2. Introduction:
For the purpose of this captioned paper, I will share specific learning experiences that
have improved my ability and the desire to work with clients and that will assist me in my future
career working with children and families. In addition, I will share unique and specific internship
and volunteer experiences and use them to understand and explain the theory of symbolic
interactionism (Benokraitis, 2010). I will also reflect on critical thinking in connection to my
lifelong learning skills as described by Bloom (1956). I grew up in an amazing family who has
always been there to help others whenever able. We have always been taught the lessons of
kindness, respect and love for all people. And I always knew that my passion was in helping
others—I just wasn’t sure which direction this passion would take me in. My current paid
employment as well as my internship assignment involves working with students from low
income families. One of the best things about my internship site is that it offered me the
opportunity to help people that desperately need assistance and to learn a lot about human built
environmental difficulties experienced by families and students of English language learners. I
switched my major from Bio-Based Products to Family Social Science and after taking few
courses in Family Social Science field. My passion in helping people finding solutions that meet
their specific needs has solidified my ultimate goal in life. In addition after assessing what my
passions and my abilities are, I decided to become a professional helper hoping I could help
families and children grow intellectually and pursue what they desire to. In general I like to help
because my satisfaction comes from helping others. I believe as human being, we are inclined
and accustomed to help one another. In my paper I will further evaluate three areas of self-
assessment. These are my ability to self assess, my learning awareness, and my life-long learning
skills or capabilities.
3. My Education Experience
A degree in Family Social Science field and the courses incorporated in this field gave
me the understanding of social problems, their causes, their solutions and the impacts these have
on a society. I would like to take a step further to become a family therapy for my lifelong
learning journey and hoping to become a useful resource person in the community as a
professional in social services. Therefore, I hope to be able to help make a difference in the lives
of children from low income families so that their dream may come true as other children in the
world.
Family Policy course has helped me understand how theories are used in different ways
of understanding families and the historical context of implementing social policies. This
understanding will help me approach clients professionally while maintaining cultural
competence, knowledge and respect for the differences in communities. The Family Social
Science courses materials has opened opportunities for me that would otherwise not have existed
in my career path. My Sexuality and Gender in the Families, Family System and Diversity,
Family Policy, Global and Diverse Families, Families and Aging and Parent and Child
Relationships courses have solidified my existing personal experiences in families through
theories such as Family System Theory, Life Course Perspective, Human Ecology Model, Social
Justice Theories and theoretical perspectives on the family. These theories have immensely
further shaped further my professional life through my volunteering experience at an inner-city
school.
4. My Internship Experience
I intern at a contract alternative school (in contract with Minneapolis Public Schools) that
serves mainly students from immigrant communities. This is a voluntary segregated school and
majority of the students are of East African ethnic background. This institution creates a barrier
to diversity that is common in conventional public and private schools. The message conveyed
by this space is to attract parents that place an emphasis on ethnic identities, culture, and
education. This institution is consciously spaced and they are housed in a large spacious building
that was once a Minneapolis Public Schools elementary school. I helped students in classroom
and also work with behavior staff in drafting intervention plan for noncompliant students. Some
of the students are new to the country and I feel that I was in a similar situation about 10 years
ago. I can relate and empathize with these students. I feel like I can make their life better by
helping with their classroom work. I enjoy it and I know that my help is needed and appreciated
in every second.
The school mission, student learning expectations, picture of the student of the month,
and how to say hello in numerous languages are posted on walls. Their students’ expectations
cover everything students do in and outside the classroom. These expectations contribute and
reinforce students’ behavior towards education and it will ultimately help them to achieve their
goal. The mission and vision of the school is to cultivate a welcoming school environment that
values cultural heritage and diversity. Values that are integral for this institution are to prepare
students for academic success through leadership in science and technology and nurture students’
5. abilities to build a sense of discovery in science and math. These values come from school’s
mission and vision which is to integrate technology with academic curriculum. The language
often used by the staff is English with only an occasional use of native languages among support
staff. Most of the parents/clients are of East African origin and some of the front desk staff
speaks their language. There is a strong cultural learning environment visible around this school.
This institution creates an environment where learning is optimized, where students and teachers
engaged in learning process.
