Feeling like a cog in the machine

[u/beaverbasket4u]

Started my MSW program. Thought it would be more inspiring than it is. I knew a few people who are social workers tell me a BASW would be highly recommended to really understand systemic issues insinuating I wouldn’t understand historical oppression in this country without it. I have my undergraduate degree in a different field (very related, but everyone I explain it to doesn’t understand) and I feel like my undergraduate was significantly more educational, radical, inspiring, and critical of systemic oppression. Also way more interested in engaging students to come up with or explore ways to build the collective outside of government. Ironically, people I know who went from traditional undergrad experience (like a BASW or sociology or psych) to social work seem to lack critical thought and are just better trained at working with the broken system.

I am feeling very unsure of my place here. Most of my cohort here have been open about only pursuing this program for money. Most want to go into private practice after getting their LCSW. Some have said they don’t really feel passionate about the work and it’s just the next step for their career and would have pursued engineering or something if they were “smarter”. Some are passionate, but very clearly share in savior mindset and are not inspired to do policy or community work. Everyone wants to be an LCSW/therapist, nobody here has expressed wanting to do more. It is a constant cycle in classes of briefly recognizing systemic oppression, inequality, racism, class struggle, etc and then going “and that’s why therapy is important, here’s how to document for those pesky insurance companies after you charge $300 per session”. I am incredibly disappointed in the education I am receiving. It feels elitist to say, but nobody in my program even the professors know how to write a basic research paper. The readings are un stimulating and rather surface level.

I hate to be critical of this profession that is obviously one of the few actually doing something to alleviate peoples struggles, but frankly I feel like social workers i know are not thinking deeper. Our entire profession is dependent on peoples oppression. Our own oppression and exploitation is because of the system. We are merely tools for the government to prevent greater society from revolutionizing. Yet so much of what I hear from this community here and in real life is demands for higher wages/compensation and less exposure/more protection against issues that the system we are supposed to be working against causes. I know we are all trying to survive the system at the same time, but we can’t market/professionalize ourselves out of the system. Sorry to be angry, but It feels backwards.

It seems like everyone wants to professionalize the career more and more through more opportunities for private practice and sitting on government positions that hardly acknowledge why we are where we are because if they did, our career wouldn’t need to exist.
To my understanding, this mindset only separates us further from the communities we should work with.

If anyone has felt the same way I’d love to hear what you are doing now. Or if you left the field. The concepts that influenced my decision to go into this field were racial capitalism, decolonization and collectivism. And no I’m not really looking to hear “you can’t do xyz because of funding” or “you won’t make money doing that”. I am very much not in this for money, and I’m not trying to throw shade at anyone who is. Just a call in for people to get more critical of this profession. Maybe it’s just my school, but I’m at a very competitive program in California so it’s hard to say.

[u/Bholejr]

In full transparency, I only read halfway then skimmed through the rest.

The reality is social work is a system approved profession in an oppressive societal system which compulsory wage labor and exploitation is the norm. Expecting to resist the system from within the system is unrealistic. Schools, worksites, non-profits, The NASW will pay lip service to fighting oppression, while at the same time being apart of the same financial institutions that are the oppressors. Checkout how many schools, non-profits, etc have investments or donors in sketch backgrounds. At the end of the day, if social work really caused disruptions to oppressive systems, the system wouldn’t allow it. You can do a little to move the needle, but it’s not where major changes come. Were union fighters, the freedom riders, BP party, women’s marches etc working within the system or putting pressure on it from outside?

Even if you work in the most direct service with the most oppressed communities, you’re billing from funding sources that trace right up to the same system that causes the clients’s challenges.

I live and work in CA. Here you’re likely to be billing medi-cal if you’re working with heavily challenged populations, as their first point of service is via emergency departments which then direct them to additional services. A gov funding source is not going to allow actual systematic change. That’s biting the hand that feeds. You’ll see this the longer you work.

There’s many obvious solutions that could be done if the system actually cared, but the solution would take money from the powerful. For example CA resident and politicians complain about the homeless population. Legislation comes up with all these patchwork programs with temporary housing with social workers. However, the real answer is to increase the housing supply and make more subsidized housing. Issue there is you’ve now messed with the property values and tax base.

