Unnatural Causes: Film Analysis
Imagine what you would do if you found out that the Government owed you thousands or even a hundred thousand dollars? Would you force yourself into homelessness, carry around luggage filled with paperwork, refuse to cash a check regardless of the amount, or even openly fight for what you know is right? Wanda Witter did not have to imagine this scenario because it had become her reality. At eighty years old, Wanda was in desperate need of help. Because Julie Turner stayed true to her social work code of ethics, Wanda Witter was finally able to receive the adequate help she deserved. An exploration of the National Association of Social Workers or NASW code of ethics will bring a greater understanding of the aid that Julie Turner was able
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to provide to Wanda Witter. Wanda Witter’s situation with the Social Security Administration left her needing professional help. Although many thought she did need help, mental help, there was one individual who heard Wanda’s cries from deep within. Julie Turner, a local social worker, used her competence and code of ethics to determine that Wanda was in fact not mentally ill, just needed someone to listen and advocate on her behalf. Turner was able to take her knowledge gained from the NASW code of ethics and apply it to Wanda’s case. The NASW code of ethics is made up of six guidelines set in place for social workers to follow. The guidelines aid social workers as they provide the support and resources necessary to assist individuals (Brill, 2001). Three of the guidelines that are evident in Turner’s actions are service, dignity and worth of the person, and social justice. The first guideline of the NASW code of ethics displayed through Turner’s actions is service. The guideline of service is that as a social worker one must advocate on behalf of individuals who are in need or dealing with social conflict (Assembly, 2008). One way she displayed the code of service is when Turner sought out to help Wanda, she did so without regard to her own interest. Turner wanted Wanda to understand that not everyone was against her or thought she was crazy. In fact, this was not the first time she had wanted to help. Turner had tried before at a soup kitchen, but Wanda assumed that she, like everyone else, would be dismissive of her situation (Petula, 2008). While it was not the first time Turner tried to help it was the first time that her persistence paid off and allowed Wanda to be respective of the help. Another way that she displayed the code of service is that turner not only looked through the paperwork herself, but she also knew that legal services were the necessary resource to ensure that the case was being handled properly. Turner went above and beyond with her service to ensure that no leaf was left unturned in the case of Wanda Witter. Through competence and the NASW code of service Turner was able to give the adequate help Wanda had desired for so long. Turner not only used the guideline of service, she also utilized the code of dignity and worth of a person to give proper aid to Wanda Witter. The code of dignity and worth of a person is the understanding that every individual deserves to be treated with respect and afforded the opportunity to have their needs be met (Assembly, 2008). Many individuals dismissed Wanda and her case because they were not mindful of her situation. There were assumptions made about her mental stability and a disregard to her as a human being. One way that Turner utilized this code was by providing a platform to which Wanda’s could stand up on her own behalf. Turner realized that Wanda had an abundance of evidence to prove her case, she just needed someone to care enough to want to resolve her issue. Turner stuck by Wanda’s side even as the issue was being resolved. She knew it was important to get Wanda off the streets and into a stable place to live. Turner even took Wanda to the store to purchase essential items needed to fill the new place (Petula, 2008). Throughout the entire process, Turner treated Wanda with respect and the dignity she as a human being deserves. Seeking social justice is just one more example of Turner’s use of the NASW code of ethics in the case of Wanda Witter. The code of ethics social justice is set forth so that social workers understand their goal is to fight on behalf of those who are exposed to vulnerable situations and dealing with some form of social injustice (Assembly, 2008). For more than sixteen years Wanda attempted to contact the Social Security Administration through calls and letters, but always came up empty handed (Petula, 2008). One way that Turner sought out social justice was by acknowledging that Wanda was not receiving adequate help. Another way she sought out social justice was when reviewing the case and seeing the extensive amount of evidence, she immediately challenged the social injustice that was taking place. In addition, turner also used the code of social justice to make sure that Wanda not only had an apartment but also a bed to sleep in. No longer would Wanda worry which part of the ground she would have to sleep on (2008). Julie Turner used her competence and the code of ethics to ensure that Wanda Witter no longer being treated unjustly.
