Can you describe the research project you are involved
in at this time? How did you get started? What are your goals?
Do you plan to continue in social work research?
The research project I’m working on is a study to investigate
the effects of high body mass index (BMI) on adolescents’
planning for their future, as related to ethnicity and poverty
levels. Through URAP (Undergraduate Research Apprentice
Program), I found Professor Julia Hastings’ interests
fit mine we were both interested in studying the effects
of obesity in young women. Professor Hastings has been really
helpful in guiding me in the research process. I came to her
with my idea that I wanted to study some of the negative impacts
of obesity on adolescents’ futures, and we narrowed
down the research question from there.
My goal in the project is to both enhance
my own awareness of the social consequences of the increasing
prevalence of obesity in the country, and to contribute to
the existing literature on this subject.
I definitely plan on continuing doing
research in social work. Although I am planning on a career
in the clinical setting, I’ve developed a profound appreciation
for the value of social work research in policy making and
intervention planning. It is a field that is constantly changing,
and the best way to deliver effective services to those in
need is to keep up with what the current trends and most pertinent
issues are.
What
advice would you give to a new undergraduate student interested
in social work?
As a social work student,
most of your most important lessons are learned through direct
service in the community. It’s essential to complement
classroom lessons with hands on practice, using your strengths
and abilities to help vulnerable populations. This is the
best way to gain a thorough understanding of what it means
to be a social worker.
What is the most important thing you
learned from this research project and what surprised you
the most?
I was most surprised by the fact that
the research seems to be never ending; there are always exceptions
to every finding when it comes to social issues. I was a little
disappointed when I realized the observations I made were
only general trends that still left many factors and questions
unexplained. But I learned that this is the reality of social
work research because of the extreme variability of
individuals and society, we can never come to any absolutely
definitive conclusions that will be true of everybody. If
we first use what we know to create programs and policies
that will serve the greatest number of people, we can then
try to adapt to serve the individual cases.
|
--
