Mid-term Question #3:
Check out the following:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgaDUcttL2s
1) Now imagine you are a practicing global social worker in a community organization advocating peacefully and legally for human rights, such as the ones Grodofsky describes. You can be in any country of the world, including U.S., but understand his tactics are designed for contexts in which government is led by people who are corrupt and cruel. Describe how you would empower people to create a laughtivism campaign to voice their concerns.
2) How do Popovic's ideas and your plan represent key values and practices of global social work as Healy and others describe them?
1/2 The idea for laughtivism that I came up with is based here in the United States to draw attention to the experiences immigrations, refugees, asylum-seekers, and people with temporary protected status are facing. The current administration is cruel and corrupt in their dealing with this issue, along with many others. The way that President Trump is acting is similar to that of a tyrant. He calls for the arrest of those who do not agree with him, openly mocks the media and his opponents, and operates in secret. He is nepotistic and has openly praised despotic rulers such those in Russia and China. It is for these reasons that I choose to focus on the United States for this example.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways, the immigrant community is already engaging in laughtivism with the use of puppets and the use of puppetistas of Trump and his cronies. Puppetistas are a group of people who started making large, intricate puppets as a means of protest, originally over the US involvement in Latin America (puppetista.org 2016). These puppets and their performers openly mock their subjects with cartoonish appearances and signs about who controls them. However, I believe more could be done to help these populations develop a laughtivism campaign rather than a serious protest campaign.
As a social work at a community organization working with immigrants and refugees, I would first bring both groups together because they are both being threatened in similar ways despite the differences in how they arrived and where they are coming from. Bringing them together into one space can help come up with new ideas for how to speak out and can help both communities build a larger support network of people in similar situations. Bridging the two communities will also allow for space for people to share stories of their homes, their journeys to the US, and their adjustment to life here. This would help to create a bond over shared experiences between the two groups, as well as people from different backgrounds, cultures and homelands.
Once the ice has been broken and the immigrant and refugee groups have become acquainted, the ideas for activism and laughtivism can start to be crafted. I would encourage people to be creative in their actions and to develop ways to draw attention to their cause while also making taking action approachable for people who may not usually take part. I would provide examples of other successful actions that have been both poignant and approachable. I would encourage dialogue over actions the groups to carry out to be focused on bringing people into the conversation while also making a statement. Actions could be as a simple as creating border wall Olympics, where activists build a fake border wall and take turns finding ways above, around and below it. Another example of an action could be to mass produce posters of a comic featuring xenophobic, anti-immigrant and anti-refugee lawmakers in a refugee camp asking when they will be allowed to enter the White House or another well-known place. However, I believe that every action and plan should come from the community, not from someone like an outside social worker. Many of the actions Popovic described seem to come from the people themselves, not a person from outside the community. As a social worker, my role would be to bring people together and help them to carry out a plan, not to impose any plans or actions on the group.
This is an interesting campaign! Having past experience with the refugee community and having family and numerous friends who are immigrants there is such a great connection to be made that if often unrecognized. There is so much potential for advocacy and change within this community; It is so puzzling how a country that was stolen from true "Americans" and built on the backs of people from other countries does not seem to value these populations. In the era of Trump, it is a scary reality to face. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.
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DeleteHi Emily,
DeleteI found your response to be very insightful. I appreciated that you specifically talked about the Puppetistas protest against US involvement in Latin America because I wasn't aware of this movement. Being a Latina, your argument encompasses just how disconnected we can be within cultures. People are always being categorized to fit a specific group. For example, the Latin community covers a wide range of countries like Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, etc. and is often depicted or viewed as just one country when talking about immigration (Mexico). These kinds of divides are what make these ethnic cultures feel that us vs. them because it is related to borders. However, I loved that you wanted to form communities that are built by a supportive network of people in similar situations. This can bridge the connection between all Latin communities and empower them as a whole. As Popovic mentioned, it is emotion that drives people not conditions.
2/2 The concept of laughtivism represents key values of global social work because it is something that can be applied in almost every country. Laughter is not inherent to any one nation or part of the world and laughtivism does not call for any one prescribed method of action. Popovic’s ideas are fairly universal, as he pointed out during his Ted Talk by using examples from civil war Syria, Arab Spring Egypt and Tunisia, and his home nation of Serbia. Additionally, satire has been a large part of many uprisings and revolts including the French and American Revolutions. Global social work calls for social workers to be able to recognize that not all practices are translatable across borders and cultures, while laughtivism is inherently something that people from many cultures can understand and appreciate. At its core, laughtivism is empowering because it calls for the people who are oppressed to take action in a way that is approachable and makes people want to be involved. One of the biggest barriers to success for a civil action is that people are afraid to take part due to the fear of the repercussions. By creating a fun way for people to get involved that may not necessarily put them in danger of being arrested or targeted by a tyrannical government, laughtivism, according to Popovic, is more likely to succeed than a violent or ‘serious’ uprising.
ReplyDeleteLaughtivism is something I would like to learn more about and see more research on in relation to other uprisings that have both failed and succeeded. One example that comes to mind that happened in a close proximity to that of the Arab Spring uprisings is the Ukrainian Euromaidan Revolution of 2014. This revolution did not seem to subscribe to the laughtivist stylings called for by Popovic, but was still wildly successful and popular, and has contributed to the populist history and culture of Ukraine. To me, it appears as though laughtivism is a supplement to other civil actions. Satire and humor will not solve every problem, but will definitely play a role in bringing people to the table.
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ReplyDelete(1/2) Last summer I interned at Deborah’s Place, an organization which provides housing and support services for women who have experienced homelessness. While interning in Health Services, I witnessed how many of the participants lacked access to mental health care services despite their want and need for them. In one case, a participant was in crisis and requested to see a Psychiatrist regarding her medication. I called every psychiatrist listed as a Medicaid provider in Chicago to schedule her an appointment. Based on her insurance coverage and a lack of available appointments, the soonest she could be scheduled was three months away. Many of the participants at Deborah’s Place have experienced similar situations. Therefore, I think it would be helpful to start a Laughtivism campaign, facilitated by Deborah’s Place participants, to draw attention to the inaccessibility of mental health care and the need for improvement.
ReplyDeleteCampaign Title- Improving Mental Health Care in America, for President Trump and for All.
Campaign Description- You know there’s a mental health care crisis when the president can’t even get a psychiatric assessment. In his recent medical evaluation, President Trump did not see a psychiatrist (Liptak, 2018)! Therefore citizens around the country are uniting to fight for better access to mental health care services and psychiatric consultations. Hopefully as the president receives these services, his health care legislation will give Americans better access to them as well.
Empowering the participants at Deborah’s Place to implement this campaign would be beneficial in many regards. Grodofsky (2007) highlights how improving community networks and supporting civil societies is integral to promoting peace. Community building is something Deborah’s Place staff are constantly working to strengthen, but sometimes without success. Initiating a platform for participants to unite around an issue which effects themselves, family members or friends could increase cooperation and resiliency in the community. Community meetings to discuss campaign tactics and implementation may bring together participants who otherwise would not engage with one another. This could also help to reduce the social stigma affiliated with mental illness. Furthermore, many participants expressed fear at the inauguration of President Trump, specifically in regard to his health care policy goals. After the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, Deborah’s Place staff helped almost all participants without medical insurance coverage to enroll in Medicaid. A number of people were anxious about the changes President Trump may make to Medicaid eligibility. As Popovic notes in his TED Talk (2013), “Humor melts fear”. Using a humorous approach to address the grave and frustrating topics of Medicaid coverage and mental health care access could promote healing. Simultaneously, this could combat the hopelessness many participants feel in regard to health care resources in the community.
(2/2) This campaign and the laughtivism approach described by Popovic (2013) aim to uphold the key values of international social work in a novel and creative way. Healy (2008) identifies the common values of international social work groups to include “commitment to the inherent worth and dignity of people, commitment to equality and nondiscrimination, the concepts of multiple responsibilities of the professional… self-determination, and confidentiality” (pp.245-246). Addressing human rights through humor attends to the dignity of people by fighting for change while raising spirits. This type of activism also strives to achieve greater equality for all groups in society, even when an oppressive leader or regime is striving to do the opposite. Social Workers exercise many roles in their work; laughtivism gives social workers the opportunity to integrate their macro, mezzo and micro practice into the activism campaign. Self-determination allows people to exercise their freedoms and rights, which are often at risk during dictatorships and ruling under oppressive leaders. Laughtivism provides citizens a safer way to continue to exercise some freedom of expression. Finally, and relatedly, confidentiality is a key component of laughtivism. By keeping the laughtivists unidentified, they maintain their safety. This is of utmost importance in cases where dictators and rulers use violent means to quiet resistance. Maintaining confidentiality would be an important aspect of the Laughtivism campaign at Deborah’s Place. To ensure confidentiality, the campaign would have no public written affiliation with the organization.