In conclusion, Julie Turner could have easily walked passed or ignored the cries of Wanda Witter. The competence and code of ethics taking by her allowed Wanda Witter to finally receive the adequate help she deserves. The exploration of the NASW code of ethics, to include service, dignity and worth of the person, and social justice brings a greater understanding of why Turner was able to provide the necessary resources to aid Witter’s fight. While Wanda Witter faced a long tough battle, her story brings hope in knowing that social workers do not give up, yet they continue to advocate for the rights of others.
Essay Question Unnatural Causes
Unnecessary and premature deaths occur every single day. People within our local communities are succumbed to death daily because they do not have the proper resources to live. Deaths that occur prematurely or prior to fulfilling a life expectancy are referred to as excess death (Adelman, Smith, Herbes-Sommers, Strain, MacLowry, Stange, Garcia, 2008). Until society can get a handle on the entropies like violence, inequality in socioeconomic status, and malnutrition there will continue to be a high rate of excess deaths within our local communities. An exploration of how residents throughout Louisville, Kentucky are being affected by entropies like violence, inequality in socioeconomic status, and a lack of adequate food sources will bring a greater understanding to why there continues to be such a high rate of excess deaths among our population today.
Prior to exploring the entropies leading to excess deaths, one must first understand how the elements both in and outside a community directly affect the residents within that community. The systems theory can best explain why and how individuals are affected by the different elements. The systems theory is simply that every part of a system has some type of direct effect on all other parts of that system (Hutchison, 2013). Under this theory, the different parts of the system will ultimately affect the normal functioning of one another. Furthermore, the systems theory explains that an individual is directly affected not only on the micro level, but also on the mezzo, and macro levels within a system (2013). For instance, an individual’s current behavior can be due to the elements stemming from a personal problem, or it can also be a direct influence coming from issues with family, work, or even on a larger scale like elements within society. The systems theory shows that there is a natural ability of survival in the human organism. The ingrained survival helps an individual to be resilient enough, that when faced with trauma, he or she can return to a natural state of being or homeostasis (Chapman, 2014). Homeostasis is simply the body’s capability to return to normal functioning after a trauma experience. Not all situations will allow an individual to bounce back.
Although there is a natural survival instinct, there are also entropies like violence, inequality in socioeconomic status, and malnutrition within a system that prevent an individual’s ability to be resilient. First off, a system can either be determined as open or closed. A closed system is one which is closed off from the rest of the environment, while an open system allows different elements from outside sources to influence the functioning of the overall system (Robbins, Chatterjee & Canda, 2011). When systems are deemed to be open the outside influence can either help or hinder the overall community. In the event that it aids and grows the community it is referred to as negative entropy, and in the event it hinders or destroys the growth of a community, it is known as entropy (2011). Some causes behind why entropy continues to exist are due to the injustice, poverty, and oppression many are faced with every day. Furthermore, when exploring the residents of Louisville, Kentucky some entropies that contribute to the excess death rates are the violence, inequality in socioeconomic status, and malnutrition.
One entropy from the film, “Unnatural Causes,” that best explain the excess death found in Louisville, Kentucky is violence.
Violence is simply a physical force put forth with the intention to place another person in danger, resulting in an injury or even death. One example of violence in the film is explained by Council District Twenty-One residents Corey and Angelique Anderson. The Anderson’s explain that they try to stay close to their house and direct neighborhood because many parts are too dangerous to venture too. Recently, one cab driver was shot and another was strangled (Adelman, Smith, Herbes-Sommers, Strain, MacLowry, Stange, Garcia, 2008). Both cab drivers ended up victims of violence, which resulted in two unnecessary deaths. Another account is made by the Andersons of a young boy who was also shot. The entropy of violence upon this young boy caused him to become another unnecessary …show more content…
statistic.