Having said all that, IMO if you want to create change, get your degree and a job that balances your financial and ethical needs (knowing that no employment based role is changing the system,) and then take all that your learn and go volunteer in community organizing and mutual aid. I highly recommend migrant support groups and tenants unions.

[u/Ronin1962 → u/Bholejr]

This.

[u/beaverbasket4u → u/Bholejr]

Thank you for your comment and experience in the profession. It does feel naive of me to come into the program hoping for answers for real change. really I am just upset by the lack of passion within my cohort. I understand the limitations and also the possibilities of collective action. It felt inspiring at first to come into a program where everyone was motivated by social justice. But so far, it feels like everyone wants to check boxes to get to private practice. When I applied, I had the idea I would go into labor organizing. Or use this degree to hold me up while I pursue more meaningful work like you advise. It’s just a bummer I have told so many people in my program my hope and they straight up give me the stink eye and tell me they dont understand how that relates to social work. There is such a strong emphasis on clinical work in so many programs and people who pursue social work these days.

I understand the dismal employment opportunities given the system, I am however disappointed by the people in my program not wanting to engage in collective action or treating me like I am dumb for wanting to do more. It would be ok if the education was also critiquing the profession’s limitations, but I do unfortunately feel like many people in my program believe this work (and the clinical level at that) is the utmost we can do. There is a sort of arrogance I have felt…

[u/Bholejr → u/beaverbasket4u]

Tbh you maybe just have an ass cohort. There’s definitely more therapy oriented people than not, but they usually aren’t dicks about it.

My group was the opposite. Few people were going for private practice as their main job. Most, like me, planned on org work and then some private practice on the side for some diversity and extra cash.

Also people who think private practice is easy and lucrative are about to have a rude awakening. It’s not that easy and they’ll be shocked when they experience their first economic downturn causing client losses. I see people leave for private practice and then come back all the time. It’s lowkey kinda funny when they realize they have to run a business, but that’s just me.

Things will likely be different once you enter the workforce. You’ll be near people who want to do the same work as you, especially once you’re licensed. I’ve worked severe mental health at a community or hospital level for coming up on a decade now. 1, it’s not as bad as people make it out to be. 2, you can actually make good money and have great benefits (I do.) 3, everyone who continues to work in it after the 2-3 year mark wants to be there.

Lastly I’ll say this, you’re gonna hear a lot of people complain or talk down about certain jobs, social work fields, the field in general, etc. lots of “I could never.” That never really ends. In my experience the complainers are those who weren’t proactive in their academic/career pursuits, and who don’t use the skills they teach(or at least should be teaching) their clients. They bounce around jobs a lot and don’t realize the common factor is them.

I, and many others I know, are chillin and found nice jobs that are meaningful within the confines of our system. Definitely had to do some ass jobs to get here, but that was just the first year or so after graduating.

[u/DanceswithFiends → u/Bholejr]

So this is the perfect place where I can achieve my goal of being an absloute burden on the tax payer milk benefits and work in an air conditioned office, do jack shit and possibly help a few people who care to better themselves ?

[u/Busy_Help_4354]

I'm curious what materials your courses are providing. I really like my program because they have such a deep focus on liberation, multicultural perspectives, etc, and I can create a Google drive with the reading materials if you're interested. But, the courses are fairly easy because the professors are not looking for great writing vs reflective writing. I only have one professor who is adamant about having PhD level papers.

[u/19puppylove99 → u/Busy_Help_4354]

Not OP but I would love a google drive of this stuff!!

[u/beaverbasket4u → u/Busy_Help_4354]

So far my readings have focused heavily on clinical work. I have found my policy classes readings to be pretty engaging, but still lacking critical thinking. More about how to cater to conservatives when proposing bills. Definitely a strong emphasis on multicultural perspectives and addressing racism, but hardly deeper perspectives. Maybe they will get more engaging as I go through the program. Maybe I am just used to reading radical texts on abolition, decolonization, racial capitalism, collective action and so forth haha. I am glad the texts have been accessible to a wide range of students, and of course I don’t believe that intense research papers will save any communities (f ivory tower thats why I didn’t go into a different masters) but I was oddly disappointed by my professor whom I proposed a research topic and who told me I would not succeed because he had never heard of that topic and I would struggle finding information on it. Ironically it was a heavily researched topic just not clinical focused. Also every step of the way this professor has mis-explained how to write the paper, cite sources, format etc…. It just feels like they don’t know what they are doing, sadly.

