Taking Social Stock

This week we share a happy-scary-happy sandwich: unhoused people are getting tiny homes in Portland-a COVID Thanksgiving is here-and a kind kiddo is feeding thousands of people in Texas. First up: unhoused people in Portland are moving off the street and into tiny home pods, a place that they will be able to securely leave their belongings, and be able to peacefully and safely rest. Then, a disconcerting survey indicates COVID is going to be a guest of honor at more Thanksgiving tables than might have been anticipated previously. And last, but certainly not least: a kiddo in Texas is trying to collect 100,000 meals’ worth of food for those who are dealing with hunger in his community. 

Article: ‘It’s amazing, man!’ Pods for homeless arise in Old Town

Article: 1 in 3 parents say family holiday gatherings worth the risk of Covid-19

(Supplementary reading) Article: My mom is guilting me into going home for the holidays. How do I stand my ground?

Article: North Texas 5th-Grader On A Mission To Donate 100K Meals To People In Need By Thanksgiving

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Episode 11: The Occupation of Alcatraz

51 years ago, this week, Indigenous Peoples took over Alcatraz. Up to 400 members of various Native Tribes lived on The Rock during this 19 month period (years after the prison had closed). The Treaty of Fort Laramie created a path for this occupation, and it marked a crucial shift from Native people being continually forced to assimilate to their self-determination beginning to be recognized on a broader scale. And then the U.S. government forcibly removed residents. But by this point, the world had seen how Natives had been treated, tribes united to advocate and demand better--and for the first time in modern history, they were taken seriously. Twice a year, celebrations still occur on Alcatraz--on Indigenous Peoples Day and on UnThanksgiving.

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A person’s competency may breed confidence. But that person’s confidence may or may not be merited. In the workplace, it’s men who overwhelmingly gain leadership roles through a combination of hubris and incompetence. The effects of this level of arrogance -  that often initially masks as competence - can lead those leaders, their teams, or their businesses into failure. So why does this pattern continue? Because it’s still a man’s world - but it doesn’t have to stay that way. We talk about traits that lead to sustained success, and what group tends to demonstrate them (hint: the answer rhymes with ‘lemon’).  

Lots of people have been working from home over the past few months, and Zoom meetings have meant looking at ourselves - and figurative warts and all - for hours every week.  A recent study shows that nearly half of adults who haven’t had plastic surgery would consider having a procedure. A remote work and video conferencing world has also given people more flexibility with recovery time, to get work done that they’d considered for a while. We talk about our opinions on cosmetic surgery, how the ‘Zoom effect’ has affected us, and some thoughts on how to avoid being self-critical in an already chaotic world. 

It’s Spooky Season! Over the past few years costumes have brought a new kind of attention to Halloween revelers: disciplinary action from employers for wearing racist and insensitive garb. What many may intend to be satirical can be cruel, and implications can involve perpetuating a cycle of beliefs that are rooted in especially brutal times in history. We talk about what freedom of speech (and costume-wearing) really means, cultural appropriation vs. cultural appreciation, and having fun without making fun of others’ cultures and identities. 

Over the past couple decades America’s media portrayal of Muslims has transitioned from largely being grossly inaccurate to simplistic (and still sometimes grossly inaccurate). We talk about how we’ve fed into these narratives ourselves over the years--and how this article has pushed us to think more critically when we watch The Boys or Ramy, or even commercials.

Statues of historical figures are toppling - a sign that more and more people are reckoning with our country’s stained past. And people are all over the place regarding which statues they think are free rein and why.  We talk about our opinions, questions, and touch on some of our own biases that inform our current thoughts on the topic.

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The 2020 election is right around the corner, and Andy shares what he’s learned since 2016 that has him voting - FOR THE FIRST TIME - in a presidential election this fall. And we talk about the importance of educating ourselves about all things voting, how overwhelming that can be, and share a resource guide we’ve created to help you navigate that space in a bite-sized way, leading up to election day.

Resource Guide: 2020 Voting Resources Guide

Check out our resource guide - and let us know if you’re a first time voter, if you have suggestions for more resources, or if you have questions

TikTok, the social media platform that has 100 million active users in the U.S., is creating a space for activists, entertainers, and entrepreneurs (and people in general) to connect in a socially distanced, pandemic world.  And it’s at risk of being banned in app stores because of alleged security risks. We talk about some of the pluses and negatives of this wildly popular connection tool, its temporary reprieve, and who may stand to gain and lose the most if the app is blocked in the future.  

We’ve all heard the statement, “You do the crime, you do the time.” But many low-income people have to keep paying after they do their time. Monetary sanctions - fees and fines - are often imposed on those who’ve been convicted of crimes and when they can’t pay them back, the debt continues to grow. And costs can include everything from DNA storage to drug treatment to prison clothes to a daily charge for being in prison (and much more). We talk about how laws are driving people deeper into poverty--laws that are disproportionately impacting Black people and People of Color.  

Article: Poor People Pay for Criminal Justice System, Rutgers Study Finds

https://www.socialworktoday.com/news/dn_050119.shtml 

Linked in the Social Work Today article: Statutory Inequality: The Logics of Monetary Sanctions in State Law