ReplyDeleteCarrying out the campaign could involve a number of methods and modes of communication. A key aspect of the campaign is allowing the participants to direct the action associated with it. Ideas could include posting fliers near Trump Tower, arranging signs throughout the city or utilizing social media. Participants could even begin a website or discussion forum to direct supporters of the campaign to. This laughtivism project could have a two-fold purpose of confronting President Trump regarding his harmful attempts to alter medical insurance changes made under the Affordable Care Act and his lack of action on improving mental health care services. The campaign could also strengthen the sense of community at Deborah’s Place and empower participants to advocate for their health needs.
I agree totally with your overall argument however I feel to create a laughtivism campaign against this president is futile because famous comedians have been doing something similar since President trump was placed in office. It only further angers him and makes him harder to work with on certain issues concerning the country.
DeleteHi Ashleigh!
DeleteI think you make an important point. President Trump has addressed comedic responses to his presidency and policy, often in ways that are not fruitful. I experienced some challenges answering this question, specifically for that reason and also due to the insensitivity of creating comedic responses to truly serious issues. I drew the primary purpose of laughtivism to be empowering citizens and providing peace of mind, which was my goal in drafting this idea. It would certainly be more beneficial if the campaign were carried out in a way which allowed for cooperation with the President and positive changes being made toward mental health care. I think this approach would be a less overt tactic than many of the depictions by comedians, but it is still very likely it would be condemned by the President. Thanks for your reply!
Margaret, in reading your response, I resonated with the fact that you struggled in answering this questions because of "insensitivity of creating comedic responses to truly serious issues"... I think it is important to keep in mind a primary purpose such as the one you described in order to see the impact. Even in my example I posted today, the response by the administration could be simply to tweet about how it was fake news and so on- and as Ashleigh said, most news outlets are already providing many pieces of laughtivism and nothing has changed... Trump has definitely changed the way we have to see laughtivism campaigns in the future...
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ReplyDeleteresponse:1/2
ReplyDeletePresident Trump has a lot of ambivalence towards many issues concerning the public such as immigration abortion-rights gun control etc. Specifically, I would focus a lot laughtivism campaign on gun control because I believe it is America’s creed of the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness that recent school shooting victims have been denied. Their lives have been forever changed by these events more than likely suffering from PTSD or survivor’s remorse. They have no liberty to change the laws to prevent people from purchasing high powered weapons and using them in school shootings. Finally, the overall happiness is put on hold as they mourn the loss of a friend or classmate. To take this issue of gun control head on separating into pro-gun control laws versus anti-gun laws as the country has been doing further polarize and divide the country.
As some people in the country believe in the right to have guns to protect their family while others believe it is not necessary. The idea of positive peace” … refers to the creation of a reality characterized by social and justice, political participation, ecological balance and economic equity.” (Godowsky 2007 p. 47) Regarding the topic of school shootings or shootings in general there is a lack of social justice in that incident like this continue to happen and no one has come up with a solution to solve the problem. As social workers we are in a unique position, our main purpose is to advocate, organize and promote public policy to help those underprivileged individuals by means of communication. Nevertheless, what is lacking is a means to communicate with the other side e.g. pro-gun supporters.
Responce 2/3
DeletePresident Trump has monopolized the conversation by repeatedly referencing to the base of supporters that this is a ploy to get rid of the 2nd amendment like all dictators he has been controlling his base of supporters through fear. Direct conflict with an administration does not work, because both sides take a defensive stance towards an issue and no dialogue can be created to come to a resolution that both parties can agree on. Not having a semblance of a plan to solve this problem, communication has stalled regarding gun control laws. Because he does not know what to do as majority of politicians do not agree with his ideas to arm teachers with guns. In addition to the fear of alienating his base by passing more intensive gun control laws such as limiting the use of semiautomatic weapons. Overall more than likely he feels he needs to protect himself and his power from being snatched away from him.
With a laughtivism campaign as described by Popovic Ted talk 2013: the power of laughtivim provides many examples of how to show displeasure with a government in a funny way. Most notably the toy protest, the oil drum etc. Which in turn made the government that experienced this type of protest seem ridiculous when trying to suppress the feelings of the people. This can be acquainted to a form of nonviolent protest in that since I would suggest doing the same thing with media specifically showing funny incidences from movies news and television. Such as wedding crashers where Vance Vahn’s character gets shot in the butt while Quayle hunting or Harlem nights where Eddie Murphy’s character is followed by 2 gangsters and a shootout ensues where one gangster has a semiautomatic weapon and the other has a pistol. Despite their determination to kill him they can’t and end up shooting at the surrounding buildings destroying property. By having these videos where people may be injured, or property destroyed then have the actual stats about many times this is happening in the real world would be a point of conversation that either side could not argue with.
Response 3/3
DeleteMore importantly is not so against the current administration feelings toward guiding control laws in which the Democrats cannot be held liable for creating a video like what I have described and claim it as a liberal attack on the 2nd amendment nor could the president claim it as fake news. Allowing the administration to show their need for control and their apparent in different to the issue presented to them if they tried to suppress it. My proposed laughtivism campaign and Popovic’s ideas exemplify global social work practice in that “it involves getting the people who are without a voice to stand up unified to fight for what they believed in.” (Hadley 2008 p. 245 – 246 )Attacking this problem in this way may even change the minds of current gun owners so that the nation may meet in the middle on this issue. In addition to this, trying to promote social change this way it is easy for people to join and I have a less likelihood of participants being harmed.
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ReplyDeleteThe idea of laughtivism has appeared in numerous movements throughout time. Many cultures value the use of humor not only as a means of coping with their realities, but also to change them. My selected laughtivism campaign would seek to address racial discrimination within the context of the criminal justice system. Mass incarceration in the United States is an epidemic, which quite obviously disproportionately effects the lives of people of color. Through the overpolicing of predominantly minority communities, harsher sentencing policies and lack of resources upon reentry in their communities, these individuals often become engaged in a cyclical relationship with the justice system. Considering our past and present political climate and the goal of being “tough on crime”, more action needs to be taken to safeguard the human rights being violated by criminal justice officials and politicians who enable these practices.
ReplyDeleteAs a social worker at the Cabrini Green Legal Aid, my goal would be to work with our clients in starting a campaign to tackle not only the unfair incarceration of minority people but also the collateral consequences of having a criminal background upon returning home. In facilitating this campaign, my goal would be to bring clients together and provide a space for them to share their experiences and work together to come up with creative ways to advocate for themselves through humor. In doing this, my role would be simply to bring clients together and support them throughout the process. I would limit my input (unless asked) because our clients are the experts in their experiences and I would not want to impose my outsider view on a population that is already often silenced and made to feel inferior.
One example that I would provide to the group is The Real Cost of Prisons Project (RCPP) spearheaded by activist, Lois Ahrens. This project, “brings together justice activists, artists, justice policy researchers and people directly experiencing the impact of mass incarceration to work together to end the U.S. prison nation” (alternet.org, 2011). One key component of this project is a website which includes sections of writings by incarcerated individuals and a series of comic books which highlight the complex realities of the prison system through a political context. Issues such as racism, sexism, and economic inequality are key in these comics. This example might provide inspiration to the clients at the Cabrini Green Legal Aid and let them know that they can too create a movement like this.
The use of civil, non-violent, and humorous means of protest seem effective in engaging the community. It is especially useful for this population because there would be less fear about getting in trouble by outwardly protesting and being once again harassed by the very systems that they are working against.
Ebony, I could not agree more with your statement regarding laughtavism as a means of protesting in a civil and non violent manner. I also like how you incorporated The Real Cost of Prisons Project. the RCPP seems like an ideal organization that promotes justice in a interdependent way. Furthermore, I think it is important to incorporate as many people from different backgrounds in organizations to fight inequality and inequity in the legal justice system. Overall, you made some great points! I hope that more organizations will get on board with laughtavism and peaceful yet effective
DeleteEbony your non-violent approach is laudable. And you talked of letting the client who are experts of their experiences to have authority over the thoughts. I think this makes them more critical about the injustices they are facing. Remember the campaign if for the community, not an individual. Also incorporating people from different backgrounds as Brook mentioned will go a long way to break the barriers of economic inequality they suffer as a result of race sex or gender
Delete2/2
ReplyDeleteOne important aspect of global social work discussed throughout this course is understanding and working within one’s cultural lens to promote change. Laughtivism, as proposed by Popovic (2013), and reinforced by my plan considers this because it recognizes that unlike many things, humor and laughter transcends boundaries. Also, these ideas address many of the challenges of global social work which include the fact that: social work roles vary nationally, social work code of ethics vary nationally, values vary across cultures, and policies may not be matched by infrastructures. Laughter is universal. While it is only one step, it appears to be an effective one per Popovic’s (2013) examples of Egypt, Tunisia, Serbia, etc.
