Written Reflection Assignment 3

Important:

• Write in the first person (I)
• Use specific examples from your life and personal experiences
• Avoid summarizing philosophers, show that you can critically think about and apply their ideas
• Generic, AI or impersonal responses will not receive full credit
• Length: Approximately 2-3 typed pages, double-spaced
• Be honest, reflective, and specific
• No specific sources or citations are required or expected
• Use real examples from your life, work, field experience, or observation

Section 1: Opportunity, Effort, and Fairness

Free-market capitalism emphasizes individual effort, choice, and opportunity.

Reflect on the following:

1. Describe a time when you believed success or failure was mostly the result of personal effort or decisions.
2. What did that experience teach you about responsibility, motivation, or fairness?
3. How do these beliefs influence how you view people who struggle financially?

Section 2: When the Market Falls Short

Government-intervention approaches emphasize economic stability, protection, and safety nets.

1. Describe a situation where you saw someone work hard but still struggle to meet basic needs (housing, healthcare, childcare, education, food).
2. What factors beyond personal effort seemed to matter most in that situation?
3. How did witnessing this shape your beliefs about whether people can succeed on their own? Connect this directly to populations social workers commonly serve.

Section 3: Criticisms of Free Market Capitalism

Marx argued that capitalism often benefits those with power while exploiting those who do the labor. He believed that economic systems could make people feel replaceable or disconnected from the value of their work.

1. Have you ever felt like your work (or someone elses work) mattered less than productivity, profit, or efficiency?
2. How might this kind of experience affect a persons mental health, motivation, or sense of dignity?
3. From a social work perspective, do you believe capitalism mostly rewards effort, or mostly protects those who already have power?
4. How does your answer influence how you think social workers should respond to poverty, burnout, and inequality?

Section 4: Your Role as a Social Worker

Social workers operate inside economic systems they did not create.

Reflect on:

1. As a future social worker, how comfortable are you helping clients navigate systems that feel unfair or unequal?
2. Which perspective, free-market or government-intervention or both, currently aligns more with your values? Why?

• How do you expect your views on economic justice to shape the way you treat clients, advocate for resources, or think about policy?