Another example of entropy from the film is the inequality in socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status is simply the comparison of society positions from one person to another based solely on their job, their level of education, and their income. Louisville, Kentucky is made up of twenty-six different council districts. Each district has their own socioeconomic position within society. The video accounts for one resident, Jim Taylor, of Council District Sixteen. Those located in this district are of a higher education, higher positions in the workforce, and overall higher incomes (2008). Each one of these factors contributes to a high level of socioeconomic status. In the neighboring District Twenty-Four is resident Tondra Young. Miss Young has a college education, but unlike Mr. Taylor she is not a CEO and has a lower income. Compared to Mr. Taylor she would be considered on a lower level of socioeconomic status. According to the film, those just like Miss Young in District Twenty-Four live approximately four years less than the residents in Taylor’s community (2008). What this shows is that the entropy of where you fall in the socioeconomic status of life directly affects an individual’s overall life expectancy. Until we as a society can get a handle on this, more people will continue to die and become another statistic to the excess death rates.
A third example of how the residents of Louisville, Kentucky are being affected by excess deaths is through malnutrition.
Resident Mary Turner resides in a neighboring district to Taylor, Anderson, and Young. Those located in Council District Five are of some of the lowest socioeconomic statuses in Louisville. According to the video, approximately one-third of the residents never obtain a high school diploma. In addition, roughly thirty percent of the population in this district remain in poverty (2008). With this being said the inference can be made that the entropy of inequality on the socioeconomic status is directly related to the entropy of malnutrition. Often residents just like Mary in District Five cannot afford to eat because she has to ensure her children are eating. When she does have a chance to purchase food she has to stick to a budget buying what is efficient enough to feed her family, not always what is the healthiest to feed them (2008). The lack of eating has taken a toll on Mary because she is not able to supply her body with adequate nutrients. Over time the malnutrition wares at the body, and this is a contributing factor to why residents in Council District Five live approximately nine years less than those like Mr. Taylor in District Sixteen. People are going to continue to die prematurely unless we as a society can get a handle on entropies like
malnutrition.
In conclusion, until society can get a handle on the violence, inequality in socioeconomic status, and malnutrition there will continue to be a high rate of excess deaths within our local communities. An exploration through the daily lives of those living throughout the different districts of Louisville, Kentucky exemplify just how concerned we as a Nation need to be. A call to action is needed because no one deserves to fall victim and become another excess death statistic.
to provide to Wanda Witter. Wanda Witter’s situation with the Social Security Administration left her needing professional help. Although many thought she did need help, mental help, there was one individual who heard Wanda’s cries from deep within. Julie Turner, a local social worker, used her competence and code of ethics to determine that Wanda was in fact not mentally ill, just needed someone to listen and advocate on her behalf. Turner was able to take her knowledge gained from the NASW code of ethics and apply it to Wanda’s case. The NASW code of ethics is made up of six guidelines set in place for social workers to follow. The guidelines aid social workers as they provide the support and resources necessary to assist individuals (Brill, 2001). Three of the guidelines that are evident in Turner’s actions are service, dignity and worth of the person, and social justice. The first guideline of the NASW code of ethics displayed through Turner’s actions is service. The guideline of service is that as a social worker one must advocate on behalf of individuals who are in need or dealing with social conflict (Assembly, 2008). One way she displayed the code of service is when Turner sought out to help Wanda, she did so without regard to her own interest. Turner wanted Wanda to understand that not everyone was against her or thought she was crazy. In fact, this was not the first time she had wanted to help. Turner had tried before at a soup kitchen, but Wanda assumed that she, like everyone else, would be dismissive of her situation (Petula, 2008). While it was not the first time Turner tried to help it was the first time that her persistence paid off and allowed Wanda to be respective of the help. Another way that she displayed the code of service is that turner not only looked through the paperwork herself, but she also knew that legal services were the necessary resource to ensure that the case was being handled properly. Turner went above and beyond with her service to ensure that no leaf was left unturned in the case of Wanda