Understanding how to navigate the world draws upon several aspects of an individual’s cognition, including their social and emotional intelligence. These forms of cognition are rooted in the understanding of how the world works, which includes self-regulation of emotions and relationships (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2015). Furthermore, recognizing how roles are established in communities is yet another manifestation of social and emotional intelligence (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2016). Cultural factors play an impacting role on social and emotional intelligence. This was clearly evident in this week’s case study. Andres was depicted as a proud, successful man from Honduras who was diagnosed with both a significant brain tumor, as well as Parkinson’s Disease (Plummer, Makris and Brocksen, 2014). The resulting depression interfered so significantly, causing Andres to seek guidance from a social worker (Plummer, et. al., 2014). Prior to his disability, Andres was a successful spanic man, who contributed to society on many levels and was the patriarch of his family (Plummer, et. al., 2014). The decline of his health led to several limitations in his life with which he struggled to accept (Plummer, et. al., 2014). The cultural expectations of a hispanic man include considering him the head of the family and primary provider (Gregori, 2015). Since Andres was no longer in a position to uphold these traditional roles, his social and emotional intelligences were compromised. The world, as he previously understood it, required a different level of navigation that had to be initiated with acceptance of his current situation (Plummer, et. al., 2014). As a social worker, recognizing Andres’ perspective is key in guiding him to the most positive outcomes. The reality of the situation is that Andres is not in a position to reclaim his previous life (Plummer, 2014). Therefore, the roles he is capable of embracing need to be redefined in order to build upon his compromised social intelligence. Perhaps highlighting the ways he can contribute to the families with whom he previously worked would be one way to help him navigate his way back to a life he respected. Additionally, acknowledging Andres’ perceptions and validating his frustrations can alleviate the inadequacies he may be feeling thereby enhancing his emotional intelligence (Gregori, 2015). Andres will require consistent validation and a cultural competence on the part of the professional charged with his guidance. Encouraging clients to understand their emotions, as well as their relationships will serve to enhance their emotional and social intelligence. The world is comprised of unwritten “rules,” that must be adhered to in order for individuals to fit in smoothly with society’s expectations (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2016). When individuals understand and initially abide by this social code are they in a position to challenge the expectations. For example, a young woman who would like to play football will have an easier transition if she first acknowledges that this is not the norm and prepares herself for the people who claim she should not attempt the sport. Once acknowledging this societal code, the young woman is in a position to break through the established norms and make a name for herself. Social and emotional intelligence is required for individuals to “fit in,” because only then can these individuals make the choice to “stand out.” Gregori, E. (2015) ‘The Cost of Disability for spanic Males’, spanic Review, 83(4), pp. 467–483. Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Fou
ndation year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader]. Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2016). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. For this discussion, I chose the case of Tessa in the case study “Social Work Policy: Benefit Administration and Provision” by Plummer, Makris and Brocksen (2014). I chose this case because I am currently doing my Field Experience at a Family Violence Crisis Center and Shelter that serves victims of Domestic Violence (DV) /Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) like Tessa in the case study. The Social Welfare Policy in this case study that had the greatest direct effect on Tessa and her family was the denial of her benefit application due to her refusal of giving her legal name and social security number (Plummer, Makris, & Brocksen, 2014). For most people, giving your legal name and social security number is not an issue, but for a woman victim of domestic violence, this simple request could trigger so much fear. This is especially true since Tessa is already dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Plummer, Makris, & Brocksen, 2014). Her fear is so great; it is causing her to make a decision that prevents her from receiving benefits but also keeps her connected to her child. That would be a hard decision for any mother to make, I would hope. Especially since Tessa feels that her and her daughter, Maria, has experienced abuse according to the Plummer, Makris and Brocksen (2014) text. The social worker in this case realized and honored Tessa’s dilemma and did her best to give Tessa security by explaining the system conceals victims of DV, but Tessa is in a very vulnerable time that could mean life or death for her, so her trust is not easily given, rightfully so (Plummer, Makris, & Brocksen, 2014). The Dept of Human Services Social Worker who works directly with Tessa sees and understands this because of her direct contact with an actual victim of DV, but the policy makers at the time probably doesn’t take this into consideration due to the lack of direct contact with clients. In this case, the social worker was creative and found a workaround for Tessa to create an alias and apply and receive benefits, but look what it eventually cost Tessa (Plummer, Makris, & Brocksen, 2014)? The additional policy that Tessa’s lawyer explained about changing her name, even for safety purposes, causes her to lose her only daughter according to the text (Plummer, Makris, & Brocksen, 2014). As mentioned in my opening, how awful is it that an already abused person now has to make a decision to give up something very dear to her, a child, in order to create a healthy life for herself. I would hope this social worker finds a way to share the effects of this case to policy makers through advocacy, writing and macro-level practice to encourage services that doesn’t tear families apart. This would encourage our Social Work Ethical Principle of the importance of human relationships that states ”Social workers seek to strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and communities” (NASW, 2016). References Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader]. National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (2016). Retrieved from National Association of Social Workers: londonessays.com