In
my culture silence has always been negative. When receiving the silent
treatment a high percentage of the time it’s because of some action that was
taken that ended in a negative outcome. Also in my cultural when you are silent
many people start building negative perceptions about you because it’s unusual
it be silent. One of my past professors did mediation for two weeks and there wasn’t
any verbal communications. She explained how she enjoyed this activity because it
provided her with the time to clear her head and relax. I couldn’t figure out
how she was able to accomplish being relaxed with the pressure of being silent
for two weeks.
Early
on in the semester I shared a story about my goal of attending graduate school
but needing more experiencing before applying. Within these last couple of week
at Kaiser I have had the opportunity to review case studies for children who experience
child abuse. I haven’t yet decided on the area of study I would like to focus
on. Watching the film last week Aging out, reading these case studies and
interning at the Boys&Girls Club house has me questioning if my emphasizes
should be in the child welfare direction. I was wondering for the Grad students
how were you able to identify which direction to take. The only population I have
experience with is children. It’s scary because applications are coming out October
1st and I haven’t even decided on a focus. I was also wondering if you
have a idea of what direction you would like to take in the field could that be
acceptable for the 1st year of grad school. I was thinking that the
first year would provide me with an internship and help decided on what to focus.
Awesome job sharing your personal experience. I can understand where silence can be considered negative. I have always been one to talk a lot and when I am quiet everyone thinks something is wrong with me. But really I am usually just taking some time to myself to process things. I love your insight.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dani! Its wonderful being able to talk a lot and expressing yourself.
DeleteExcellent picture Chasidy. The silent treatment is something I have experience with also but I must confess it is how I deal with thinks. I find it hard to talk when I am upset as I am afraid of saying something I do not mean therefore I say nothing. This tends to come with it's own complications. I do find silence to be a powerful tool when you are seeking the answer to a big question. It may help you to figure our what you would like to focus on in grad school.
ReplyDeleteMe too! i figure if i cant get my thoughts together and express myself fully silence is the best treatment because its very powerful.
DeleteMy ex-husband used silence to try to gain control. Sometimes he would not talk to me for days and never tell my why. It would upset me and I'd dwell on what I could have done wrong. I finally figured it out, he is just a jerk. I can't even imagin living in a city that large and populated. I've only been to LA one week to do the touristy things. I think you are so young that you could try direction in social work and if you did not like it you could start in another area. The child welfare section can be heart breaking but then so can working with the elderly or disabled. Get some hobbies in your life now so you have something to turn to when you need to get away from the days work. Best wishes for success.
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DeleteThe child welfare system is really heart breaking. Its sad how many children are treated throughout the system but i have faith that everyday great social workers are working hard to improve the lives of many children in the system. i have been brushing up on my hobbies lately. I enjoy braiding hair, knitting and scrap-booking. i just started teaching my six year old sister how to do corn rolls! i figure at last twice a week after my internship i can engage in one of these activities to take my mind off all the case studies. Thanks!
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When I was writing my blog I didn't thought about the silent treatment. But I have used it before but it was because I was upset and didn't know how to deal with stuff. I can see that silent can be view as negative. I think exploring your interest will help you decide what direction you want to take with child welfare. I think that child welfare has a few branches that you can choose from.
ReplyDeleteI often use the silent treatment whenever i get upset too! I have been researching grad school and seeing what emphases they offer on child welfare programs.
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