Healy (2008) notes that “Values are potentially unifying and divisive factors in international social work” (p. 239). However, some common (or almost common) values are evident in many countries’ ethical principles. These include: inherent worth and dignity of people, commitment to equality and nondiscrimination, self-determination, confidentiality, and the multiple responsibilities of the professional (p.246). In relation to my laughtivism campaign, these values are intertwined into the work of the Cabrini Green Legal Aid and its clients. For example, clients will always be able to choose what they want to do and what they are uncomfortable with. This respect for self-determination indirectly gives clients a sense of worth and dignity especially after being involved in a system built on diminishing it. Also, clients (remaining anonymous) through this campaign will be fighting issues of inequality and discrimination that they have experienced firsthand. Lastly as the social worker facilitating this campaign, there are multiple roles that could be taken on at all levels.
Overall, laughtivism is a unique way to promote change in a peaceful and some may even argue, fun way. While this method of action is not the end all be all, it certainly is a step in addressing many of the concerns facing global social workers and the individuals they work with. It is also effective in uniting people with similar experiences and giving them a voice in changing policies that have impacted them so greatly.
I totally agree with your ideas here. I often think about things like this when seeing interviews with people who aren't necessarily in such a humanistic field. I really enjoy hearing artists' or in this case comedians' perspective of what humor and laughter means to them. Often enough people say that what they are doing is creating some type of change or helping people in some way. I think of Tiffany Haddish as a more recent example of this where she has said that humor was her way of fighting back against these systems and/or circumstances that were keeping her back. I think it is, as you mentioned, not the only thing we should be approaching but a great start.
DeleteI like the idea of bringing together various groups and stakeholders to address mass incarceration. Mass incarceration is typically (and rightfully) a very heavy subject to take on, but by finding ways to encourage creativity and humor in the movement, more people should be willing to engage and explore this topic. I am interested in the Real Cost of Prisons Project and want to go learn more about it, and their approach to the mass incarceration process.
ReplyDeleteI can think of many different ways to create a laughtavism campaign in order to empower people to voice their concerns. I would first ask the group of people that I am with about a few situations that are overly frustrating and maddening. I would empower them to think of out of the box ideas. I would then try to determine what steps I would need to take in order to promote the laughtavism that the group is thinking of. For example, at my previous internship at Northwest Compass, I was in charge of helping people find housing in the northwest suburbs. If my client previously had a felony charge, they would not be allowed to rent from the apartments that were leased from Northwest Compass. However, the mission statement suggested that Northwest Compass would empower all clients who entered through their doors. It would be worth it for the clients to campaign for equal opportunity housing. I would want to draw attention to the amount of people that rotate in and out of the prison system, and empower individuals to fight for equal opportunity housing. I would also empower individuals to look into SRO's in Chicago and neighboring areas, to become educated on the rules and regulations of successful equal housing opportunities. After becoming aware of how successful housing works, I would encourage community members who identify as having a prior felony charge, to join the group from Northwest Compass and speak the stakeholder in charge of housing.
ReplyDeletePopovic's ideas about expressive emotion in resistance aligns with my ideas to empower people and assist in voicing concerns. Popovic stated, "Humor melts fear." As he explained the power behind humor, I recognized that humor is widely used in the United States, specifically surrounding the Trump campaign. Furthermore, I recognized that humor was not just used to lighten the devastating affects of the Trump campaign, but it is symbolic. I also look back to the women's march and anti-trump marches and recall that a lot of the signs and chants had humor included. Anti-corruption groups often find humor in some of the darkest realities. For example, in Syria, anti corruption groups have managed to find light in the devastation with Syria. Empowering people to fight for human rights and democracy is an important trait for social workers to have in order to empower individuals and advocate for change.
It should be noted that any cruel regime limits its citizens rights to freedom of expression. This is common especially in African countries where dictators use the military to intimidate the masses and bribery to seal some mouths who are loyal to them. I will take us to my Cameroonian community where freedom of speech, and the right to peaceful protest, etc, exist only on paper.
ReplyDeleteAn empowerment approach here I will rather the masses use the social media in such community whose government is let by cruel and corrupt leaders. This is because the government is noted for intimidating threatening or arresting any one demonstrating or exercising freedom of speech through laughtivism campaigns. It should be noted that the social media is extremely effective in spreading information today. The goal of any campaign as a collective action is to reach a maximum audience. The actors involved use digital technologies to coordinate their actions, and target online networks with their messages to reach larger audiences and involve more participants. A lot of laughtivism campaigns has been shared on Face book and twitter by Cameroonians at home and abroad about the crisis in the country such that make a mockery of the lies told by the minister of communication, the ailing condition of the head of state, the re-appointment of old or senior citizens to ministerial positions (while educated youths loom the streets jobless), the educational qualification of some appointed ministers etc. the activists at home go under different names and profiles to hide their identity for fear of being arrested or their families being attacked . This has been making a lot of impact since October 2017 that the government had to shut down internet connection in the two English sections (South West and North West regions) of the country. According to the government spokesman, minister of communication, citizens were being misled by activist or terrorists as the state describes them. But the truth remains; a number of developments detrimental to the government were exposed that fueled a lot of anger and tension and got the masses especially the youths agitating for a change in the status-quo. In spite of the internet shut down, the English population with the aid of modern technology is still breaking through this shutdown barrier to access the internet for daily updates from the social media with the use of VPN.
Drawing from Popovic’s idea and matching with my plan, I think the international experiences he shared are great lessons to apply in an environment with a cruel regime such as the Cameroonian society but this time the social media, and to an extent the mass media would be a great tool in implementing such knowledge gained from the success stories of other countries in social work practice. Such professional exchange as described by Haley is geared towards promoting social justice and social change as stated by the Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. The separatist movement of Ambazonia (British Southern Cameroons) demanding total restoration of the British Southern Cameroons statehood operates a radio and a TV station from South Africa. The signals are picked worldwide. Anyone who cannot access the internet at lease has access to the radio. Thus the goal of the separatist movement has been to reach the masses by all means possible. The government of the Republic of Cameroon has made several failed attempts to intercept the broadcast of information from this media organ. Out of anger government tugs has been breaking into homes of English speaking Cameroonians and destroying TV sets or satellite dishes to hinder them from receiving and receiving information from frontline actors in the struggle.
ReplyDelete1/1 Humor is an incredibly powerful tool when used as a form of protest and advocacy, as Popovic's (2013) examples showed. While laughtivism campaigns may work best in countries that are corrupt and cruel to their people, I believe it can also be used effectively in the US (where some might argue that the government is cruel to people, especially our current government). The key to empowering people to undertake a laughtivism campaign is that the people coming up with and carrying it out need to be the group that is affected by the policy/law/perpetrators. For a man to create a laughtivism campaign about women's rights would be yet another way that men co-opt feminism and continue to oppress women. Watching the video I was reminded of the laughtivism campaign (Dart, 2016) that was carried out at the University of Texas in Austin, when students protested the concealed carry laws that allow concealed guns to be carried in classrooms, dorms, and campus. To protest the law, students organized a protest in which they openly carried something illegal to have in public - sex toys. This campaign gained nationwide attention partially for the humor that it brought out. To counter something as serious as gun laws with an even more absurd law - it is illegal to carry a sex toy in public on college campuses in Texas, but legal to conceal a lethal weapon, highlighted the absurdity of the situation. In this example, it is important to note that the students themselves organized and carried out the protest. The impacted group organizing the laughtivism campaign makes the biggest difference.
ReplyDeleteLaughtivism could be used in many other human rights abuses situations when done without making light of the situation. In my imagined campaign, I would be working with a women's rights organization advocating for women's human rights. Women are a group that has historically been oppressed, and engaging women's power to create a laughtivism campaign could be incredibly powerful. To empower them, I would focus on their strengths, and refrain from voicing my ideas as much as possible. I believe that a collective group of women is incredibly creative, and simply bringing women together to discuss a women's rights issue can empower them to take action. Collaborating with local women leaders is also something that could empower other women, and would maintain the power and activism at a local level, with minimal outside support. As the social worker advocating with the women through the agency, I would want to support them in whatever ways they asked, providing them tangible support such as a meeting space and supplies to create their campaign. Much as consciousness-raising groups helped the feminist movement take off in the US, I believe that any time a group of women gathers to discuss their rights activism can be born. With examples of other laughtivism campaigns, I believe women around the world could launch their own laughtivism campaigns to advocate for their rights.
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DeleteMerretta, you are right about collaborating with local women leaders who can be a motivation to their fellow women. You remind me of the local setting in my community. Women are more vocal when they are with their folk. When among men they are silent, their confidences are killed. I think bringing women together will give them enough space to retrospect and share their plights. This will give them the courage to speak out.
Delete2/2 These ideas, of using locally situated power, and the impacted communities' engagement, as well as Popovic's (2013) ideas of using humor to advocate are ones that represent global social work values such as Healy (2008) imagines global social work, namely, remaining within the cultural context and self-determination, while still being aware of and advocating for human rights. These ideas also fit with Healy's (2008) ideas of global social work because advocating for a human rights is a main tenet of what global social workers are charged with doing. To help advocate for and support peacebuilding (Grodofsky, 2007) while partnering to support those within the local context. A laughtivism campaign that is effective in one part of the world may not be effective in another - it is for this reason, being culturally relevant and respectful, that a laughtivism campaign can only be most effective when carried out by local actors advocating for their rights.
