Hey you, you know what macro is?

I think it's funny how as social work majors we are constantly required to interview other professionals and in response, other professionals always say "i remember having to interview somebody too." It's like us social workers are in this chain of constantly interviewing one another to gain better understanding of our field. Pretty unique in that aspect and pretty cool for us social workers if you ask me!

Any who, I decided to interview one BSW social worker at my internship, an MSW social worker and an MSW LiSW social worker with a BSW in Psychology. I wanted to try to get an array of different aspects from each stage of the social work profession:

Question 1:
Ask the social work practitioner for her or his definition of “macro social work
practice.”

SW1: I think that macro practice has a lot to do with looking at the client as a community. You focus and treat the community like you would treat one of your clients you meet with everyday. The same treatment and same advocacy, just with a group not one specific person.

SW2: Macro social work is the practice of community, organizations and oppressed populations. It is the advocacy and organization of services for groups of peoples who are in oppressed populations and require assistance.

Sw3: Well, I guess this depends on the type of Macro work you are looking at: Whether it's policy macro work, macro work in facilities, with communities or with families. Macro work can differ depending on where it is being practiced. In general it is social work on a larger scale then a student like you is used to, but it's different for every type.


Question 2:
Ask for examples of activities he or she performs that involve macro practice.

S1: Working with the Peer Mentoring group is what I'd consider my biggest macro practice responsibility. I have to organize with teachers to match kids with behavioral difficulties with kids who succeed in academics. I organize a space for them all to gather and work out activities. I have to ask the PTO for money to organize events and coordinate with the school social work supervisors to ensure that i'm affectively helping this group of kids.

S2: Team meetings for my clients. I have to organize with this team of people to advocate for my client.

S3: I have to be responsible for every kid in the school who is need of special attention. That's a large group of children with very diverse issues who all need to be advocated for special attention. It's macro with a hint of micro, because I'm attempting services for all these kids as a group who requires special education but only some of my clients may actually be selected.


Question 3:
Ask what percentage of his or her work week is devoted to macro practice activities.

S1: Eh, not a lot maybe 2 for planning and 1 for actual events.

S2: Estimated about 7 hours, around 1 or more per work day for organization of my clients needs on a macro basis.

S3: Well I have 4 hourly team meetings a week for different advoacy groups such as the Special Education group or one for all students who are on an IEP. With those, plus my own added community interventions for lower income clients around 10+ or - a few hours depending on the week and the issues at hand.


Question 4:
Ask what leadership skills are required to be a successful macro practice social
worker.

S1: I don't know! I honestly am still learning that everyday because I don't think I even possess half of them put I'll just say one is a strong voice. You have to speak up when needed, which I prefer to be more soft spoken, hense why I don't do much macro work.

S2: To be in macro work you have to be organized, willing to put in the work and relatable to all types of people. You have to have passion, without a doubt and accept others ideas. Anything less than that won't be as affective in their practice.

S3: Well, anyone can be a macro social worker they just have to want to do it. Most people don't know enough about macro to want to be be productive in it. But any social worker has the leadership skills to be a macro social worker, it's just passion for your work and desire to help better people. It takes a special kind of person to persue a career in macro but any social worker with passion can do it. We're all leaders, you know?

Love these answers! Across the board they are so different, I think you can tell the maturity difference between SW1: 21 years old, Sw2: 30(ish) years old and Sw3: 54 years old. They're all at such different points in their career! Some were more willing to give answers than others which is evident but it also makes for a great array of answers! This relates to the Horton and Freire reading it shows a difference of opinion between all parties speaking but it all shows the same underlying message: passion for work whether us social workers agree of disagree. I also like the relation to teaching because my placement is in a school and so much of this relates when they talk about dealing with systems of a school and teachings. My social workers are from the school setting and have similar responses about not realizing the systems a school can have.