Engagement Assignment
This assignment integrates the theories of engagement you have read about with your direct practice work. In 3-5 pages double-spaced pages using APA style, please first describe a situation in your field placement that required engagement skills. Then, identify what engagement strategies you used drawing from the readings from modules 3 and 4. Please describe at least 2 strategies and cite the original source material you used to identify the strategy. Finally, please reflect on the process of engagement and answer the following questions:
What went well?
What did not work well? (E.g. did you make any mistakes?)
Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?
How did you apply principles of belief bonding (if appropriate) to your choices?
What engagement strategies will you continue to build on in your work with this client or client system?
You may include a process recording (typed) to illustrate your examples. The purpose of this assignment is to be able to articulate and apply the concepts of engagement to your own field work.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: The Role of Engagement Strategies in Social Work Practice
Introduction:
Engagement is a vital component of effective social work practice, as it establishes a strong foundation for building relationships with clients and encouraging their active participation in the intervention process. This essay aims to explore a situation from my field placement that required engagement skills, discuss the engagement strategies employed, reflect on the process, and outline future steps for building on these strategies.
Engagement Situation Description:
During my field placement, I encountered a client system comprising a single mother and her three children who were experiencing significant challenges in their home environment. The family had recently relocated due to financial difficulties, and the children were displaying signs of social withdrawal, academic decline, and emotional distress. The mother was overwhelmed by the demands of parenting and lacked a support network in the new community.
Engagement Strategies Employed:
Active Listening: To establish rapport and demonstrate empathy, I employed active listening skills during initial conversations with the mother and her children. Active listening involves fully concentrating on, understanding, responding to, and remembering what is being said. By actively listening, I aimed to validate their experiences and emotions while fostering a safe and non-judgmental space for open communication (Rogers & Farson, 1957).
Strengths-Based Approach: Utilizing a strengths-based approach allowed me to identify and highlight the family’s existing resources and capabilities. By focusing on their strengths rather than deficits, I aimed to empower the family and promote their self-efficacy (Saleebey, 2006). This strategy involved acknowledging the mother’s resilience in managing the family’s challenges and recognizing the children’s unique talents and interests.
Reflection on the Process of Engagement:
What went well:
The active listening approach facilitated trust-building and enabled the family to express their concerns openly.
By adopting a strengths-based approach, I provided a sense of hope and optimism to the family, empowering them to see their own potential for growth and change.
What did not work well:
Initially, I struggled with balancing empathy and maintaining professional boundaries. There were instances where my personal emotions impacted my objectivity.
I underestimated the time required for successful engagement. Expecting quick results hindered progress initially.
What would I do differently:
I would prioritize self-awareness and self-reflection to ensure that my personal emotions do not interfere with professional practice.
Recognizing that engagement is an ongoing process, I would allocate sufficient time for building relationships without rushing interventions.
Application of Belief Bonding Principles: In this case, belief bonding principles were applied by validating the family’s experiences and emotions through active listening. By demonstrating empathy and understanding, I aimed to establish a sense of shared beliefs and values between myself and the client system (Guterman & Rudes, 2005).
Engagement Strategies for Future Work: Moving forward with this client system, I plan to build on the following engagement strategies:
Collaborative Goal Setting: Involving the family in identifying their goals will promote their sense of ownership and motivation for change (Rapp & Goscha, 2006).
Cultural Competence: Enhancing my cultural competence will allow me to better understand and respect the unique experiences and values of the family (Sue & Sue, 2012). This will further strengthen our engagement.
Conclusion:
Engagement is an essential aspect of effective social work practice. By employing strategies such as active listening and a strengths-based approach, social workers can establish strong relationships with clients and foster their active involvement in the intervention process. Reflecting on the engagement process provides valuable insights into areas for improvement and future growth. By integrating belief bonding principles and continuously building on effective engagement strategies, social workers can enhance their ability to facilitate positive change in clients’ lives.