ReplyDeleteDart, T. (2016, August 25). Cocks not glocks: Texas students carry dildos on campus to protest gun law. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/25/cocks-not-glocks-texas-campus-carry-gun-law-protest
1) Over the past decade, the social work profession recognized the need to include a human rights discourse in its fight to ensure respect for human dignity and equality (Ife, 1998). Professional language went from "demands" to "rights" approach ". This new awareness helped social workers who have been trained in the Community education skills and knowledge about the relationship between rights and, in the case of an emergency, in order to help promote the connection and relationships, particularly critical in a global world where conflicts between growing (of the 1996) (Grodofsky, 2013). Looking at this it is clear that social workers need to be active on the field. If not the goals of their services will not be met. They need to carry out a lot of sensitization on the rights and duties of citizens plus their leaders or elects. Such education helps citizens identify faults in their leader’s administration and thus can call them to order through laghtivism campaigns. Such campaigns in a country like Lithuania could be organized through street protests carrying cartoonized placard bearing some funny or satirical messages against the poor policies of the state.
ReplyDeleteThe objective of such campaign is to promote community participation towards good governance and to ensure the implementation of policies and legal reform favorable for all “Setting a precedent for cases arising from national policies or legislation designed to protect and promote the rights of disadvantaged individuals and Communities” (Grodofsky, 2013).
Dear Karolina,
DeleteStreet protests are good idea but our people are very patient and fell shame in the same time. Maybe if some NGO organisations start this kind work maybe after all people will be more motivations.
2) My plan of involving the community in this laughtivism campaign is in line with social work principles of respect for the dignity and value of human nature, without injury, respect for diversity, human rights and social Justice. “Human rights and the promotion of social Justice and social work support is the motivation and justification. Recognizes that the social work profession, together with collective responsibility and human rights. The idea of collective responsibility in reality, so that individual human rights may only be exercised in everyday life, where people take responsibility for one another and the environment, it is also important to create reciprocal relationships within Communities. Therefore, the main objective is the promotion of the social rights of people at all levels and to facilitate, where people take responsibility for each other’s well-being, respects and understands the interdependencies between people and between people and the environment” (by the IFSW General Meeting and the IASSW General Assembly, 2014).
ReplyDeleteAlso, global objective of social work is global, but social work practice priorities differ from one country to another, and from time to time depends on the historical, cultural, political and socio-economic conditions. Thus my plan is determined by the Lithuanian socio political background. This definition that supports social work strategies aimed at - improving human potential for hope, self-esteem and creativity in order to cope with severe power Dynamics and structural sources of inequity and thus overcome macroeconomic person - the political dimension of the intervention (by the IFSW General Meeting and the IASSW General Assembly, 2014).
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DeleteI think that communal social work refers to the understanding of the dynamics of power and social relations governing the relations between different structures and different communities and to seek social justice in work through structural changes. For example for example, a social worker practising from a community perspective may focus on the political economy through media, television, community meetings. The purpose of these measures is that common-minded people have many opportunities to improve their circumstances because they are at first glance aware of the situation and of what is going to happen to change something.
ReplyDeleteAlso, social workers working as community organizers or developers are guided by the ethics and standards of the profession and the principles of sustainable community development. In this way, they prove that they work honestly and can give others an opportunity to express their opinions. In turn, the social worker learns from the people in their communities, enhancing collaboration and partnerships that lead to achieving real social changing.
Indigenous people and communities are very often ‘social work clients.’ By shifting our focus to human rights social workers can move towards more empowering, rights based practice that develops individual and community capacity
I liked your thoughts on the dynamics of power. A laughtivist campaign would most definitely need to understand the power and social dynamics governing relations between different structures and communities, as you say, in order to be impactful.
DeleteAccording to Grodofsky (2007), states where the government is unable to respond to the welfare of citizens encourages the exclusion of members of the public, which hinders individuals from acting in a civilized way, restricts their civil rights. Poor work of state institutions, lack of services, budget cuts, lack of information interferes with the implementation of rights. The practice of social work is based on the establishment of community-based relationships, which are characterized by protection of vulnerable groups, mediation, and personal integration into society. In order to implement human rights, a social worker must involve active people as members of society.
ReplyDeleteIn the country, the implementation of human rights for disadvantaged people is particularly important, and this can be achieved through a combination of these actions as the use of legitimate and popular actions, for example by using the Laughtivism campaign, which, according to Popovic's in his Ted Talk, is a powerful weapon in the fight against with prevailing injustice in society.
The "Laughtivism" campaign based on humor in the movements. Humor is a multidimensional construct that includes several different elements related to the perception and expression of ridiculous, comic or absurd situations and events, and an individual perspective on the world.
The authors of social work argue that there are many contradictions in the practice of social work, so humor can be a concrete expression of contradictions and paradoxes manifested in everyday social work. These contradictions and paradoxes are likely to be greater when it comes to the routine of intercultural social work (Vaitulionytė, Naujanienė, 2016). According to Morris (2015), social work is generally not humorous, but researchers are increasingly pointing out the significance of this phenomenon in the field of social work. According to Trotter (2015), the phenomenon of humor is poorly researched, although it is recognized as an important skill in the field of assisting professions, including social work.
Social workers represent a culture of collaborative dialogue and dialogue based on education and vocation. However, in reality, it is observed that in social work organizations there is a culture of dissatisfaction and distrust that causes stress, based on the relationship between the leader and subordinate obedience, the fear of misguided fears and competition. All this suggests that social work is a challenge and requires a lot of internal motivation to do it properly.
I would organize a "Laughtivism" campaign in Lithuania in order to raise concerns about the risk of providing social services to families. In Lithuania, a social worker who provides social services to risk families is left alone to take responsibility for the situation in this type of family. A social worker is expected to enable family members to address the challenges they face, ensuring a safe environment for children to grow up in the family. In Lithuania, in a social worker's practice, working with risk families is often faced with a situation where, when working with a client, it is necessary to accompany him to a medical institution, to go to the children's rights protection service together, court and other institutions, but the implementation of social services for six social workers is often given only one municipality's designated car. The clients of socially-risk families in Lithuania often suffer greatly from poverty, they not only do not have their own vehicles, but do not have money a bus ticket to buy. Six social workers become difficult to share in one car, because visiting social risk families, especially in rural areas, where they have to deal with long distances, which can’t be easily reached (5-30 km), and where they are going with the client, accompanying them to various institutions, representing the interests of the client.
(part 1)
In municipalities, because of this situation, are badly affected by the provision of social services to at-risk families, but at the governmental level, this problem is not resolved, funds in municipalities are distributed manner unclear.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned, in Lithuania responsibility for social risk families is left to one social worker, so he often decides to take his car to use the necessary services, at best he has it. The family also visits and advises with personal transport, while nobody of using car doen’t compensate for the
and doesn’t pay for the fuel.
It's easy to calculate how many social workers work in Lithuania and how much it allocates to that transport or to offset transport costs, so it's possible to clearly see inconsistencies in the provision of social services, which is an unequivocal public secret, which seems to say that there is a lack of means to solve problems, but social workers as professionals the provision of social services in Lithuania is implemented.
I would arrange a peaceful protest by social workers and their clients, which would announce that the institution providing social services is the "Magic world". This slogan would show that the results of social work are achievable in mystical, inexplicable ways. For example, a customer needs transport service, the social worker only wound his "wicker rod" and a carriage (car) appeared from the pumpkin.
Other campaign / protest slogans are also possible, for example: "Every social worker is a powerful wizard in his work, because he works a wicker rod”. With such peaceful humorous actions, the Lithuanian authorities want to show the absurd situation of social workers and their clients, and at the same time bring together people not to be afraid to cooperate and talk boldly about the problems in society.
(part 2)
I absolutely agree that humor should be researched more and that it has a place in social work. I have frequently found that it helps to connect with clients, and particularly with those who are teenagers or children. It is interesting to me that the social workers in Lithuania have no help with transportation costs, as many agencies in the US help with those costs. I found your idea of the pumpkin carriage as part of a laughtivism campaign to be really great, and I can see how that might get the attention of policy makers who might decide to make some changes.
DeleteFamily policy in Lithuania encourages and encourages families to give birth to children, to increase their nationality. One of the important state support for the family and its children today is the education of a child. Preschool education services are very much needed for the education of children as personalities. They complement the education of children in families, promote their social, cognitive development, enrich the experience of children with other people, help them to prepare for schooling.
ReplyDeleteHowever, our country does not allow pre-school children to attend kindergartens, and their father returns to the labor market because there is a lack of pre-school establishments in the country that would accept children and parents could return to the labor market. The problem of kindergarten in Lithuania is quite high. Many parents who live in a bigger city such as Kaunas, Vilnius or Klaipėda, immediately after the birth of the child, put the child in a queue to allow the child to attend pre-school education. It's not a secret that in Lithuania, parents in a child's home kindergarten are waiting for 3 or 5 years before the child's place in kindergarten appears. There is a big shortage in kindergarten in Lithuania, therefore parents are forced to leave the labor market temporarily so that they can take care of their children because there is no place to leave them while the parents are working. The lack of kindergartens in Lithuania suggests that one of the parents is forced to leave the labor market, which leads to a decrease in family financial opportunities, leaving only one of the parents who participates in the labor market and retains the whole family.
