Legacies of Social Change - Essay Example

Board Discussion Reply Jane Addams reminded me of the Big Brothers Big Sisters youth mentoring program that is quite successful social work across the United States today. I believe that this specific program is effective because it is not merely an attempt to help by providing things and satisfying needs. Rather, it is more holistic in its emphasis on helping educate young individuals from depressed urban neighborhoods not just to be successful but also become better people when they grow up.

Many of the beneficiaries of this initiative have become successful individuals and valuable members of their communities. This is largely achieved by having helpful and accomplished adults help in their education. This was essentially the principle introduced by Addams, when she founded the U.S. Settlement Movement, which emphasized the importance of a successful and resourceful community in encouraging the same character out of its poor inhabitants. This approach to social work is more meaningful than most because it offers the "psychological" aid that complements the usual approaches to social welfare work.

Many see Addams work as significant and according to the NASW code of ethics because they treat people with dignity. This is true, that is the underlying variable why the principles she espoused are successful: The assistance does not end with the consumption of goods and the end of the services rendered. Rather, the assisted individuals acquired values and worldviews that are positive and helpful in their growth as people. This demonstrates how Addams is ahead of her time. The innovations she has introduced are still very much applicable to our situation and could be seen in many successful social work programs today.