My internship at Heritage Academy was one of the most rewarding experiences I have
ever had because it has taught me how to tailor my approach to the students’ needs and
effectively communicate these needs to the school administration. Overall, my internship
experiences have taught me how to express my acceptance and respect to families in a diverse
community. It has also installed in me a passion to assist others in gaining access to a quality
education, regardless of their economic status. This site has also helped me prepare appropriate
strategies needed in responding with each in these families; immigrant and mainstream families.
6. Practicum Experience
When I first started volunteering at this site I was a bit intimidated after seeing some of
the students running around the building dressed inappropriate school attire. However, after
interacting with staff and students my assumptions changed. Staff members and students are
extremely friendly and whenever I did need assistance with anything they were there to help me.
The experience I encountered is that the good behavior of the students towards adults in the
building and their eagerness to learn. Students have good relationship with each other and
teachers are respectful to students and students are respectful to them. I learned about myself
that my help is needed regardless of the quantity of time that I can spare for these students. Most
of the classes are challenging to newer students and any assistance provided to them they would
appreciate immensely.
Ecological psychologist like James Garbarino(1995) coined the term environmental
press, meaning children implement what they learn from their surrounding environment and the
people around them and they form a social map based on their understanding and experiences. It
is the choice of the parents of these students to get educated in a segregated environment and
their lives of segregation will perpetuates itself and may live segregated lives as adults.
Students and some of the staff members dress in a certain way to reflect their cultural practices.
Language spoken, food students eat at the cafeteria all reflects the culture of the students. The
lack of diversity in this organization creates a major challenge for its students because diversity
can help achieve social inclusion and social cohesion. Even though the limited diversity is very
important for the families of this institution by creating social capital and interactions between
7. people that are similar hence maintaining their own cultural identity, it reduces the opportunity
for students to interact with the other communities.
Overall, my volunteering at this site has taught me how to communicate with clients
about sensitive issues in an appropriate manner. This job significantly improved my
communication skills, my patience, and my initiative. As a result I became more aware of my
own values and beliefs whilst showing respect for all persons and their values, beliefs, cultures,
goals, needs and preferences. Courses and theories studied in Family Social Science gave me a
greater understanding of social problems, their causes, their solutions and the impacts these have
while allowing me to obtain skills required to be successful in my human service career. My
practicum has also helped me improve my ability to assess client needs through active family
involvement that has improved my skills of assessment process. I also worked with professionals that
added depth to my experience. This experience has been integral in pushing me beyond the safe
bounds of the classroom environment to learn the how of putting theory into practice. It’s been
exhausting and a little terrifying, but I’ve had amazing support from the staff and cannot imagine
any other way that I could’ve learned so much in so little time. Now, approaching graduation, I
am optimistic about taking a job as a professional helper, confident that I have been prepared for
what is to come.
I will connect my overall observation about the behavior and values of this institution’s
participants to the theory of Symbolic interactionism(Benokraitis, 2010). “Symbolic
interactionism is a theory that looks how ideas, beliefs, attitudes shape our daily lives, as well as
those of our families” (Benokraitis, 2010, p.38).
8. Symbolic interactionism
Through my personal, education and practicum experiences, I have come to understand
that human development is greatly impacted by the people around us and the environment in
which we live in. Human development is multi-contextual in that there are a variety of factors
that affect development. Our social environment reinforces both negative and positive
behavioral patterns which as a result affect how we associate with others. Individuals create
their own social reality through collective and individual action and the participants of this
institution pull together to maintain collective identity that is detached from the mainstream
society. Symbolic interactionism (Benokraitis, 2010) focuses attention on the symbolic world
formed by the individual in interaction with the environment and, in particular, on how people
ascribe meanings and values to the world in which they live (Shirpa, K., Maticka-Tyndale, E &
9. Chinichiani, M. 2007, 1-17). This theory further theory allows observing the world in a different
light by using the symbols around us. It is theory that tends to understand things by focusing on
the micro level of the society.
Human being learns certain behavior from the different groups with which they associate
and the closer the relationship, the more likely someone is to be influenced. The parents of the
students of Heritage Academy consider this human being behavior as the most important aspect
to consider. These students share some symbols such as clothing and language and they usually
view each other as brothers and sisters. When individuals share a particular form of identity, they
often form some kind of alliance, a way of living that differs from the dominant culture and is
based on that shared values. Racialization in mainstream schools and the broader host
community creates a tricky social fabric for these families to navigate and they end up relying
more on the group to which they feel they most belong. And cultural socialization that is rich in
this institution provides their students with racial socialization, which acts as a buffer against
negative racial messages in the environment.