Witter. Through competence and the NASW code of service Turner was able to give the adequate help Wanda had desired for so long. Turner not only used the guideline of service, she also utilized the code of dignity and worth of a person to give proper aid to Wanda Witter. The code of dignity and worth of a person is the understanding that every individual deserves to be treated with respect and afforded the opportunity to have their needs be met (Assembly, 2008). Many individuals dismissed Wanda and her case because they were not mindful of her situation. There were assumptions made about her mental stability and a disregard to her as a human being. One way that Turner utilized this code was by providing a platform to which Wanda’s could stand up on her own behalf. Turner realized that Wanda had an abundance of evidence to prove her case, she just needed someone to care enough to want to resolve her issue. Turner stuck by Wanda’s side even as the issue was being resolved. She knew it was important to get Wanda off the streets and into a stable place to live. Turner even took Wanda to the store to purchase essential items needed to fill the new place (Petula, 2008). Throughout the entire process, Turner treated Wanda with respect and the dignity she as a human being deserves. Seeking social justice is just one more example of Turner’s use of the NASW code of ethics in the case of Wanda Witter. The code of ethics social justice is set forth so that social workers understand their goal is to fight on behalf of those who are exposed to vulnerable situations and dealing with some form of social injustice (Assembly, 2008). For more than sixteen years Wanda attempted to contact the Social Security Administration through calls and letters, but always came up empty handed (Petula, 2008). One way that Turner sought out social justice was by acknowledging that Wanda was not receiving adequate help. Another way she sought out social justice was when reviewing the case and seeing the extensive amount of evidence, she immediately challenged the social injustice that was taking place. In addition, turner also used the code of social justice to make sure that Wanda not only had an apartment but also a bed to sleep in. No longer would Wanda worry which part of the ground she would have to sleep on (2008). Julie Turner used her competence and the code of ethics to ensure that Wanda Witter no longer being treated unjustly.
In conclusion, Julie Turner could have easily walked passed or ignored the cries of Wanda Witter. The competence and code of ethics taking by her allowed Wanda Witter to finally receive the adequate help she deserves. The exploration of the NASW code of ethics, to include service, dignity and worth of the person, and social justice brings a greater understanding of why Turner was able to provide the necessary resources to aid Witter’s fight. While Wanda Witter faced a long tough battle, her story brings hope in knowing that social workers do not give up, yet they continue to advocate for the rights of others.
Essay Question Unnatural Causes
Unnecessary and premature deaths occur every single day. People within our local communities are succumbed to death daily because they do not have the proper resources to live. Deaths that occur prematurely or prior to fulfilling a life expectancy are referred to as excess death (Adelman, Smith, Herbes-Sommers, Strain, MacLowry, Stange, Garcia, 2008). Until society can get a handle on the entropies like violence, inequality in socioeconomic status, and malnutrition there will continue to be a high rate of excess deaths within our local communities. An exploration of how residents throughout Louisville, Kentucky are being affected by entropies like violence, inequality in socioeconomic status, and a lack of adequate food sources will bring a greater understanding to why there continues to be such a high rate of excess deaths among our population today.
Prior to exploring the entropies leading to excess deaths, one must first understand how the elements both in and outside a community directly affect the residents within that community. The systems theory can best explain why and how individuals are affected by the different elements. The systems theory is simply that every part of a system has some type of direct effect on all other parts of that system (Hutchison, 2013). Under this theory, the different parts of the system will ultimately affect the normal functioning of one another. Furthermore, the systems theory explains that an individual is directly affected not only on the micro level, but also on the mezzo, and macro levels within a system (2013). For instance, an individual’s current behavior can be due to the elements stemming from a personal problem, or it can also be a direct influence coming from issues with family, work, or even on a larger scale like elements within society. The systems theory shows that there is a natural ability of survival in the human organism. The ingrained survival helps an individual to be resilient enough, that when faced with trauma, he or she can return to a natural state of being or homeostasis (Chapman, 2014). Homeostasis is simply the body’s capability to return to normal functioning after a trauma experience. Not all situations will allow an individual to bounce back.