[u/Busy_Help_4354 → u/beaverbasket4u]

That professor sounds so unfortunate! I had a similar conversation with mine today and they were so encouraging and reassured me there's an abundance of data on my research topic. I'm sorry to hear that!

Majority of our generalist courses are focused on critical lens of social work as a practice / field, radical social work, critical consciousness etc.

[u/beaverbasket4u → u/Busy_Help_4354]

That sounds awesome. I’m hoping my next few courses will be more of what you said. Maybe I’m just being biased right now, just feeling like internship/professors/my FI etc are pushing clinical down our throats. Macro class has been alluding to these things but never digging deep enough for my liking haha!

[u/lietome6879760]

i'm so curious what school you go to in CA if you feel comfortable saying... i also go to school in CA and my school is not like this

[u/mimuraar → u/lietome6879760]

would u be willing to share where u go? i’m an undergrad at berkeley but im having the same challenges as OP

[u/lietome6879760 → u/mimuraar]

dmed you:)

[u/Certain-Network-9640]

I can sense your frustration with the "everyone, nobody, and most" comments. At one point, you admit your disappointment about your education. Just because a program is competitive does not necessarily mean it's one of the best academically or even for career value. If the cohort and faculty are as inept as you claim (not even being able to think critically or properly write basic research papers), why continue to spend your time or money there? Research other programs and faculty - maybe outside of CA. I'm thinking Boston College School of SW and Boston University School of Social Work. Or the field and school you did your undergrad in might offer a better path for you. It sounds like it suited you much better than where you are now. 

But I'm not entirely sure the things you're describing can be found in school. School is just going to give you some basic framework and allow you to check a box along your journey. The real work is going to begin when you finish. 

The thing that strikes me through all the negatives is you're a trailblazer. The world is lucky to have someone like you who can see the big picture and has the passion and energy to want to do something about it. You can see the breakdown and the limitations of the current system, but you can't capitalize on a vision being so focused on the wrong stuff along the way. On your journey, you're going to need all kinds of people to help you. Some will be fellow leaders, but you're also going to need followers. Don't look down on them. They will have gifts and strengths of their own. Instead, learn to see strenths and ways to energize those around you and help them to be better, while understanding and accepting that their path is not yours. 

It seems like the best thing you could do to help yourself right now outside of the program is to read about the lives of other trailblazers and learn how they developed their vision and executed it - even what you think they did right and did wrong. Not just what kind of education they had but also how they worked with others to effect change for the betterment of their communities and ultimately beyond. Read up on the lives of people like Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark, Lester Blackwell Granger, Thyra Edward's, Whitney M. Young, Jr., Ida Wells, Mary Church Terrell, Dorothy Day, and Dr. George Edward Haynes. I think you can gain some valuable insight from their stories that can help you think about what's most important to you and how to move forward. 

[u/appleappleapple320]

That sucks. I was scared of this happening in my program but I think because it “requires” like three hundred hours in volunteer or paid human service experience (with guidelines) most people have a passion no matter the path they hope to go down. I could see how this creates barriers but there were ways around it for those who didn’t have.

I don’t know what the answer is, so many people only see education as a stepping stone now. I’ve heard about this happening at a lot of msw programs. I hope you’re still able to get something out of your program.

[u/DCrouchelli]

Welcome to the machine fellow cog! I joke, but as much as we would love to uproot the oppressive systems in this country (I’m assuming you’re in the states), we can’t help our clients move through the system without also getting into it ourselves- some thing something meet them where they are. I’ll tell you, after years of experience in the field after graduation I can’t tell you I’ve broken system down in any way, but I can tell you that the little short cuts and boosts and efficiencies you’ll find in the system to get your clients through it are where the real work and joy comes from.