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Respond to at least two colleagues:

Evaluate one identified strength and one identified limitation your colleague may encounter when employing an individual-related theory and a structural/cultural-related theory to formulating interventions for poverty.
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Colleague 1
RE: Discussion - Week 2
COLLAPSE
      If a social worker is helping a client that is in poverty for example due to generations of their family being in poverty I would use a Family life cycle theory and the systems theory to help the client create a plan that will design ways to break the cycle along with creating a support system on a micro, macro, and mezzo level. An example would be if the client is in high school and wants to go to college but because the family has been in poverty for generations and was not able to afford to send anyone to college.

  How this conceptualization differs from an individual-related versus a structural/cultural-related theoretical lens. With the family life cycle theory and systems theory on a micro level the client looks at their life experiences through their eyes instead of what family, society, school, friends view that persons life. With a structural/cultural theoretical lens the clients life and experiences will be viewed by family, relationships, schools, extra curricular activities, religion etc instead of the individuals.

    Compare how the two theoretical lenses differ in terms of how the social worker would approach the client and the problem and how the social worker would intervene. How the two lenses differ is by the individual's own life experiences effected them and  how society, family, school, church views how the individual's life experiences effected the individual. How would the social worker approach the client and the problem is the social worker would help the client see from a personal point of view an example would be by having the client create a Geno gram of their family so the client could see the cycle of poverty. Then to intervene the social worker can help the client come up with a plan to break the cycle of poverty such as saying to the client you want to go to college and no one in your family has been able to afford it due to poverty. What are some ways we can make college happen? can you get a part time job?, can you apply for scholarships?, grants, do you play sports can you get a ride on a sport you play? and have the client brain storm.


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Colleague  2
COLLAPSE
While reading Turner, K., A. J.(2007). Psychological theories of poverty, I discovered many theories of poverty both individually related and structural/culturally related to poverty. 

Conceptualize a presenting problem of poverty-

Carr (2003) describes the McClelland approach, a theory of NAch ( Need for Achievement) or the lack thereof, thus preventing them from achievements in life. McClelland focus was on poverty stricken citizens and the individual causes. This theory according to Carr (2003) was due to the poor not developing a  need to achieve.  As a social worker it is our obligation to educate the poor to agencies available which can help them towards success.  Social workers can help clients who are struggling with poverty by helping them build self confidence and a need for achievement. 

Moreira (2003) presents globalization as a cause of structural or cultural poverty. She states that ,“globalization works in a selective fashion, including and excluding segments of economies and societies from information networks, giving us pockets of rich and poor” (Moreira, 2003, p. 70).  As social workers we can intervene through the support of our clients on an international stage.  

How does this conceptualization differ from individual related vs structural/cultural

This view of poverty contrasts the causations between individual lack of motivation or need for achievement. Thus the poor are not capable of reaching success because of lacking the trait of achievement.  Moreover, Moreira explains poverty on a different level supported through the lack of international trade leaving pockets of rich and poor in its wake.  

Compare how the social worker would approach the client and the problem through intervention.

Individually, I would approach the client with a strengths based approach building on their strengths and confidence. Portraying them as resilient in the face of adversity. 

Culturally social workers can advocate for agencies which deal in trade creating a stronger infrastructure within their respective countries. An underlying process affecting pervasive changes is typically referred to as 'globalization' and in simple terms means the increasing interaction and interdependence of world society (Giddens 1993) 

Carr,S.(2003).Povertyandpsychology:Anintroduction.InS.Carr&T.Sloan(Eds.), Povertyandpsychology:Fromglobalperspectivetolocalpractice(pp.1-15).New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

Giddens, A. (1993). Sociology. 2nd Ed, Cambridge: Polity Press

Globalization and Social Work Education and Practice ... (n.d.). Retrieved from http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3253&context=jssw

Moreira, V. (2003). Poverty and psychopathology. In S. Carr & T. Sloan (Eds.), Poverty and psychology: From global perspective to local practice (pp. 69-86). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

Turner, K., A. J.(2007). Psych
ological theories of poverty