Although there is a natural survival instinct, there are also entropies like violence, inequality in socioeconomic status, and malnutrition within a system that prevent an individual’s ability to be resilient. First off, a system can either be determined as open or closed. A closed system is one which is closed off from the rest of the environment, while an open system allows different elements from outside sources to influence the functioning of the overall system (Robbins, Chatterjee & Canda, 2011). When systems are deemed to be open the outside influence can either help or hinder the overall community. In the event that it aids and grows the community it is referred to as negative entropy, and in the event it hinders or destroys the growth of a community, it is known as entropy (2011). Some causes behind why entropy continues to exist are due to the injustice, poverty, and oppression many are faced with every day. Furthermore, when exploring the residents of Louisville, Kentucky some entropies that contribute to the excess death rates are the violence, inequality in socioeconomic status, and malnutrition.
One entropy from the film, “Unnatural Causes,” that best explain the excess death found in Louisville, Kentucky is violence.
Violence is simply a physical force put forth with the intention to place another person in danger, resulting in an injury or even death. One example of violence in the film is explained by Council District Twenty-One residents Corey and Angelique Anderson. The Anderson’s explain that they try to stay close to their house and direct neighborhood because many parts are too dangerous to venture too. Recently, one cab driver was shot and another was strangled (Adelman, Smith, Herbes-Sommers, Strain, MacLowry, Stange, Garcia, 2008). Both cab drivers ended up victims of violence, which resulted in two unnecessary deaths. Another account is made by the Andersons of a young boy who was also shot. The entropy of violence upon this young boy caused him to become another unnecessary …show more content…
statistic.
Another example of entropy from the film is the inequality in socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status is simply the comparison of society positions from one person to another based solely on their job, their level of education, and their income. Louisville, Kentucky is made up of twenty-six different council districts. Each district has their own socioeconomic position within society. The video accounts for one resident, Jim Taylor, of Council District Sixteen. Those located in this district are of a higher education, higher positions in the workforce, and overall higher incomes (2008). Each one of these factors contributes to a high level of socioeconomic status. In the neighboring District Twenty-Four is resident Tondra Young. Miss Young has a college education, but unlike Mr. Taylor she is not a CEO and has a lower income. Compared to Mr. Taylor she would be considered on a lower level of socioeconomic status. According to the film, those just like Miss Young in District Twenty-Four live approximately four years less than the residents in Taylor’s community (2008). What this shows is that the entropy of where you fall in the socioeconomic status of life directly affects an individual’s overall life expectancy. Until we as a society can get a handle on this, more people will continue to die and become another statistic to the excess death rates.
A third example of how the residents of Louisville, Kentucky are being affected by excess deaths is through malnutrition.
Resident Mary Turner resides in a neighboring district to Taylor, Anderson, and Young. Those located in Council District Five are of some of the lowest socioeconomic statuses in Louisville. According to the video, approximately one-third of the residents never obtain a high school diploma. In addition, roughly thirty percent of the population in this district remain in poverty (2008). With this being said the inference can be made that the entropy of inequality on the socioeconomic status is directly related to the entropy of malnutrition. Often residents just like Mary in District Five cannot afford to eat because she has to ensure her children are eating. When she does have a chance to purchase food she has to stick to a budget buying what is efficient enough to feed her family, not always what is the healthiest to feed them (2008). The lack of eating has taken a toll on Mary because she is not able to supply her body with adequate nutrients. Over time the malnutrition wares at the body, and this is a contributing factor to why residents in Council District Five live approximately nine years less than those like Mr. Taylor in District Sixteen. People are going to continue to die prematurely unless we as a society can get a handle on entropies like
malnutrition.
In conclusion, until society can get a handle on the violence, inequality in socioeconomic status, and malnutrition there will continue to be a high rate of excess deaths within our local communities. An exploration through the daily lives of those living throughout the different districts of Louisville, Kentucky exemplify just how concerned we as a Nation need to be. A call to action is needed because no one deserves to fall victim and become another excess death statistic.