Social exchange theory (Benokraitis, 2010) can be also used to explain the behavioral
pattern of the participant of this institution. Social exchange theory is a social psychological
perspective that explains social relationships as a process of negotiated exchanges between
parties that is based on the concept of rewards, punishments and resources (Homans, 1958). In
this concept individual seek interaction with others to maximize their rewards and minimize the
cost. The parents of the students that attend this school minimize the cost of losing their
children’s culture to mainstream society and on other hand they forego the natural diversity of
American values.
10. People actively engage in the interpretation and creation of symbols as a way of making
sense of, assigning meanings to, and communicating about their daily lives and the world in
which they live(Shirpa, K., Maticka-Tyndale, E & Chinichiani, M. 2007, pg. 4). This theory
views human interaction as a process of exchanging symbols such as words, signs, behaviors that
through socialization are implied with meanings and thus provide a way to interact based on
those meanings. So when people communicate they exchange symbolic words that have a
meaning attached to them and then they go from there. Students and some of the staff members
dress in a certain way to reflect their cultural practices. Language spoken, food students eat at the
cafeteria all reflects the culture of the most staff members and students. The families of the
students in this institution have strong desire to maintain their cultural practices and demand
greater recognition and accommodation from the administration of this school for their children.
The services offered by this institution to its clients are strongly influenced by minority culture
and the ease to receive specific support.
Symbolic Interaction (Benokraitis, 2010) is the way different people and things interact
with different symbols. An example of symbolic interaction that is visible in this institution
would be prayers by perform Muslim students. Some people see prayer and understand its
meaning and how it can be used while others may not recognize this symbol and not understand
what it means at all. Many times students and teachers in the mainstream schools will have
misunderstanding over prayer. Teachers will at time accuse students of dawdling instead of
praying due to lack of knowledge regarding cultural practices of the students. For them to be
able to understand this human behavior they have to be able to know the meaning of this ritual
through interactions and developed personal feelings towards them and see how other people
react to our behaviors. To the parents and students of this institution prayer time is integral
11. important to them. As Herbert Blumer (1969) stated “these meanings are handled in, and
modified through, an interpretative process used by the person in dealing with the things he/she
encounters." In analyzing the experience and actions of people who are faced with a new social
world, as is the case for this immigrants students, symbolic interactionism(Benokraitis, 2010)
calls the researcher's attention to the symbolic meanings of particular actions and experiences in
both the old world and the new; to role requirements and the potential for different meanings,
costs and rewards associated with role performance; and to potentials for role strain, its source,
experience and resolution.(Shirpa, K., Maticka-Tyndale, E & Chinichiani, M. 2007, pg. 4). My
intern experience at Heritage Academy has helped me see how families as active agents make
meaning and use their interpretations in creating social order. In general, symbolic interactionism
(Benokraitis, 2010) as a theory has helped me understand that symbols and interactions in social
processes affect the individual and vice versa.
Conclusion
12. My volunteering experience has shown me the professional application of the theories and Family
Social Science courses taught in classroom. This also gave me a unique opportunity to see how families
and communities that share common culture form connections to preserve and protect their future
generations from assimilating into the mainstream society. I developed critical thinking skills and finding
solutions to social needs experienced by families and students I worked with. This site has helped me
learn how to effectively and efficiently build communication among diverse people. It has also helped me
explore careers that are in high demand and are projected to stay in demand. Despite the lack of diversity,
the work of this institution can have indirect benefit to society as whole by educating students
who will develop into more responsible citizens, build a strong economy and bring about a
brighter future for everyone. As Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon
which you can use to change the world” and educating young minds can change society.
FSoS courses at University of Minnesota have allowed me to practice and apply skills in
a professional setting, which is something I am not able to do in my other classes. FSoS courses
are the most practical courses I have ever taken at the University. I can incorporate theories
learned through these courses in my professional career. I also have an in-depth knowledge
behind the theory and practice of professional communication. I understand the psychological
reasons for writing certain ways and how to execute those methods. My overall experience was
valuable as it made my theoretical knowledge about families and children real and personal. I
was no longer dealing with abstract academic concepts.
