Integrative Analysis: Case Application of Stevie Fielding - Essay Example

? Integrative Analysis: Case Application of Stevie Fielding Affiliation with more information about affiliation, research grants, conflict of interest and how to contact Integrative Analysis: Case Application of Stevie Fielding SECTION 1: NARRATIVE OF THE MOVIE ‘STEVE’ Stevie is a feature documentary film, directed by the “award winning director Steve James of Hoop Dreams,” and it narrates the saga of Stevie, through illustrating how “years of poverty, neglect and abuse” can wreck the life of a small boy and affect his development into a mentally healthy and responsible individual (Stevie, 2004, p.3). The movie, which begins with William Falukner’s philosophical thought, “The Past is Never Dead. It’s not even the past,” reflects an assertion that people’s past and the caresses and scars it leaves on them make what they turn out to be in the future, (James, 2002). James, through depicting the manifestations of the traumas of Stevie’s troubled childhood, and how these scars have remained etched in his memory, illustrates the impact of the abuses he has undergone as a child on the developments in his later life. Steve has been an unwanted child to his mother, who thrust his responsibility upon his step-grandmother and lived lust 50 yards away from them. Thus, right from the early stages of his life Steve had a sense of being discarded. Steve has had developmental problems even during the time he began to speak and according to his grandmother he has undergone speech therapy as he could not speak properly. His mother, Bernice, has made it clear that she does not want to take care of him and she married another man, when Steve has been a toddler. Steve has never known his father and, thus, he fails to recognize the meaning of human relationships and family. The only semblance of a family he has is the step-grandmother and Bernice’s daughter, his half-sister, Brenda. He neither receives good education, companionship or any other positive things in his life that would have made him a different person. Thus, he has not been able to develop any skills that would benefit him in coping with the necessities of life such as doing a job and fend for him in a decent manner. Subsequently he has been assigned to foster care systems where, again, he receives no sense of being cared for. Thus, the dominant feeling in his psyche is that of being neglected, not cared for, abused and discarded by his own. He turns to drugs, alcoholism and in between he also shows violent behavior. Finally, he ends up with charges of child molestation though he claims innocence in this context. His case also points to gaps in mentoring services, because James, who assumed his big brother role, leaves him for ten years before coming back to him. Overall, Steve represents a young man that has been a product of neglect only by family and society but also by all the policies and systems in place that are meant to help people who are desolate like him. The education system fails him, the social system does and even the judicial system has not been in any way helpful for his rehabilitation but is focused on punishing him. SECTION 2: CONTEXT OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR/DEVELOPMENT In the early stages of a person’s life, development occurs through progressive “reciprocal interaction” with other individuals, objects as well as various symbols in the living environment (Bronfenbrenner, 1994, p.38). Besides, the interaction also needs to be “fairly regular,” spanning over longer periods of time in order to be effectively integrated into the process of development and to build up positive traits in the individual (p.38). The most immediate environment of any child is its parents and the close interaction of children with their closest surrounding is known as “proximal processes” (38). When parents love their children, a lot of interaction occurs between them, which foster positive development in the children. On the other hand, when interaction is absent or when the proximal process involves negative elements such as neglect or abuse, the development becomes hampered, breeding negative traits in the individual, as has occurred in the case of Steve. The reciprocal of relationship between parents and children as well as with others in the environment occurs across different system levels, on the “ecological model” such as micro, meso, exo, macro, and chrono systems (p.39). Microsystems refer to a growing child’s relations he or she experiences within the “immediate environment” such as parents, elder siblings, elders in the family, school, peers etc (p.39). Sustained development occurs when the Microsystems support positive experiences in the child and the “nature of its content (p.39). Unfortunately for Steve, his environment in this context has not been supportive and, on the other hand, remained abusive and negligent, thus fostering negative traits in him. Mesosystems consist of the “linkage and processes” that prevail between two settings, such as school and family (40). In Steve’s case there has been no rapport between his mother and teachers and, therefore, any developmental issues that he had as a child remained unresolved. In the exosystems context, which comprise the linkage between “two or more settings” that do not contain the child where any occurrence does not directly relate to it, such as the relation of a parent with friends, it appears that his mother’s relation with others did not help create any positive outcome in his life (40). It also transpires that Steve’s mother never had a healthy relationship with neighbors or friends, whose influence could have made a difference in young Steve. From the perspective of macrosystems, which involve an “overarching pattern” of the other systems, that nourishes beliefs, knowledge and values, Steve has not been provided any of these elements by his family, except his grandmother who took care of him before he was sent to foster homes (40). In terms of chronosystems, which envisages changes in the “environment,” apart from the chronological aging of the child, it becomes relevant that Steve’s childhood has corresponded with a time when people where pursuing materialistic pleasures over the familial values (40). This aspect reflects in his mother’s character that prompts her to discard Steve to get married. Thus, rather than providing the tenderness of her love and affection to her son, she has meted out abuse and hatred to Steve which deeply scarred his psyche. Both biological factors as well as the environment “make a difference” in developing the characteristic traits in an individual (Gottesman & Hanson, 2005, p.10.4). Studies suggest that the “influence of DNA methylation” on the development of humans is significant and further that the mother’s behavior towards the child affects its “hippocampus in adulthood” (10.5). This can be evidences from Steve’s case as a major share of his problems is attributable to the abuse that she subjected him to. From a psychological perspective, studies find that the characteristics of an individual works alongside environment to “produce performance” and his cognitive level relies largely on personality traits such as motives, emotion, anxiety etc among other things (Fischer & Silvern, 1985, 639). Steve does not have adequate skill to cope with life due to the fact that his cognitive developmental stages have remained problematic due to which he has not been able to develop appropriate skills to take up a profession. Similarly, his social aspect of development has also remained limited due to the fact that his environment did not allow him ample leeway for social interactions. Similarly, his cultural and spiritual developments have been constrained due to the absence of his biological mother and father and the abuse he received from his mother for the short duration he remained with her. From a human rights perspective, it is needless to state that every child has the right to receive the opportunity for education, developmental activities etc apart from right to basic necessities as well as care of the parents. However, in his case, all these supports have been denied him or have only been provided to partially meet his requirements. Thus, the limitations in his development have not been compensated and thereby his psychological framework became more disturbed as he grew up. No one has employed any adaptive strategies at the required stages in his life for enabling him to cope with his deficits. If he has been extended necessary care and attention at the different stages of his development, his condition might not have been deteriorated. SECTION 3: IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTION Social work interventions need to focus on understanding the “components and dynamics of client system” for attaining the proper appreciation of their problems and to develop suitable strategies that will enhance ‘goodness of fit’ between patients and their environment (Friedman & Allen, n.d, p.3). The primary strategy needs to focus on providing Steve with necessary help with regard to acquiring appropriate skills so that he can engage in some productive job as well as support himself. The engagement with a job will not only address his economical needs but it will also enable him to engage himself with positive activities and free his mind from the anguish that haunts him. His mentor, his half-sister and his girl friend can be effective sources of family intervention therapy, which will facilitate him more confidence and nurture positive feelings by way of their active involvement in his life. Steve has an acute sense of being an outcast, a poor and deprived person. Though race is not a problem in his context, the poor social status has fostered him a sense of complex right from the early stages of his life. It is also relevant that even as a grown up, he has had to steal for sustaining himself. Thus, once the intervention system can place him in a steady job, he may be able to overcome some of his anxieties and lead a normal life. Similarly, the failure of the social institutions such as family, schooling, community including foster homes and judicial systems has been strongly evidenced in this case and Steve is quite clearly aware of this. Thus, his actions may also be a rebuttal to the society as can be seen from his reactions, especially when talks about his mother. Therefore, strategies also need to be evolved whereby his trust in the social systems, especially, family can be restored. Once he comes in the mainstay by working on a job and earning some income of his own he may be provided supportive elements as education and entertainment facilities. He also has a feeling that he is homeless, which to a great extent affects is morale, motivation and self confidence and the provision of a home will benefit him. Similarly, an intervention, based on collaborative strategies, will be effective in giving him a “conducive rather than coercive” pathway for change (Manthey et al, 2011, 128). This way, the client will be more comfortable and ready to cooperate. Policy makers also have a role in rehabilitating individuals like Steve and restoring their faith in the society. Victims of social injustice, like Steve, have a subconscious hatred for society that they consider is responsible for their condition. Thus, tangible efforts from the government policies will go a long way in mitigating their feelings of remorse. Though this is not a measure of direct intervention, it will help immensely in instilling confidence in the individuals and make they feel belonging to the community they live in. Another main strategy is enhancing chances of their interaction in a social context through which they will be able to experience the possibilities of human interaction, which they have been deprived of at different stages in their lives. Clubs, community programs and other such activities will be helpful to such individuals. In addition, they may also be involved in sports and other physical exercises as this will help them improve their health and thus regain their confidence and self esteem. References Bronfenbrenner, U. (1994). “Ecological Models of Human Development.” International Encyclopedia of Education Vol.3 (2): pp.37-43. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from Fischer, K. W. & Silvern, L. (1985). “Stages and Individual Differences in Cognitive Development.” Annual Review of Psychology Vol.36: pp.613-648. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from Friedman, B. D. & Allen, K. N. (n.d). Frameworks for Clinical Practice: Systems Theory. Sage Publications.com. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from < http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/32947_Chapter1.pdf> Gottesman, I. I., & Hanson, D. R. (2005). Human Development: Biological and Genetic Processes. Annual Review of Psychology Vol.56: pp.10.1-10.24. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from James, Steve. “Stevie.” Kartemquin Films, 2002. Manthey, T. J., Knowles, B., Asher, D., & Wahab, S. (2011). “Strengths-Based Practice and Motivational Interviewing.” Advances in Social Work Vol.12 (2): pp.126-151. http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/advancesinsocialwork/article/download/959/1866 Stevie: Resource Guide. (2004). America Documentary Inc. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from Read More