AF SWG 510 Journal Entry Two

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Feb 20, 2024

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1 Running Head: JOURNAL TWO Journal Entry Two: Systems & Subsystems School of Social Work, Arizona State University SWG 510: Diversity and Oppression in Social Worker Professor Lisa Schenk May 29, 2022 Journal Two: Systems & Subsystems

2 JOURNAL TWO Patricia and her difficulties with substance misuse stood out to me the most in the documentary "Broken Child." Patricia's story can show how an individual's ecological environment, systems, and sub-systems all play a part in determining where they are in life. Within her story, it is explained that Patricia worked as a prostitute, and became pregnant six times (Mierendorf Films, 2000). In addition to being a prostitute, Patricia abused drugs and lived a very unhealthy lifestyle. Due to this, all of Patricia’s first five children were removed from her care. It wasn’t until Patricia made positive life changes during her sixth pregnancy, that she was able to keep her sixth child when they were born (Mierendorf Films, 2000). By looking at the different pieces and moments within her story, Patricia’s systems and subsystems can be identified within her environment. When looking at her ecological environment, Patricia’s systems can be noted and affected by the environment in which she lives. Patricia’s economic system can be identified as having low income since she is only employed part-time. She used to work as a prostitute, earning more money, but she spent this money on her drug addiction (Mierendorf Films, 2000). Her legal system can be seen throughout her time as an active drug addict. During this time, Patricia was involved in illegal activities such as theft, prostitution, drug addiction, and child abuse and neglect. Patricia’s social system changed throughout the documentary. At first, most of her social interactions were with men seeking her out as a prostitute or individuals with whom she sold and took drugs with (Mierendorf Films, 2000). Later, once she achieved sobriety, her social environment consisted of recovered moms, who she lived with, in a half-way house (Mierendorf Films, 2000). Since she could connect to the other moms around her, Patricia was more supported and heard.

3 JOURNAL TWO Throughout the documentary, it was clear that Patricia's health considerably improved. She was eight months pregnant and in active addiction when her story began. She was also actively involved in prostitution, which can lead to many health concerns. Regardless of her medical risks due to her unhealthy choices, Patricia was able to give birth to a child who seemed to be unaffected by her drug use. The last system within her ecological systems is her personal- family system. Although Patricia has given birth to six children, she only has custody of one. During her story, she reunited with her eldest son and welcomed him into her home once she achieved sobriety. Her infant appeared to be thriving, and Patricia seemed satisfied with her ability to care for two of her children. Some of Patricia’s subsystems include emotional, cognitive , and motivational. Throughout the course of the documentary, Patricia comes across as a person who is capable of feeling a wide range of emotions and is able to recognize them often. She was able to express her emotions to her son in a very direct way. While she was under the influence of drugs, she was aware that she was experiencing a great deal of those feelings, which was a contributing factor to the fact that she continued to take drugs. Her physical systems also had a significant impact on her emotional subsystems. The trauma she had experienced as a child, the things she had done in the past, and the fact that she was attempting to come to terms with these events all had a significant impact on her emotional subsystem. Even though she was raised in a community where engaging in these behaviors were seen as appropriate, she was adamant on keeping her children even though she was aware of the other parenting choices available. She was able to break into a new culture of being clean, sober, having a career, and being a mother despite the fact that her community had taught her to live in an unhealthy way.

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4 JOURNAL TWO The systems and subsystems within my environment were very different from Patricia’s. To begin, I come from a family that is really close and works together to provide each other support and direction. I have a sizable social network that is supportive of me and people with whom I know I can go to if and when I am struggling. I currently have a bachelor's degree and am working on earning a master's degree. I have had an excellent education on the physiological and physical repercussions that drug usage has on the body and have never been involved negatively with the legal system. I am fortunate to have access to medical care and to have good insurance that pays for the majority of my medical expenses. Despite the fact that I suffer from a few chronic illnesses, such as endometriosis, renal disease, and nerve damage, these conditions are effectively managed by physicians in their respective fields. My social network includes members of my family, as well as friends and people I work with, all of whom support and inspire me to achieve my full potential. Despite the fact that I suffer with anxiety, I am able to keep it under control with the help of my medications, and therapy. It's clear to see how having a supportive social network and having access to critical institutions like educational opportunities, and good health care steered me in a different way than Patricia. Patricia was able to seek help and accomplish recovery owing to her strengths due to an accessible treatment program and the program's support structure. By strengthening and creating growth-promoting treatments, we may assist people in obtaining good results in one system, hence favorably affecting all other systems. I believe that Patricia's environment has a significant influence on her, leading her in different directions throughout her life. She came from a violent home and grew up in similar conditions to those she is now experiencing. She has been able to free herself from the constraints of what she knew and what her surroundings were directing her to become. She has

5 JOURNAL TWO been forced to struggle against it, attend rehabilitation, and maintain a part-time job. I believe that her surroundings have had such a. profound impact on her that she will need to fight daily to remain on a positive path that will allow a healthy lifestyle for her and her children. The ecological environment has many implications for determining the reasons why things occur. Patricia's story can be used as an example to decide these implications. Patricia had a traumatic upbringing full of abuse and drug usage. As a result, the reasons why she engages in these behaviors may be attributed, at least in part, to the ecological setting from which she originated. Even though she is clean now, the traumatizing and drug-filled situations she went through still play a role in developing many of her systems. These aspects of her upbringing are ingrained in all of her systems, dating back to when she was a child and ranging from the post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) she suffers from to the standards she must meet to qualify for financial assistance now. Patricia has been working to change her environment and has changed a lot of her systems but knowing that her children are in foster care and having a criminal record will always affect areas such as her work, her emotions, and her family.

6 JOURNAL TWO References Mierendorf Films. (2000). Broken Child [Video File]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/121545540

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