As far as services for families with children under 7 are concerned, it can be mentioned that pre-school education and care is closely related to the participation of the family in the labor market, but due to its lack of accessibility and quality, the population is unable to reconcile work and family responsibilities. Especially these opportunities are lacking in women who alone raise children. It reduces the social and economic activity of a woman, increases poverty and hinders the social integration of the child.
Contuniation
ReplyDeletePre-primary education, childcare services become vital for parents (especially women), combining family functions with professional activities, learning, participation in community life. This is especially evident in the city. According to the Lithuanian Education Review "Education" (2004), the city's pre-school education institution at the end of 2003 was visited by 66.2 per cent of a child aged 1-6, while in rural areas only 14.1 per cent. This imbalance was caused by the lack of pre-school institutions, the difficult social situation of the rural population, unemployment and low salaries of the population.
The education system is fair if it ensures equality of persons irrespective of their gender, nationality, language, origin, social status, belief, beliefs and beliefs, and if everyone guarantees access to education, equal opportunities. Accessibility, universality - these educational indicators are highlighted in all the most important and conceptual documents of the Lithuanian state.
The Republic of Lithuania Law on Education (2003) states that education is a state-supported field of development of the Republic of Lithuania, and pre-school education is one of its important components. Although Lithuanian laws state that in Lithuania there must be a delay in pre-school education for children, financed by the state and regardless of the social status of a person, ethics, etc., all children have the right to attend kindergartens and to educate. In Lithuania, this is just written on paper, because the real difference is different. Families who have less income cannot afford to hire a nanny to care for their children because the work of a nanny in Lithuania is also expensive. It can be argued that a family who earns a minimum income for a nanny's work would have to pay one of the wages received by her spouses about 400 euros. The maid can afford to hire a nanny because many families have minimal income.
In Lithuania, the lack of nursery places leads parents to "funny" acts, when the summer begins admission to kindergartens, parents at night sit at nursery buildings to get to the first place and get a place in kindergarten for their children. In Lithuania, this anniversary is annoyed on television, on the Internet, and parents are changing the field in the queue at the kindergarten every few hours, and the mother stands next to her mother in the queue, replacing her father's mother in a row. This situation in our country is really ridiculous, Lithuanian politicians are promoting the birth of the family, but it does not provide children with pre-school education institutions, opportunities for parents to combine work and fatherhood.
I think that parents should unite, raise protests and demand the establishment of pre-school education that would be enough for all children, so that parents would not have to wait for a row in the kindergarten 5 years later, staying in the queue at night to record a child in a kindergarten to get a place there. I think that parents can create witty, sarcastic posters with them protesting against the government of the Republic of Lithuania, to create a funny, witty video about the lack of pre-school education institutions in Lithuania and to place it on the Internet in order to bring it to the attention of the country's politicians, because social media and online video are the best channels of communication that the world has ever seen, more and more people and organizations are creating videos to protest, inform and inspire changes in various social issues.
Preschool is something that people in the US also talk a lot about, because it is inaccessible or too expensive for so many people, so it was interesting to learn about the situation in Lithuania. It does seem a bit contradictory to be advocating for more children without providing preschool services - it sounds like that impacts a lot of the families you work with or encounter in your work. I wonder how the parents can turn their standing in line into a campaign to advocate for more preschools? It sounds like there is a good foundation that could be built on to get the government's attention.
Delete'll set up a company that addresses this issue. Parents would be motivated to speak out loud about the lack of pre-school education services. They are motivated to talk about this problem publicly, on the streets with posters, to broadcast protesting videos created by parents on the Internet, to protest at the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. The social worker in this company would be an intermediary between the parents and politicians of the Republic of Lithuania, together with their parents to take part in the protests, to publicize the problem both on the streets and in public spaces, in order to hear the problem of pre-school education to the politician and sell it to solve this problem.
Delete3) Looking to laughtivism I remembered the old traditions which comes from ancient Judaism tradition where corporal death penalties like stoning were committed by all community men, that none of community members would be executor and no one had opportunity to revenge. Thus, this tradition permits to avoid the cycle of violence within community.
ReplyDeleteThe principles of laughtivism in my opinion are quite same. In difficult surroundings and maybe even regimes in order to safeguard person and his family members from corrupt and cruel people in government, which can act in revenge or crackdown in reacting to the protest. The laugthivism makes protest faceless and anonymous: the strike of toys, battle with barrel with face of dictator. These actions tolerate the community name the issue, with the community recognize it and even make it visible, and make authority react to and have no possibility to punish the individual activist. This allows to grow civic society, which acts and reacts in peaceful way to the community issues. This helps community to become conscious and indifferent to structural violence, which is common in communities led by corrupt and cruel authorities. Weigert (2008) warns that structural violence can reduce or even eliminate notion of human participation in the process. Galtung (1985) suggests that person can participate and be part of social settings where he would make harm to others, just performing regular duties as a job of the structure. Laugthivism also increase awareness of those who participate in the creation of injustice and misery within community.
Main values of the laugthivism sometimes in a nonviolent way, implementing symbols as a means to promote change in community and reveal absurdity of the existing situation and finally bond community.
1.Laughtivism (a portmanteau of laughter+ activism) is strategic use of humor and mocking by social nonviolent movements in order to undermine the authority of an opponent, build credibility, break fear and apathy and reach target audiences ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laughtivism).
ReplyDelete63.3 % of Lithuanian women have been victims of male physical or sexual violence or threats after their 16th birthday. Violence constitutes one of the most actual problems in Lithuania. Most people of Lithuania have suffered from violence at least once in their life. Males usually experience violence in public places, boys in parents’ families. Women are usually victims of sexual violence or violence in their own family.
The network of crisis centres providing support to victims of violence is insufficient. Many crisis centres were established and are operating on the initiative of non-governmental organisations. According to the data gathered by the Women’s Issues Information Centre, there now are 15 Crisis Centres and 6 Shelters for battered women, but they do not cover the whole territory of the country and only 2 of them are supported by Municipalities( http://vilnews.com/2011-03-63-of-lithuanian-women-are-victims-of-violence).
HOW I CAN USE Laughtivism IN MY WORK?
In 16 days activism against violence against women socials workers can take many flags and walk in streets. The purpose of the campaign is to talk with people and not only women but and men. People can write the message for women, wishes, write them opinions. After all flags put in grass. Then all that flags „sea“ can read and watch many peoples. People like not only watch but to participate im campaign. Public big event become very private because people write on flagas one by one so they fell safe.
2. Social workers values
1. Service to humanity
Service to others is one of the main values in social work, from which all of the other values stem. Additionally, the value of service means that you'll be encouraged to volunteer some portion of your time, or working on a pro bono basis.
2. Social Justice
Becoming a social worker means that you have an inherent desire to improve the lives of people who are less fortunate or unable to advocate for themselves. Social work are primarily focused on unemployment, poverty, discrimination and other forms of social injustice.
3. Human Dignity and Worth
As a social worker, understand the inherent value of every human life, regardless of background or beliefs. Respect the differences between your personal beliefs and those of your clients, taking into account ethnic and cultural diversity. There may be times that you have to deal with your own biases against a particular population. It can be a struggle, but you have to put aside your feelings for the sake of helping your clients. You acknowledge that your clients have the right to self-determination – even if you think you know what's best in a given situation.
4. Integrity
Integrity means acting honesty, responsibly and ethically at all times. You are trustworthy and you don't betray client confidentiality, unless you're required to do so in certain circumstances by law, such as in cases of suicidality. Not only do you act with integrity, but you also promote integrity in your colleagues and other professionals. For example, you don't ignore a colleague who gossips about a client – you confront this colleague directly or bring your concerns to the attention of your supervisor.
5. Competence
The value of competence means that you practice in your area of expertise and you don't misrepresent your skills or experience to get ahead. Competence also means that you're continually striving to improve your knowledge and to make meaningful contributions to the profession. This might mean that you participate in continuing education classes or professional conferences on a regular basis or engage in academic research.
Your idea is very actual in our country and in my job. The violence is actual problem in all world. I like your idea aboit flags and walk in streets. I think is very important talk nor only with womens but also with mens, what they think about violence. When a lot of people will participate in your compaign, I think we will go to good result.
