Advocacy and Its Effectiveness
Initial Response
Instructions:
Discuss what types of advocacy presented this week are most effective.
What types of advocacy do you feel comfortable participating in, why?
Finally, how are social workers required to practice macro advocacy?
Use the Code of Ethics as your evidence.
Your initial response is due by Wednesday at 11:59 pm CT.
Estimated time to complete: 2 hours
Peer Response
Instructions:
Please read and respond to at least two of your peers’ initial postings. You may want to consider the following questions in your responses to your peers:
Compare and contrast your initial posting with those of your peers.
How are they similar or how are they different?
What information can you add that would help support the responses of your peers?
Ask your peers a question for clarification about their post.
What most interests you about their responses?
JAMAS
Discuss what types of advocacy presented this week are most effective.
The effectiveness of advocacy can differ depending on the situation and the particular concerns at hand. The types of advocacy covered this week are direct, grassroots, and legislative. Direct advocacy entails communicating directly with influential individuals. These individuals, comprising policymakers and community leaders, play an active role in decision-making (DeSantis & Mulé, 2017). Community-driven advocacy empowers individuals to come together and voice their concerns. Legislative advocacy centers on the pursuit of legal and regulatory reforms. DeSantis and Mulé (2017) indicate that this is accomplished through advocacy campaigns and lobbying efforts. All these approaches have their merits. Therefore, choosing the most effective one depends on the issue and the target audience. For instance, direct advocacy can impact urgent matters by directly engaging decision-makers.
On the other hand, grassroots efforts harness community strength and passion. This makes this type of advocacy perfect for creating a groundswell of support. Legislative advocacy’s systematic approach can drive long-term policy change.
What types of advocacy do you feel comfortable participating in, and why?
Grassroots activism resonates with me the most. This type of advocacy offers a sense of comfort and engagement. It enables me to connect with my community in a meaningful way. This approach allows me to drive change by harnessing the power of collective voices. Collaborating with peers sharing similar views creates a united front. This alleviates the intimidation and challenges associated with advocacy. Grassroots initiatives frequently employ a multi-faceted approach, including community gatherings, online engagement, and informal discussions. These strategies complement my communication abilities. Moreover, it allows me to make a significant change in the society.
Finally, how are social workers required to practice macro advocacy? Use the Code of Ethics as your evidence.
As a moral imperative, social workers must engage in macro advocacy to solve systemic issues. As laid out in the NASW Code of Ethics, social workers are responsible for promoting social justice through advocacy and challenging unjust policies. The ethical guidelines (6.04) require social workers to engage in social and political action (Barsky, 2017). These actions must be geared towards promoting equity and protecting the rights of disadvantaged populations. As a result, social workers are tasked with advocating for policy changes. The changes must also have the potential to impact entire communities profoundly. The importance of advocating for fair resource allocation and service access is also underscored in section 6.02 of the Code of Ethics (Barsky, 2017). This section emphasizes that social workers must prioritize advocacy initiatives that promote societal fairness and equality. According to this code, social workers can effect meaningful change by collaborating with community organizations, conducting research, and engaging in legislative processes.
References
Barsky, A. (2017). Ethics alive! The 2017 NASW code of ethics: What’s new. New Social Worker.
DeSantis, G. C., & Mulé, N. J. (2017). Advocacy. & DeSantis, GC (Ed.),(2017). The Shifting Terrain: Non-profit Advocacy in Canada, 3-32.
Healther
We discussed multiple types of social work advocacy this week. These types can be labeled as micro or macro when we consider whether the social worker is doing direct service for a client, or attempting to create and enact broad-sweeping legislation such as creating a bill.
Prior to coming to Herzing, I took a Social Welfare Policy class at Ball State University (where I was employed at that time). Professor Matt Moore, encouraged all of us to consider someday running for office. Or, if we were less comfortable with that option, he encouraged us to consider ourselves as subject matter experts and testify to State legislators in favor (or opposition) towards a bill we found favorable or unfavorable. He explained that if we are doing micro social work as, for example, casework for CPS, we had knowledge that would be invaluable to legislators when it came time to consider policy and create legislation. He tried to instill in us a sense of public social advocacy in becoming more involved in the election process (regardless of whatever level we were currently engaged). I someday aspire to testify as an expert witness, when I have gained enough experience.
My family relocated to Wisconsin in 2016 the fall after I took this course. As we watch the election results in 2016 and the aftermath, I knew I had to take him up on his challenge. So in the Fall 2017, I submitted my bid to run for Alderman of my town for District 6 in the Spring 2018. I lost in a landslide to the incumbent of 14 years. (He’s still in office). When I see people in the streets of Brookfield, they ask when I will run again to try and defeat my opponent. I determined that while I do enjoy the excitement of running for office, I soon realized it was the position of State Rep that interested me over Alderman. (In my district, aldermen focus largely on zoning laws and incentives for new business. I want to address expanding healthcare services, focusing on food and housing and such.)
As our text states, social advocacy comes at a personal cost. I also recognize that running for office came at a high cost of losing time with my family. I know now that, if I were to ever run again, it would be for the right office and it would be after my kids have families of their own. I missed far too many events with my kids to knock on doors and canvass my neighborhood.
I have learned that I like the political process. I learned in running for office that if you want to understand how things work, you need to dive into them. I like campaigning and championing Get Out the Vote and encouraging voter registration. In my Muslim committee, my decision to run has woken up a sleeping giant. We now have statewide Muslim advocacy groups strategizing on how to get out the vote and influence/support candidates. Prior to my campaign, my community which has many immigrants, was afraid to talk politics. I am active in my local politics. Because I, as a newcomer to the community and a hijabi, ran for office when my community was afraid to even talk publicly about politics, I have gained a bit of a reputation (or even notoriety. I can be fearless when I have something to say to advocate for vulnerable populations. I have never been shy when speaking up for others. I like to surround myself with people who feel the same to give me courage. I knew I would enjoy this course because I enjoy advocacy and this is what public policy is all about!
References
Pilarski, K. (07 March 2018). Brookfield incumbent aldermen have been locks for 10 years.Will this change in Spring 2018 election? Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel. https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/ne…
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