A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

This paper will explore how individuals in the novel, A long way gone: Memoirs of a boy soldier interact at various systems levels. It will also identify how social conflict, oppression, war and poverty affect these relationships. The reader will discuss how the relationships offer members with a sense of identity, strength, resilience and support. The essay will explore how their families, groups, and communities help to address issues of oppression in their lives. The reader will review the NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice. The Reader will determine how Self Awareness, Cross Cultural Knowledge and Service Delivery guide their social work practice in working with the population throughout the novel. The paper will provide information on how the NASW Code of Ethical Standards will assist the client systems described in the assigned book. Ishmael Beah, the main character in the novel interacts with many various system levels. This includes his family, groups, communities and organizations. For example, While Ishmael is running from the war he interacts with the rebels who are bringing horror and death to civilians in the villages (Beah, 2007). While he interacts with the rebels, Ishmael is put in immediate danger for they may kill him at any given time. The rebels instill fear in Ishmael throughout his journey. (Beah, 2007). Ishmael interacts with his family through out the novel. He has a loving relationship with his mother, father, grandmother and brother. Ishmael explains to the reader of a fond memory he has of his grandmother. He states: I walk around the village by myself and found a hammock on one of the verandahs. I lay in it, swinging slowly to get my thoughts in motion. I began to think about the times when I visited my grandmother and I would sleep in the hammock at the farm. I would wake up staring into her eyes as she played with my hair. She would tickle me and then hand me a cucumber to eat. As I was thinking