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Metro Urban Studies Term
1
of 4 reflections
My
internship was at Connections to Work,
which is a welfare provider in South Minneapolis.
I encountered first hand at my internship
the theory that we were reading in class
almost every day. Along with this theory
meeting practice, came a great deal of
tension. One example of this tensions
sticks out in my mind: Julia Dinsmore
came to speak to our class near the beginning
of the semester. At the time we were covering
the welfare unit of the semester. Julia
had been on and off welfare for a large
portion of her life; she had come to talk
to us about some of her experiences. During
her talk, she gave a harsh criticism of
the social service system. Then, a few
minutes later, she was telling the class
how much hope she had when she was with
us.
There I sat in the circle both as a student
that Julia saw hope in and part of a system
that she saw as monstrous. I asked myself:
What did it mean to be working within
the social service system? Is my work
there inescapably harmful? Who am I working
for, the system or the people on welfare?
What type of relations does the system
allow for?
Possibly one of the most important learning
moments during the semester occurred when
I asked Julia about the tension between
her hope for us and my place in the system.
Her answer was relationships. She said
when she walks into a social service office
and the person treats her respectfully
and like a human, it makes all the difference.
Building relationships is a way to live
in those tensions that never quite leave.
MUST provided me with the tools to reflect
critically about my time at Connections
to Work. This reflection turned a “good
experience” into the most valuable
learning experience I’ve had. I will
be carrying these tools with me for years
after my HECUA experience.
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