I really enjoyed our class discussion / projects this
week. There are so many things in
life that I never stop and take the time to really think about in detail. The
question asking us to consider an understanding of an entity’s relationships as
a productive path to realizing the whole being/entity is an interesting one
indeed. I found myself considering many different entities. It brought to mind
my daughter’s school – whose function is to educate her and enrich her life (my
opinion) and it is structured with many people, ideas, and resources to
complete that purpose. We all know that so much more can happen in schools.
They are an entity that in the most inspiring way can save a life or conversely
darken one. I know that whenever I am at my daughter’s school, I feel good. She
does too. She loves her school. When asked why – of course she won’t name
anything academic – its all social. She loves family movie night (we are going
tonight). She loves community service projects and winning ice cream parties
for “SAFE” behavior at school. The relationship of the school to its students
is contagious to the adults and the community at large. I also think the
learning is more effective in this type of relational environment.
Of course the vice presidential debate was broadcasted last
night. Political entities are interesting to observe in the relational sense. Their
relationships can be quite telling in consideration to their structure and
function. It seems that relationships can in fact impede function. Don’t worry.
I won’t get into politics. I would find much of it comedic if it weren’t about
such serious issues. I often think children “relate” better, be more
democratic, and effective. I digress. But I did find myself thinking of
relationships, fractals, and phase transitions. What these entities “do” (or
don’t do) have major ripple effects and butterfly effects.
Chapter 8 – I thought this chapter held good information. I
am wondering where most career counseling takes place and who receives it and
when. My first personal experience with career counseling was when I sought it
out at college. I remember career days in high school. They were held on
evenings and weekends and my teenage self had absolutely no interest. I wonder how to peak a student’s
interest in such an event. I simply could not see that far ahead during that
time of my life. I know there are other students that have the same issue. I
also think that many students face such demanding “here and now” issues that
they simply don’t have the capability to devote any energy toward it. Career
counseling for these students would likely need to be quite comprehensive
indeed.
I do not have a good idea about the services of such local career
counseling organizations as Career Link or Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
(They are the only ones I know of.)
I have made many referrals to these agencies and only a few clients report
being satisfied or believing they were “helped” in their career goals. I often
work with folks who are re-entering the work force after prison and have felony
histories. These people often have limited education and may perform lower than
the grade level completed, and may be impacted by long-term chemical dependency
and/or mental health problems, and lack any work experience. They seem to be
thrown to the wind and likely to re-offend (effectively making any prison time
seem like a life sentence). Maybe these folks are outliers. I can feel the
weight of the bleak outlook when I talk with them. Finding a job and keeping a
job is just one tiny facet of a very complicated life. But it is mandatory for
probation and parole, (and life in general to pay bills) making it a huge
priority. I think it is a necessity to remain interested in pro-social
behavior. As we have discussed in class, jobs provide more than just a paycheck.
I talked to several people facing these challenges this week – so I suppose it
is still on my mind.
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