13. References:
Benokraitis, N. (2010). Marriages & families: Changes, Choices, and Constraints (7th ed.).
Boston, MA: Pearson
Blumer, H., (1969). Symbolic Interactionism: Perspectiveand Method. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice-Hal.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1994). Ecological models of human development. International
Encyclopedia of Education, 3(2), 37-43. Retrieved from
http://www.psy.cmu.edu/~siegler/35bronfebrenner94.pdf
James, G. (1995). Drawing our children's social maps. Raising children in a socially toxic
environment (pp. 23-4). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from
https://moodle2.umn.edu/mod/url/view.php?id=782626
Shirpa, K., Maticka-Tyndale, E & Chinichiani, M. Iranian Immigrants' perceptions of sexuality
in Canada: A symbolic interactionist approach. The Canadian Journai of Human Sexuality, Vol.
16 (3-4) 2007. Retrieved from https://ay13.moodle.umn.edu/mod/url/view.php?id=931348.
14. Areas of Development Level Evidence for Development
Ability to self-assess
• Observing own
performance
• Using feedback
from others &
evidence
• Finding &
analyzing
patterns
• Making
judgments
Advanced Through this practicum experience I have
discovered my strengths and weaknesses related
to the role of a helper and learned what I need to
work on in the future. In addition through this
experience has given me the opportunity to try a
myriad of new things that I would have never
dared to try otherwise. This site has further
allowed me to build my self-confidence in
dealing with diverse clients.
Theories I have read about families can be
difficult to implement but through this
experience I was able to identify when
appropriate in applying these theories to families
and children. The theory of symbolic
interactionism has taught me the importance of
nonverbal communication and symbols as it
relates human interactions. Knowing the basic
knowledge symbolic interactionism has allowed
me to better understand everyday routines that
people go through without explicitly making
meaning out of it.
The FSoS courses, specifically Family Policy
course have taught the value of multiple views
(sanguine, concerned, and impatient) on issues
that affect families. This has allowed me to
make my own judgment or argument based on
one of these three views.
15. Awareness of how one
learns
· Concepts and
misconceptions
· Knowledge
construction
· Meta-cognition
Advanced Overall, FSoS courses have allowed me to
practice and remind my skills in a professional
setting, which is something I am not able to do in
my other classes. Theories impeded in the
courses have helped me to approach diverse
clients more professionally. Presentations, case
studies, internship were worthwhile because they
ingrained concepts into my critical thinking skills,
which are useful for the rest of my professional
career. In addition I am able to incorporate the
theory of symbolic interactionism into my
capstone using my internship site observation.
I have further concluded that the best method of
learning for me is through listening in lectures,
reading the course materials, discussing my
opinions and understanding with my peers, and
obtaining hands on experience at my internship
site
Developing lifelong
learning skills
· Developing
identity as a
learner
· Transferring
learning to other
contexts
· Understanding
learning as a
lifelong process
Advanced Through my college education and internship
experience, as a learner I develop the identity
that I have more options in my life than I
originally thought. Based on my educational and
internship experience and feel much more
confident about my future career. I have also
gained great deal of experience both inside and
outside classroom along with a much more
developed resume and there are many more
possibilities now open to me.
16. Criteria Level Evidence for Poor, Adequate, Good, or Excellent
Written Work
Evaluates
information
using critical
thinking lenses
(application,
analysis,
evaluation, and
synthesis).
Good My ability to evaluate information using critical
thinking strategy is good. I was able to apply, analyze
and evaluate FSOS courses assignments and projects
that I’ve have taken using critical thinking skills. I also
demonstrated level of thinking skills in my capstone
paper by applying the theory of symbolic
interactionism. I have also exhibited levels of thinking
skills and evaluation when I demonstrated how
students at Heritage Academy are connected to each
other by educating themselves in segregated institution.
Uses Family
Systems
theoretical
perspective or
another theory
in analyzing,
developing,
and/or framing
subject matter.
Good In my capstone paper, I feel that I have effectively
expressed my understanding of the symbolic
interactionism theory. I have also demonstrated the
ability to apply the theories learned in FSoS courses in
my written assignments and projects. Courses that I
have taken have certainly provided me with an
excellent grounding and I am confident that I have a
good grip of the learned theories.
