Global Warming: Personal and Professional Growth Through International Social Work Experience

A personal account by Cynthia Harr, Ph.D.,Associate Professor of Social Work, Texas A & M University – Commerce…(reprinted with kind permission from Planet Social Work)

When I stepped out of the airport into the enormous city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells overwhelmed my senses and I began experiencing what is commonly referred to as ‘culture shock’. Never did I dream that my husband and I would live in this beautiful country for over fifteen years.

My career path as a social worker would be unalterably changed by the people and the circumstances I would eventually encounter while residing in the southern most state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul.

As a clinically trained social worker my career focus had initially been on intervention with individuals and families. Of course the person in environment emphasis had been an important aspect of my education, but I decided to leave macro intervention to those with the interest and skills necessary to impact larger systems.

During those initial days in Brazil as I travelled to various cities and rural areas, I was touched by the tremendous poverty and social problems faced by the Brazilian population. However, I could not see how I could contribute to bringing about significant change in the lives of the multitude of individuals and families who suffered on a daily basis due to social injustice and the lack of resources. It was the Brazilians themselves who gave me the courage to take action when they learned of my social work training and requested my assistance and leadership in bringing about change.

During my years in Brazil, I worked with individuals, churches and communities in developing both small and large scale projects aimed at meeting both short and long term needs. Rio Grande do Sul is known to have frequent flooding during rainy seasons. The poor who build close to the rivers on the only land available to them are often left homeless after floods. Disaster relief projects would provide food, clothing, blankets and cleaning supplies to those who had lost almost everything they owned. Hunger relief, vocational training and education were the other prime needs of the area.

Various projects were planned to bring about change on multiple levels. An orphanage in one interior city was supported by the city government, a local Baptist church and funds provided by an international mission group. Another church developed a project which combined nutritional and parenting classes with vocational skill training to assist those living in poverty to obtain jobs. One community began an after school program which provided tutoring and a hot meal for students from a slum area.

One of the critical aspects of my work involved bringing people and organizations with various resources together to join in bringing about change in the lives of those who suffer from poverty.

During those years I gained tremendous respect for Brazilian social workers. My initial encounter with a Brazilian social worker occurred in the regional hospital where my husband and I were the ‘clients submitting an application to adopt a baby’.

Having worked in a family agency in the United States, it was an interesting experience to have our home study done in Portuguese by a Brazilian social worker. Her professionalism and empathy were refreshing and quickly changed any negative presumptions I might have had.

I also learned innovative ideas and approaches from Brazilian colleagues who showed their willingness to work under difficult circumstances and the ability to stretch few resources to impact the most people. I now reflect with humility on the privilege I had to work side by side with Brazilians who valued my contribution, but recognized their responsibility as change agents in their society.

It was my experience of living and working in Brazil for many years that changed many of my philosophical views concerning the roles of social workers and the goals of social work education. During that time I also travelled extensively to other Central and South American countries. I realized that many social workers around the world will be called upon, as I was, to fulfil a variety of roles and interact with multiple systems.

I am now a faculty member of a social work department with an Advanced Generalist Practice Concentration in the Master’s program. I enjoy the opportunity to prepare students to use their knowledge and skills in varying situations and circumstances on micro, mezzo and macro levels. Our faculty also recognizes the importance of integrating international curriculum into the program.

With their support, I developed and now teach a BSW class that focuses on international social work. Our hope is that the next generation of social workers will see themselves as world citizens committed to global change and cooperation that extends beyond national borders.