DeleteIn Lithuania, the major problem is with post-school children employment. Kids growing in poorer families often do not attend various extracurricular activities as they are paid. The only way for parents who receive low income to spend their children on day care centers that provide day care and education services. These children's day care centers are free, but only children at high risk families can attend them. Due to various new social problems, many socially vulnerable families with various material and psychological problems fail to adapt to new living conditions. Families in which children live under risk conditions are identified by law as social risk and social exclusion. The social risk family is defined in the Law of the Republic of Lithuania as "a family in which the crisis is dominated by the fact that one or more family members abuses alcohol, narcotic, psychotropic or toxic substances or (and) are dependent on gambling or (and) due to disability. The poverty or lack of social skills can`t supervise children, and / or use psychological, physical or sexual abuse, or (and) use the state support received for non-family interests. " I think this separation of children is very negative. Children can`t feel differently from their parent`s behaviors than children in families who do not have certain crises. I think this kind of child day-care policy is precisely because people who create and accept laws completely ignore the real needs of people, and constantly choose the lightest, as well as the least costly solutions.
ReplyDeleteIn order to make the government representatives feel uncomfortable, I would bring together a team with whom we would simultaneously filmed a few humorous talk shows in which this particular problem was raised. Both children and their parents are involved in the talk shows, which help to spill over the problems prevailing in society. Interviews with the participants in the program in a humorous style. This chat will show on the YouTube channel as it is available to many people. The purpose of the program is not only to shame the people of the government but also to mobilize the whole community to observe what kind of universal problems prevail in our society, the viewers of the broadcast will be encouraged to be interested in and participate in the politics that prevails in our country.
I agree! I think there is a huge need to raise this problem to the surface, as it is totally forgotten by society. There is a big doubt about that children from social risk family will evolve to "normal" family as they are always kept as "that kid from alcoholic family". They are not accepted as normal children like others, but from the very young age are mind shaped to fit that "social risk family child" status. This issue has to be raised and changes have to be made.
DeletePT. 1
ReplyDeleteLast summer, when I was volunteering at my church’s summer camp, I was in charge of teaching the kids Character Development. I created a class activity where I wanted to demonstrate the power of authority and how it affects our decision making. I got a 9 year old girl to volunteer and hold winded ribbon. As her instructor, I had established the power dynamic of me with authority as the “superior role” and her, the student with the “inferior role”. I told her to unwind the ribbon and so she did. I then told her to do it faster and faster and she followed. Afterwards, I told her to stop and to wind it all back together, she made a puzzled look, but did as I told her. The entire class was laughing and didn’t quite understand the point of the exercise until I explained it. The girl never questioned me, as the “authority figure” in the scenario. I thought this was very interesting because I asked her afterwards, “why didn’t you question me?”, or ask, “Why are you making me do this?” and she simply said, “Because you told me to do it.” This taught me that people are willing to do what you tell them because they don’t know that they actually have the right to question authority and why they do certain things. Everyone has the right to question the world around them, however, when they are suppressed by a powerful entity, they feel as if they must obey and follow. After this small demonstration, the children felt that they could and should question the activities we did in groups, which entails how powerful one scenario could be.
Based on this experience, I would like to implement a campaign through laughtivism that challenges people from my community to outwardly speak and not internalize their emotions of the injustices within urban ghettos in relation to violence. I live in the southside of Chicago and things like shootings and gang violence have been normalized as a society. This is a major problem because once it is considered normal, people don’t try to challenge the status quo. I’ve lived in the southside my whole life and I’ve noticed that people are constantly living in fear but try to project themselves as tough. Gang members have been given the “authority” title because they essentially run the streets while non-affiliates are too scared or question their behavior. If a gang member wants your purse, you’re going to give up your purse because you don’t want to get jumped or killed.
Popovic’s ideas of laughtivism resonate well with my ideas of how to empower victims of gang violence. He explains in his lecture how power, humor, and creativity can transform a society and that conditions aren’t what drive people, but rather it is emotion that does (Popovic, 2013). Empowering individuals of gang violence will help them see that gang violence is not okay and should not be considered a normal standard. By adding the component of humor, people lose the sense of fear and become more active. A campaign that is funny, gains interest and makes people want to participate in it, as said by Popovic (2013). Laughtivism can essentially motivate the locals to want to end gang violence in their communities and reclaim their community. This movement will bring clarity to gang members and make them reflect on their actions and see that attacking the community members aren’t who they should be threatening, but rather should band together with them so that they don’t reject themselves from mainstream society and fight for their community needs like social services, health, and education.
PT. 2
ReplyDeleteIf we shift the perspective of needs for a community and concentrate on the rights of individuals, we will begin to have people from the local communities fight for their rights. Grodofsky (2007) makes the point that attaining positive peace implies that basic human needs must be addressed to secure opportunities for development and growth. Concrete needs and abstract needs are fundamental to the building of societies characterized by greater equality (Grodofsky, 2007). In addition, Grodofsky (2007) states, “Marginalization and social exclusion hinder the ability of individuals and collectives to be treated as and to act as citizens. They limit opportunities to access rights and entitlements of citizenship, and to act in a reciprocal manner with the society that grants those rights” (Grodofsky, 2007). With this being said, focusing on rights will empower both gang members and non-gang members to fight against their local governments so that they can have their needs met as a community and question the governmental authority, not the gang members for their decisions.
Furthermore, many of Healy’s (2008) ideas represent the key values and practices of social work as a global profession. In Chapter 14 of our book, she dedicated a whole section for human rights. It’s enthralling how she expresses micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work to be defined as human rights practice. The human rights perspective helps social workers orient themselves to social justice rather than just the individual (Healy, 2008). This concept embodies the campaign because gang violence is not just a personal issue; it is a community issue. Gang members often turn to joining gangs because they don’t feel loved or accepted anywhere else. These individuals aren’t having their community needs met and social workers can help advocate for the people living in these communities so that they can reintegrate and work together as a collective unit and not divided by fear.
I really like your idea of using a laughtivism campaign to work with victims of gun violence. Your idea to use it to get community members and gang members to join together for a common cause is something that I think is incredibly important. I think we can become so focused on individual needs that it is sometimes hard to realize that there are others out there with the same needs and wants, but they might be expressing it differently. I hope you can help make this happen! It sounds like a really great project!
DeleteI absolutely agree with your idea campaign through laughtivism that challenges people from problematic community to outwardly speak and not internalize their emotions of the injustices within urban ghettos in relation to violence. It is very important to bring people together from same community for mutual purpose in order to achieve common results. It would increase community and the community would not be categorized as "members of the community" and "gang members".
Delete1/2 According to Grodofsky (2013), laughtivism is the power of humor in nonviolent struggle. What makes laughtivism so effective is that it erases fear by making a joke, it invites people in to engage and join the movement, and it provides hope. I think that in order to not trivialize important and serious issues, laughtivist campaigns should show how ridiculous a policy or despot is; making the public laugh with those experiencing the issue without encouraging people to laugh at those experiencing the issue. A quality that those in power tend to exhibit is pride. This is an easy quality for comedy to exploit for the common good. Grodofsky’s TedTalk made me think about why I am attracted to Late Night TV like Saturday Night Live or Trevor Noah or articles in The Onion. They allow me to laugh while also considering the absurdity of the concept they are highlighting.
ReplyDeleteIn community organizing, humor is a tool that is often used. In an interview with Alinsky by Playboy (1972) he emphasizes the importance of having a sense of humor and the power of mocking. A number of his campaigns never actually happened because he leaked the plans the night before and the target caved out of the simple potential for embarrassment. Using this lens, I am proposing to bring people experiencing homelessness together in a laughtivist campaign. Using community organizing strategies and its underlying philosophy to not do for others that they can do for themselves, I would facilitate a planning meeting around coming up with humorous ideas to bring attention to the issue of homelessness in Chicago. These ideas would come from the people experiencing homelessness and I would take care to ensure that they are not further dehumanized.
One idea would be to focus on street homelessness downtown and in River North. I have chosen these particular neighborhoods for their stark contrast in wealth distribution. As a social worker working as a community organizer, I would provide a stipend for the homeless leaders and equip them with signs that have humorous messages written on them catering to the audience of downtown and River North. Some of these messages might say “Will help you carry your large handbag for change” or “Will watch your condo while you visit your summer home for change” or “Will help you lift your car over speed bumps after you bottom-out (in reference to the low chassis of Lamborghinis) for change” or “Glamping.” As passersby engage with the people holding the signs, the leaders would give them a brochure outlining the causes of homelessness and what they can do about it. An issue with this campaign is that it is not very anonymous and may perpetuate some of the inaction of people who see and interact with the homeless.
I talk about SNL too! I think your idea about the signs for homeless would work much more effectively than any other campaign I've seen in Chicago.
Delete2/2 Another campaign around the issue of how cities often respond to homelessness is to use humor to bring attention to anti-homeless barriers, like spikes on the sidewalk or on a curb (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/23/anti-homeless-spikes-inhumane-defensive-architecture). These spikes are reminiscent of the spikes used on window sills or roof tops to deter birds from landing there. An idea I have for this is to create posters that educate the public on the difference between humans and pigeons. It might have a picture of a human and a bird next to each other and the words, I know these two are commonly confused but use this as a guide to tell the difference. The underlying theme is that the “solution” is not a solution at all and is completely inhumane. This approach would allow the people experiencing homelessness to avoid having to be present in order for the action to work.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of the campaign chosen, those experiencing homelessness should be present for developing each stage to ensure that the campaign itself does not make the issue worse or perpetuate harmful stereotypes or imagery. As social workers, we are professionally bound to follow the NASW Code of Ethics, which emphasizes participation in social justice and respect for the dignity of all persons. These values must be instilled in any campaign and our jobs are to facilitate, not dictate. These campaigns should follow the lead of those experiencing the issue and respect their self-determination. As Healy (2008, pp. 168) outlines, social work has a long history of being involved in activism at the local and international levels. Laughtivist campaigns are a way to remain true to our ethics of nonviolence and peacebuilding while also effectively challenging the oppressive structures around us.
