Anyone ever known a social worker who was Republican and/or conservative?

[raccoon]

Somehow, that seems like an oxymoron to me, but I guess it's possible.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Can you imagine a republican/conservative social worker?

"Pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get a job, any job!"

"You don't need to feed at the government trough! Start taking care of yourself!"

"Food stamps?! Looks like you could use to lose a few pounds . . . "

"Move in with your parents. Sleep in the bath tub if you have to."

[yesphan]

20. I am surrounded by them

Not social workers, but public servants that rail against the government
day in and day out but are at the sweet teat of the taxpayer and don't see the FUCKING IRONY.
It's maddening.

[Cerridwen]

2. Yep. Many of them.

I used to do the IT work for the state child and family services division and I worked for the School of Social Work at the university. We had a lot of LDS come through to prepare for their role of counselor within the Mormon Church and several of the Social Workers were Southern Baptists who were extremely conservative.

A good friend of mine has a masters in Social Work and during her studies, she was horrified to discover that the Social Workers in Germany were some of the first to support the nazi party. She currently teaches SW 101 as a part-time instructor.

I met a few students and social workers who were wonderful; then there were the others.

Social work can be used as a very effective way to impose your beliefs on less-powerful and dependent people. It can attract the kind of person who enjoys that.


edit for correct word.

[LiberalLoner]

6. Just to be fair to the Social Workers of Germany...from what I have read,

the party put "Socialist" into its name to try to steal the wind from the sails of the Communist party that had a following in Germany. They were trying to portray themselves as the champions of the workers, etc. I think a lot of people were taken in at first by the pretty words, until the unions were banned and the gays and Jews and writers and liberals were rounded up and killed.

[Cerridwen]

8. I understand that. (updated)

I also know that it is not unusual for someone to go into social work in order to assert their view of how things should be. That, I think, is what shocked the crap out of my friend.

If you'll look at the history of social work in the US, you'll see instances of middle-class, white women advising those "poor, ignorant immigrant women" on the "proper" role(s) of a "lady." It happens still, unfortunately.

As I said, and then there are the good ones. Some are wonderful. They don't usually make the paper, though.

edit to add:

Here's a link to a brief post I once put up that addresses, a bit, what I mean about the US history of social work.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Cerridwen/116

I had a book review to do for a class in Women's History in the US. The book I chose was about Irish immigrant women who had come to the US. One of the chapters was about the social workers in New York and how they viewed "those" women.

Social workers of that time were middle-class white women of the "Protestant persuasion". Please remember, at that time in history, mid-19th century-ish, the Irish were not considered "white."

The report from the social worker stated that she had visited the home of the Irish immigrants and the man had been beating his wife. The social worker was appalled, absolutely appalled...because the Irish woman hit back.

I'm reminded of this chapter, and the cultural issues and the class issues, every time I see someone point out to me the "proper" way of doing things.

[Shandris]

3. I haven't. The only social workers I've been exposed to were all...

...good, caring individuals who, simply by action and deed, you could tell were liberal.

Now, the Disability system I ran into...I'd have to say about 85% of them were conservative. Thankfully the ~last~ one I met wasn't, and saw the ~real~ problems.

[JohnnyRingo]

4. I knew a rabidly right wing guy who's wife worked at a welfare office in Cleveland.

Since I knew she shared her husband's ideals about "personal responsibility" I don't know how she was able to do her job. I can't imagine how anyone got past her to collect any benefits at all, and often wondered how much she must have hated her job.

[latinaliberal]

5. As Social worker

I have met a few, most were moderate republicans, who believed in personal responsibility but were not rabid about it.

[democrat_patriot]

7. I do. She spouts the R talking points

and says 'most of the people I meet with are scamming the system.'

I can't really argue because she says I don't see what she sees.

[RobinA]

15. I See What She Sees

Most people are not scamming the system. The system is barely worth scamming. At least in my state.

[Walk away]

9. Yes. I know a woman who works for the NYC school system.

She makes about $150,000 a year between her city salary and summer work. She has invested in city real estate and can't stand the thought of the "poor" costing her a penny in taxes. Just like all the pukes I know...it's all about "unfair taxes".

[Drew Richards]

10. I did and she always bragged about denying

Services and welfare to people.

It got so bad they promoted her away from working with clients, and then she got a new job as...

wait for it...

County Clerk of Waukesha county, Wisconsin.

***Not Intended to be a Factual Statement***

[dana_b]

11. I have a friend in Alaska who is

in school studying sociology and hopes to one day work in social services. She also thinks Charles Krauthammer (sp) is brilliant and that Palin did a lot of good for her state. We try to stay away from the topic of politics.

[sufrommich]

12. I worked with a social worker once at an elementary school

who told me with a straight face that kids didn't know what oral sex was until Clinton fouled the Office of the President. She was talking about 6th graders. She was (and probably still is) a dyed in the wool republican.

[DefenseLawyer]

13. Most of the people I deal with in Child Protective Services

are ultra conservative and ultra religious.

[RobinA]

16. This Was My Experience

although I can't say "most." In my neck of the woods it's "many." Most of the supervisors, being from back in the day, were the same flaming liberals that I am. Many of the younger people were quite socially conservative. I was very surprised at the change from the '70s and '80's when I was last in the field. And I don't live in a particularly socially conservative area.

[RobinA]

14. You Betcha!

I am a social worker and 53 years old. When I was in college, social work students were liberal hippie types. Actual social workers were pretty young, as burn out is great. I left the field for awhile and came back 10 years ago. Now social workers were still young but many, many were religious conservatives. I started my second SW career job on September 24, 2001. I walk in and I'm greeted by an amazing amount of rah-rah military pin-ups, flags and the whole post-9/11 nine yards. We had people there who were anti-everything. We had an organization come talk to us about helping teens who were learning that they were gay. A few people boycotted it. Huh? My supervisor, rah-rah military, god and whatever. Daughter in the military. We attacked Iraq and she advised her daughter, who had recently married, to get pregnant so she could avoid combat. Double Huh?

Yes, it's quite possible. I have no idea why these people were in social work.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

17. Many I've known are religious conservatives and Republican.

I'd like to say it's a regional thing, but I know people in both CA and TX in the field who are Republican and religious conservatives.

[cbdo2007]

18. Yep, I know a bunch of them.

Sounds like you don't know much about social workers and the broad spectrum of career options they have.

[LanternWaste]

19. When I worked for TX CPS...

When I worked for TX CPS, every co-worker I knew about was either democrat or apolitical. I didn't know any CPS workers who were GOP. Zero.

Although I do currently have a friend on Facebook from HS... he's a public school music department instructor who's hardcore rightwing. Go figure... :shrug: