Monthly Monitor: Voting Issue
Voting
Issue
Editor of the Month: Alberto Cifuentes, Jr.
From the
Editor’s Desk-
Voting for Your Health:
A Primer for This Year’s Election
I don’t need to tell you just how important this year’s election is in the grand ole scheme of things. I also shouldn’t have to tell you that voting is a basic human right as well as a clinical intervention. Maybe I shouldn’t even have to tell you how registering people to vote is part of our Code of Ethics and tied to our core principles of respecting diversity and advancing social justice.
Instead, I do feel obliged to say that there’s a lot at stake with this year’s election. And to top it off, we’re all voting during a pandemic, where the very thought of waiting in line, wearing a mask, and standing at least six feet apart from each other are not very enticing incentives to vote.
If you plan on voting either absentee or by mail, maybe you’re unaware or confused about your state’s protocols. Believe me, municipalities and states often and intentionally don’t make the process to vote very easy in a last-ditch effort to suppress the vote and sway election results in their favor.
Come to think of it, a story like that may actually and justifiably make you not want to vote at all this year. At this point, it probably sounds like your vote doesn’t matter and you should just throw in the towel.
But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
As the late Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis said, “The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society.” Voting doesn’t necessarily have to be about direct advocacy or activism; at its most fundamental level, voting is about acknowledging the connection between your voice and your health and the health of others around you, from your clients and communities to your families and loved ones. Voting is about transcending politics and holding your elected officials accountable. After all, they work for you, not the other way around.
By amplifying your unique voices and experiences through voting, you’re actually empowering others to fight for a more inclusive and equitable democracy, one that doesn’t disenfranchise or suppress marginalized and underrepresented populations. Your one single vote is actually a vote for peace, empathy, and solidarity, values all social workers can get behind in the long-run.
Vote to give voice to the voiceless. Vote like our lives depend on it. To quote the late and legendary civil rights pioneer, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
I hope you enjoy the carefully curated articles on voting and civic engagement in this issue. For further information and guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact me, VotER Social Work Team Lead, at jr_alberto.cifuentes@uconn.edu.
Tips for Practicing Civic Self-Care
The presidential election is often a stressful year in many people’s lives. While folks are conducting their own research and understanding the various political candidates, they are also engaging in difficult yet important political conversations with their colleagues, friends, and family. The 2020 elections are even more stressful due to the global pandemic, conflict with the police systems across the nation, and racial equity battles we are witnessing and engaging in every day. The election season often creates a meta level of stress on social workers.
As we approach Election Day, we would like to remind you of the utmost importance of self-care during this political season. Engaging in civic self-care to counter political engagement burnout may look different than self-care practices used for your personal wellbeing. Thus, we encourage you to use the following strategies to practice civic self-care:
Gather Information: Research the candidates from multiple angles; understand their values, stances, and arguments from your lens or perspective.
Set Boundaries: Decide who, what, when, where, and how you would like to engage in political conversations. This is essential to protecting yourself in situations you would like to avoid being in when it comes to politics.
Dedicate Time: Understanding policies and the complexities of each candidate can be time-consuming. Dedicate time in your schedule to spend on the election. This time should be protected for your learning and civic engagement.
Register to Vote: Most importantly, register to vote and be prepared to complete your civic responsibility by being prepared with your voter information.
Want to Make a Difference?
Become A Poll Worker
Social workers rarely have the opportunity to see the long-term outcomes of their work. People in this profession hope for the best for clients, but more often than not, relationships are terminated before seeing the end of the story. Nevertheless, a social worker who spends one day at the polls promotes civic duty, protects democracy, and contributes to the regional, national, and global political landscape for the foreseeable future.
This election is fraught with controversy and challenges. Social work doctoral students feel the call of the profession’s value of service and have an opportunity to directly contribute to this election. Many social workers are contributing to massive and necessary ongoing registration campaigns like Get Out the Vote, but students may find the enduring commitment to these campaigns overwhelming.
Instead, students can sign up to be a poll worker. In this role, students spend one day defending and securing the rights of people who may not be able to vote by mail.
According to the US Election Assistance Commission (2019), COVID-19 has slashed the pool of would-be poll workers who historically are over the age of 60. These individuals face worse health outcomes should they acquire COVID-19, forcing them to stay home this election and shifting the responsibility to younger people to fill these pivotal roles. Social work doctoral students may feel called to this role in particular in an effort to fulfill professional values in a way that is observant of the realities of student life.
As social workers and as students, working at the polls offers an opportunity to experience the uplifting rush of providing a service to people and the rare opportunity to see the outcomes of the work in a tight turnaround.
Boot Camp and Training for Political Social Workers
If you are interested in political social work, look no further than the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP) Political Boot Camp and Media Training!
This Boot Camp is held for three days in Washington, D.C., each summer and covers numerous areas related to public office, political campaigns, and the role of social workers in politics. CRISP aims to expand the involvement of social workers in the legislative and policy process, with this Boot Camp specifically focusing on campaigning, leadership, media, data, and policy messaging. Presenters in the Boot Camp include lead politicians and consultants, offering experienced and diverse perspectives.
This intensive training is intended for social workers at every level of education and encourages social workers to use their unique values, knowledge, and experience as change agents in the political arena.
The availability of this training opportunity will be affected by the state of the pandemic next summer, but all interested parties should check out the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy and the Political Boot Camp and Media Training if they want to learn more!
Are All of Our Favorite Conferences Going Virtual?
Pretty Much.
Disappointed you won’t be traveling to your favorite conference this year and networking with people in-person-- remember when we used to do that? Most of 2020’s and 2021’s conferences have gone virtual due to the pandemic, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
For one, the costs for producing and coordinating these conferences go way down, which means registration, travel, and accomodation costs are reduced or even eliminated, too. You can also attend these conferences from the convenience of your own home and don’t have to get lost in large hotels looking for a meeting room.
Oh, and you’re less likely to walk away with COVID-19 in your luggage and bring it home to pretty much everyone in your proximity. Hmm, maybe going virtual is not so bad.
Here are some of our favorite conferences this fiscal year that have gone virtual. We encourage you to attend and support these conferences. There will still be opportunities to network, be mentored or start mentoring, get your CEUs, and safely exchange knowledge and resources. We will keep you updated regarding other conference’s statuses such as SSWR in upcoming issues. Happy conferencing!
1. CSWE APM "Leading Critical Conversations: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion": Nov. 16-20, 2020, https://cswe.org/Events-Meetings/2020-APM.aspx
2. Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS) Global Sex Research Virtual Conference: Nov. 6-20 (Presentations On-Demand) and Nov. 19-20, 2020 (Live Streaming), https://www.sexscience.org/
3. Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions: Apr. 12-16, 2021, https://www.sbm.org/meetings/2021
Need more conference fixin’s? Subscribe to the Boston University School of Social Work’s weekly Social Work Research Opportunities Newsletter (SWRnet). To subscribe, e-mail swrnet@bu.edu.
Class Activity and Discussion Ideas:
Voting is Social Work
If you are teaching this fall, we want to provide you with some ideas for a full lesson or shorter activity that will highlight for new social workers how #votingissocialwork.
Class Discussion Idea - The Story of Rosanell Eaton:
Share the story of Rosanell Eaton. Here is a snippet, and more can be found in the sources linked below:
In North Carolina in the 1940s, Eaton registered to vote only after reciting the entire Preamble of the Constitution and thus passing a literacy test set up to deter Black voters. She went on to help 4,000 others register to vote.
In 2013, the Supreme Court ruling in Shelby v. Holder removed key protections from the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act required that states that had historically held voting laws that disenfranchised Black and minority voters must have federal preclearance for any change in voting laws. To get clearance for changes, those states had to demonstrate that the new laws would not have a discriminatory effect.
With this important Voting Rights Act protection overturned in 2013, Eaton’s home state of North Carolina passed numerous voting law changes that included changing voting districts, polling locations, and ID requirements, disenfranchising the same voters that had been protected by this section of the Voting Rights Act. Eaton, now in her 90s, has continued her lifelong civil rights work around voting, fighting for these new laws to be struck down.
Have students watch the short video of Eaton speaking and/or read a short news story like the ones linked below:
2. Ask students to discuss one or more of the following questions:
Why is the right to vote so important that people will risk their lives for it?
Eaton’s main demonstration phrase was “Fed up and fired up.” What do you think this means?
What do you think is meant by “Voting is Social Work,” and how does this align with social work’s Code of Ethics? Ask students to pull up the Code of Ethics and use values and phrases from the Code to support their comments.
Class Activity Idea - Community Mapping the Vote:
Divide students into groups (virtually or physically distanced).
Have students look up their polling places in their community or assign them one.
Using ideas from community mapping, ask them to consider: (1) accessibility of polling location, (2) size of polling location, (3) number of registered voters in the district, (4) level of protection from weather elements for people standing in line, (5) distance between polling places, (6) if public transportation is available to reach the polling place, (7) early voting options, and (8) distance from the polling place to work/business areas (to consider travel and time taken from work to vote)? NOTE: Depending on the area and the options chosen from above, this may require students to drive, but google maps can be supplemented as a secondary option.
Ask students to discuss and compare what they found and how these elements might support or hinder access to voting.
Have students review this document (“A Call to Action: Social Work Education’s Role in Turnout”) and note connections to their learning: https://votingissocialwork.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2468/2019/09/SCHOOLS-of-SW-VotingIsSocialWork-July-2019-1.pdf
Social Work Snippets
Voting IS Social Work
Often social workers stay out of registering clients to vote, providing election information, or actively supporting community members getting out to the polls. Perhaps we believe that we are not allowed, that we do not have enough time, or simply that it is not our place.
However, voting IS social work. Voting is the means by which communities express their preferences and individuals exercise their power and have their voices heard. Voting supports our ethical responsibility to client empowerment, self-determination, and meaningful decision-making for all people.
While we do not want to sway clients and communities to a particular position, we can conduct non-partisan activities such as registering people to vote, providing information about polling locations, and providing information on what is needed to vote on election day and assistance with going to the polls. We can also advocate for the voting rights of vulnerable and disenfranchised populations, such as those experiencing homelessness, those with physical and developmental disabilities, and those who have been formerly incarcerated.
The National Social Work Voter Mobilization Campaign is committed to integrating nonpartisan voter engagement into social work practice and education. To learn more about what you can do, go to www.votingissocialwork.org.
Looking for a Great Film on Voter Suppression?
Watch Rigged (2020) for free at https://www.riggedthefilm.com/watch-at-home. And check out their “Take Action” resources at https://www.riggedthefilm.com/take-action.
Looking to Create That Chill Study Vibe at Home?
Need a musical escape? Is your study playlist not "hitting" like it used to? Need a new "beat"? Have you tried out LoFi? Check out some of these playlists on Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon Music:
Chill LoFi Study Beats-https://open.spotify.com/…/spotify/…/37i9dQZF1DX8Uebhn9wzrS…
LoFi Hip-Hip-https://open.spotify.com/…/spotify/…/37i9dQZF1DX36Xw4IJIVKA…
LoFi Sleep-https://open.spotify.com/…/irepindy/playlist/1ceQCgVmIMqGr8…
Chillhop Radio-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yx6BWlEVcY
lofi hip hop-Brazil songs playlist-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1bZ68U7SsY&t=146s
lofi hip hop radio-beats to relax/study to- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qap5aO4i9A
Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Chill- https://music.amazon.com/stations/A360JMHOGTMTRU?ref=dm_sh_691d-c951-dmcp-5e7f-d55a2&musicTerritory=US&marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Looking for Some Self-Care Tips?
Trying to figure out boundaries between work and home in the COVID-19 world? Check this piece out:
In both academia and social work, self-care is promoted but often received with an eye roll of "yea, right" because these are cultures that reward overworking. This article is an important perspective on self-care. We hope it will help you and those you will supervise and teach you to expand your thinking on self-care: https://www.socialworker.com/extras/social-work-month-2020/self-care-not-always-instagrammable/?fbclid=IwAR1ciXlR-dvilOu0ue5oN1JPlB3kzIb6Y3tewDQi67amaME4RCg_3a-nImk
Trying to Improve your Expertise in Racial Equity?
NASW OFFERINGS:
The 2020 NASW Virtual Forum Series, Advancing Racial Equity, will be held over a 5-week span beginning September 29. Each day will cover a different topic, provide attendees the opportunity to earn a total of 15 live CE’s, include access to the Virtual NASW/NASW Foundation Awards Program, and include access to Forum Series Session recordings to review and refresh your knowledge.
September 29 – Addressing Racial Equity Presentation | Keynote Address
October 6 – The Intersection of Ethics & Racial Equity| Racial Equity Through the Clinical Lens
October 13 – Cultural Competency & Racial Justice: Working to Undo Racism
October 20 – 2020 Election Forecast| Voter Suppression
October 29 – Advocating for Immigrants and Refugees | The Way Forward: Be a Part of the Solution; NASW/NASW Foundation Awards Program
Go here for more info or to register: https://naswvirtual.socialworkers.org/?fbclid=IwAR124VBFnn1OGTAjEQzRU_eAeAklDNhUSqLtuoXHPX9dn-rraMjDJ9iUZwk
GADE OFFERINGS:
GADE is pleased to host the Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Social Work Doctoral Education – A Series Lead by and Created for Doctoral Students. This four-part series was entirely created by and for doctoral students. It will engage social work doctoral students across the country and challenge us with envisioning the realities of developing, implementing, and sustaining Anti-Racist Pedagogy across doctoral programs.
The first three sessions will be exclusively for doctoral students to collectively share our experiences within our own programs and develop an outline of how we can move beyond Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Social Work Doctoral Education as a theory to praxis.
Session One was exclusively for BIPOC Ph.D./DSW identified students only.
Session Two will be exclusively for White Ph.D./DSW students.
Session Three will be inclusive of all students.
All three sessions will be led and curated by doctoral students. The fourth and final meeting will include students and faculty. The goal of this final meeting is to review the findings from the first three meetings and collectively present recommendations for consideration.
For more information or questions, please feel free to reach out to any of the organizers or check out the GADE website:
http://www.gadephd.org/Resources/Anti-Racism-Pedagogy
Durrell Washington - dwashington5@uchicago.edu
Alicia Mendez - ams801@ssw.rutgers.edu
Kimberly Bonds-Grocher - kgrocher@fordham.edu
Maxine Taylor - matay14@morgan.edu
Disclaimer: This newsletter is created as free service by SSWR Doctoral Student Committee Communications Subcommittee members:
Stefani Nicole Baca-Atlas
Alberto Cifuentes, Jr.
Erica Linn Eliason
Latoya Hogg
Anika Langaigne
Dominique Mikell Montgomery
Pari Shah
Candra Skrzypek
Veronica Timbers
The opinions expressed in this newsletter are the opinions of the individuals listed above alone and do not claim to represent the opinions of SSWR or the SSWR Doctoral Student Committee.