3. I would draw a carricature situation comics of social problems in the country, and later launch a campaign (channel) on social networks to spread them all over the population of the country and beyond. I think at this time, social network is the most powerful and fast method in the world for spreading the information and your views or opinions. My campaign would encourage other activists or artists to launch performances of laughtivism in real world as well.
ReplyDeleteI believe the use of artists is an amazing approach! It has been done in comic strips across generations and has been and remains increasingly effective. I think if this platform was then brought into an online platform or visible space where more people can be reached, would be the best circumstance. Artists themselves are thought of to be just like the average person, just a little more creative, this parallel to the average person in a country could help bring populations together that otherwise would not.
DeletePt 1. Laughtivism, as described by Srdja Popovic, can be an effective tool to restore positive peace into a community and create a society, which is “characterized by social justice, political participation, ecological balance and economic equity” (Grodofsky, p. 47). Often, in communities that are still governed by antiquated political systems, where nepotism and patriarchal customs determine your political gains, women and children, especially girl children, are the last to be considered. These groups are neglected, marginalized and their human rights are ignored, at best.
ReplyDeleteIn India, there still exist villages in which women and girls are forced to travel to nearby fields, at dusk and dawn, to use the bathroom. The general assumption is that men do not need the privacy and having a private toilet and related infrastructure is too expensive, most homes, run by men, lack a toilet. One story, captured by BBC, revealed the following:
“Less than 50 miles from India's capital Delhi, in a village called Kurmaali, the women walk out to the fields twice a day - at the crack of dawn and the onset of dusk. The fields are the only toilet most of them have ever known. It's literally like an open toilet. During sowing and harvesting, the fields are out of bounds. Then one has to walk for another 15 minutes, to an uncultivated area. The exercise that normally takes 45 minutes to an hour stretches to an hour and 15 minutes, or more. Darkness gives the women cover, and a degree of privacy, which is very important to them, but it in some ways it makes them more vulnerable. The unspoken rule is that the men go to the toilet only at dawn, but boys sometimes break this rule, in order to harass or molest members of the opposite sex. The women tell stories of catcalling, and groping - though will never admit that has happened to them, only to others.”
The story above captures the plight of women and girls in this village who do not enjoy their human rights, one as basic as a safe and private place to go to the bathroom. Bringing positive peace to this community would exemplify Grodofsky’s idea of decreasing societies’ slide into more dehumanization, alienation and strife through: a) promotion of universal social entitlements, such as being able to go to the bathroom in one’s own house and b) empowerment of marginalized populations (in this instance, women and girls).
The outrageousness of this reality may be the perfect weapon to use in a laugtivism campaign against their “government” or community leaders. For instance, as a social worker, I would talk to women about their situation at home. I would also confer with the women who lived with the community leaders to enlist them in a campaign for toilets in the home. I would then train the women and girls in how to develop and sustain a campaign or demonstration. I would organize those citizens who are interested in helping with a public awareness campaign, like the ones they utilized in Vieques, PR.
In her work as a global social worker, Jane Addams exposed and challenged oppressive and unjust systems. She also believed that social workers should actively engage in public discourse as a means of raising consciousness and focus on engaging those who are oppressed. In my plan, above, I first encourage discourse between the women, who are the oppressed, and then among all members of the community, to shed light on the issue. As a social worker, I would provide leadership in organizing these coalitions of women and other community leaders that can then develop, present and advocate for themselves, the changes they want and need in their community.
DeletePt. 2 One example of a demonstration could be a walk out of every women from the house during the early morning hours, when they are usually busy cooking breakfast or during the evening, when they would be making dinner. A laughtivism campaign could involve public shaming the leaders who use toilets in their home, but make the women in their house travel out to the fields to urinate/defecate. This could be accomplished through posters or banners of men in fields while they are urinating or defecating, being ridiculed by passerby women and girls. It could also be done through skits (often, villages in India employ comedic dramatization as a way of educating the villagers of the many serious issues that plague their communities). By doing this, the women/villagers would be employing Grodofsky’s “Three Elements of Peacebuilding”:
ReplyDelete– Promotion of human development (includes a group and individual human rights perspective)
– Reduction of inequality
– Using networks of interdependent persons to “deliver the goods of peace” (Grodofsky, p. 48)
As Amartya Sen explains in “Development as Freedom”, “There is a deep complementarity between individual agency and social arrangements. It is important to give simultaneous recognition to the centrality of individual freedom and to the force of social influences on the extent and reach of individual freedom. To counter the problems that we face, we have to see individual freedom as a social commitment.” As a social worker, we have to truly embrace this idea that taking away ones freedom of practicing their agency, is an impingement on ones human rights. Moreover, we have to engage in the kind of action that helps marginalized populations, such as the women in this village, to extricate themselves from the kinds of social norms that suffocate their agency.
1/2. Perhaps the best form of laughtivism that I can currently think of taking place in the US on a wider scale is the use of skit shows like Saturday Night Live to show case how ridiculous the current Trump administration is. What SNL does very well is provide a platform for many people to participate in the laughtivism they provide, by using their format as a TV show.
ReplyDeleteIn this same vein, I would like to bring together people who have had their agency taken away from them through the sometimes dehumanizing effects of forcible psychiatric hospitalization through a similar format. I think too often we approach the stories of involuntary hospitalization as very serious, when they can be funny. I've frequently found people who have experienced this type of treatment also have ridiculous stories about their time on the ward.
Through this type of laughtivism, I would hope that not only could this community raise awareness of how much the system of psychiatric hospitalization needs to change, but also that it would raise public awareness about what really happens on a psych ward. The movies and books the public looks to are frequently inaccurate, and there are many hospitals in dire need of reform when it comes to patient care and agency. If the creation of media was put in the hands of those best qualified to talk about the subject matter, the stigma surrounding mental health and hospitalization may change.
As a social worker, I would love to facilitate a group therapy of sorts, where people who have been involuntarily hospitalized can talk about their stories and perhaps turn them into skits that can shared with the rest of the country.
I don't know how to change this but I, Sofia B, wrote this
Delete2/2 While I don't agree with Popovic on many issues (https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/oct/20/srdja-popovic-democracy-activist-says-safe-space-p/), I agree most with him when he expresses the idea that laughter is more relatable and accessible than fear, which is something I think is especially applicable to the othering that occurs to people who have been involuntarily hospitalized. There is a dehumanization that occurs that should not, and is something, as social workers and according to Healy, we need to address. Trying to fight outright for reform in psychiatric hospitalizations, though not exactly a fearsome route to take, most likely will not reach people like laughter can, and by giving the power of creation of this laughter back to the people with whom it belongs, perhaps we can finally make some change.
DeleteLaughtivism: The power of humor in nonviolent struggle. Sing, dance, smile. Serious and armed? 26% success rate. Nonviolent revolutionary? Double that success rate. The feminism fight for equality and the persistence for women’s rights is at an all-time high. Today’s generations are keeping informed and deeply understanding that the social norm in today’s reality is skewed and discriminatory. Within our social movement against the Trump administration, our society is able to see that despite the horrific ramifications of many policy reversals and/or implementations, we can spark fiery change by adding a bit of humor. Whether it be the March for Science, the Women’s March, March for DACA, etc., we see such large percentages show up because our administration’s lack of care has made it ever so clear to us what is truly important; and what is truly important is worth fighting for. We can relate through humorous signs and mocking phrases, silly get-ups and inspiring music. Despite the depressing nature that corrupt leaders can bring about, unity becomes all the more enjoyable when we can combine it with optimism and like-minded solidarity. Sometimes, to add a bit of humor is the only way we can make it through rocky and oppressive times and come out the other side a sane person. As Popovic mentions, “Humor melts fear”, which I find to be so important. So many people live their lives in fear, that to be able to step outside of fear’s chokehold for even just a moment is to inspire hope. Humor allows us to feel a unified sense of hope, and hope is the one thing we cannot afford to lose if we are going to continue to fight for change. I believe that, as social workers, to instill hope within our clients and communities is one of the most valuable things we can do; give the people autonomy and the self-esteem to voice and advocate for what they believe in. Be an ally.
ReplyDeleteI would organize a campaign using the channel of laughtivism specifically to target the stigma around immigrants and how they contribute to society in the US. As a Latina, this is something I have lived with my entire life. People of color, specifically those who weren’t necessarily born in the US are constantly questioned about their life. I have always felt that my family and I, and anyone like us has had to constantly defend our reason for being this country. We always have to make sure we are contributing to society and doing everything right or else we won’t be ”worthy” to stay. However, this also seems like an endless cycle because no matter how much we do, we will never truly feel like we have earned the right to be here. This obviously causes conflict and has escalated in more recent years into the harsh controversy on immigrant rights that we have today.
ReplyDelete“Positive peace refers to the creation of a reality characterized by social justice, political participation, ecological balance and economic equity” (Reardon, 1988). My laughtivism campaign would be striving toward this idea of positive peace by fighting against discrimination and stigma. It would consist of people in the Latinx community who might want to express their concerns or ideas about this through humor. Latino culture is very much rooted in humor and fun. People are constantly teasing each other as a form of showing affection. I have heard people use humor to deal with the hardships of being an immigrant in the US all the time while growing up in a predominantly Latino community. I think if this was broadcasted and channeled towards the stigma we face every day it could be really constructive. I would want to do something more media-oriented, like make videos of their material and help spread that our into the world. I think media is something that needs a lot of change in our world today and this would be one way to do that.
I think Popovic's ideas of laughtivism really do strive to reach this idea of positive peace which is something that is definitely part of global social work. We as social workers want to advocate for peace and doing that in the most positive way we can.
As I watched this TED talk, I reflected on when I first learned of satirical writing in my last year of high school. The President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, had just been through a court trial regarding the rape of a young woman who was a “family friend”. Zuma denied responsibility and stated that it was consensual, and when asked if he was aware of her HIV positive diagnosis (he did not use protection), he responded by stating that he “took a shower afterwards so that he wouldn't get infected”. Not only is it terrifying that the President of South Africa, a nation with one of the worlds highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS, would say this, he was also the former head of the National AIDS Council under the previous President. I took this opportunity to write a satirical piece about ending HIV/AIDS in South Africa by installing public showers on every street corner. While it is an extremely outrageous event that occurred and still plagues him, by adding humor and creating a fake campaign such as this, it would also be an opportunity to educate people on how HIV/AIDS is actually transmitted. As Popovic describes in his talk of laughtivism, “humor felts fear”. By “melting fear” of HIV/AIDS, it brings more individuals into the discussion and education of it. It might also, as Popovic describes, create for a more impactful reaction from the administration itself because of the ridiculousness of it. In order to do this, however, it has to be in a context and process that is familiar, and aligns with the community that the campaign is targeted in. We, as global social workers, would not be effective in creating change without learning about the community and its strengths and struggles and utilize them to collaborate and empower.
ReplyDeleteDont know how to add my name to the top-- Taylor Kiely
Delete1) As much as I tried to think of another country other than the United States, for me, I believe many areas of this current administration can be peacefully and legally protested against through use of laughtivism. Many living within the US are scared of many different types of legislation that is being brought forth and in certain cases passed by the Trump administration. Although laughtivism is standing up and showing wrong in what is occurring, it can bring a sense of happiness and oneness for those who also believe the same.
ReplyDeleteCurrently the most vocal, or so it seems, are those in Hollywood. The actors and actresses who are creating movements through activism. They may not be similar to the average person in America, but we know them, many know their faces. Using this platform, the stage/television can create a countrywide spread of positive activism. The late shows for instance are all involved within the political atmosphere of America, whether or not the hosts are originally from America or not. These hosts use satire and laughtivism to show how these injustices are just ridiculous.
Making light of the injustices can help those across the country feel as though they have more of a grasp on the issues at hand. In some cases, the news outlets can make politics and human rights convoluted and unclear as to how to fix the problem. The laughtivism brought about by television, can help cut a clear picture to the root of the problem, while adding a lighter air to the problem at hand. This lighter air can help people feel as though these issues are more approachable by the average person.
2) According to Healy, through our work, there is a dehumanization of those we intend to help and even those we oppose. Healy discusses how this should not happen and we need to work and educate ourselves in order for this not to occur. I agree with the theory of laughtivism especially when it comes to educating and helping engage those who would not normally become engaged within activism. This laughter is more accessible in our human selves than hatred and anger, which can be a slippery slope. Through this laughter, we can come together and create positive change instead of fear creating stagnation.
Growing up in a communist country, I can recall multiple occasions associated with cruel and corrupt government. For example, prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, my grandparents were forced to give away most of their earnings and had limited freedom to practice religious rituals. Furthermore, after Georgia's independence, Georgia's political figures embezzled and received financial bribes. I recall my parents saying "nothing is going to change because they steal all of the money we are given by other countries". Corruption was not only expected but accepted as necessary aspect of running the government.
ReplyDeleteIn order to create a laughtivism campaign in Georgia or any other corrupt government, I would focus on multiple aspects. Grodowsky (2005) highlights the importance of focusing on historical, political, social, and economic, legal, and cultural knowledge when working towards peace. Thus, when working to create a campaign, I would empower individuals by motivating and encouraging to highlight history of social, political, and economic injustices.
Furthermore, I can see various benefits of using laughtivism campaigns with individuals of severe mental illness, the population I am interested in working with after completing my degree in Social Work. When working to create laughtivism campaigns with individuals with schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder, I would initially focus on highlighting individual strengths. Since most treatment options focus on treating the symptoms, individuals with severe mental illness have limited opportunities to express their creativity. Using humor and creativity, the campaign would draw attention to the needs of severe mentally ill and emphasize lack of opportunities to practice social and occupational skills that are necessary to improve the well-being. The campaign would demonstrate how various barriers in treatment prevent severe mentally ill from living independently and having opportunities for social interactions, reducing stigma, and having jobs.
For example, while working at a nursing home for severe mentally ill, I observed residents' lack of weather appropriate clothing and the necessity for basic clothing items such as socks, belts, and underwear. When residents requested belts, they were encouraged to tie medical gloves to the loop holes of belts. While this might not seem important, due to such
appearance and lack of finances to purchase necessary clothing items, residents were socially isolated, lacked motivation to engage in interactions with others, and had poor confidence. When creating a laughtivism campaign, I would encourage to draw, discuss, or wear items nurses and counselors have asked them to wear to demonstrate the need for more funding to improve the overall well-being.
Similarly to Popvic's ideas, this campaign would evoke emotions which are necessary for changes. Furthermore, my plan and Popovic's ideas not only represent key values and practices of global social such as advocacy and empowerment. By raising awareness of needs through creativity, global social workers not only empower, but also assist in advocating for individuals who have limited opportunities to discuss their needs.
After watching a video "Memory Branda's sister" I understood what life of women in different countries, having old and steady traditions is. Living in Europe, Lithuania, I have never been faced with children's, in particular young girls early marriage, which was described by dark skinned girl on the video. Some years ago I read a book "Desert flower", telling a very similar situation. The main character resisted her parents and escaped from Somali not wanting to get married. She gained the wrath of the family. But the wish not to be exploitated was stronger the long travel along the desert and all misfortunes in her life.
ReplyDeleteBeing a woman myself I pity hearing such stories, when young girls become mothers not having any right to choose their way in life. Not only minds also their bodies are being crippled I can clearly see violation of women's and people's rights declaration in general. For example: a woman is born free and stays equal to man. She can choose when and who to marry, and other people can't make her or influence her decisions.
Each person, a man or a woman, has the right to freedom, not depending on the country of birth, rase, language, religion or politics dominating in his home country. They have the right to study, health care and etc. Although, in many poor countries, girls are deprived of these rights because of femine and poverty. It is a pity, that some countries still keep to tradition that girls must get married at early age.
Wishing to make life conditions better in poor countries, where social inequality is very clear, some precautions should be taken on example of others countries. I should use Puerto Rico experience discussed during lectures according the article "Organizing, Educating, And Avocating for Health and Human Rights in Vieques, Puerto Rico".
The article is about American Health Association polities decision in 2000 to adress the President of the USA to stop military training in Puerto Rico. People didn't feel safe during that period because of bombarding, occupying and damaging it all togerther with natural recourses .
The experience of demilitarizing Vieques a textbook case of using community health education methods and strategies to mobilize against harmful policies. It provides a specific context for examining the use of community organization, mass media, communication, skill training, legislation, policymaking, political and educational literacy, group process and advocacy, and other methods of mobilizing community members for health-related actions. It also provides a context for examining the applicability of the 10 commitments for community health education (CHE).
The key of successful International Healthcare company was the right of Puerto Ricans to live in the safe surrounding. That military training had had straight influence on great percentage of death, breaks of cancer, and mental status of people. In 2003 the training was stopped.
This experience is a good example of how to stop poverty. If a community gets involved and unites it's powers, involves mass - media, has basics of medical knowledge, juridical literacy, as it was done trying to help Puerto Rico. A must thing is intolerance of bad "doctrine". Everyone should think globally and act locally. Rich countries should be asked to donate money, send volunteers to poor countries. Lithuania also contributes to this iniciative. During different campanies we donate to African countries, famous people go to volunteer there trying to attention of other countries and people. This iniciative involves a lot of rich countries.
Everything is in order of social correctress because everybody is worth to live full life not depending on this social status.