While on conversing on May for Integrity in social work topic, we discussed a lot of

interesting article that related with social work perspective. At these activities we have
various group members from different social background and cultures. I think the advantage
of various group members is it could give us a better understanding and respect their
cultural view in seeing the problems. What I learn from this conversation is totally different
than if I learn from listening to a lecture, or reading textbook from what you can get when
you have approximately eight or nine different perspectives and opinions on a single issue. I
found that as I continued to learn more in the discussion about several problems that
consequently require macro approach, I got more interested to the social work perspectives
of equity and social justice. I think this is where I see macro social work could play a
significant factor.

I think this is a major role that must be filled by social worker. They must be able to
challenge the system that creates inequality. For instance, there are lot of arguments that
many poor countries in the world, being poor because they were made to be poor by
capitalism system. This statement make me think that since Karl Marx introduced his famous
book “ Das Kapital”, the capitalism always considered as source of problem. But then the
question is why this system kept on survived? I think the reason is because capitalism
understands the nature of human being that “being greed is good”. Recently, I have the
chance to read a book “Capital in the Twenty first Century” by Piketty (2014), he clearly
noted that “ capitalism potentially threatening to democratic societies and to the values of
social justice on which they are based”. It is clear that capitalism so far create a huge gap
between people in many countries in the world. At this point once again I come across with
issues in human right, social values and social justice. I learned that to be a social worker we
must have a broader perspectives in understanding social problems.

Another thing that I can belief is that human right issues are very important for everyone
involve in human service profession and for social worker in particular. I reflect this based on
problems that were face by refugees and asylum seeker. By having the right perspectives
that social worker as a human rights profession, many dilemmas and issues that face by
social work can be looked in a new perspective. I think at this point, human right
perspectives can give social worker with a set of value for their practice when they worked
with client and also in the community. Furthermore, I think social worker need also actively
involved in community development and in advocacy of policy and link their roles into a
holistic approach of social practice.

Prior this class, I found more insight that how people see the problems in conversations
based on their knowledge and cultural value. I think that means that culture plays a vital role
in setting our point of view how it set our thought and said and how we interpret our world.
To put it different way, I think people who come from similar culture must interpret the
world in the same way and share ideas and values that make them different from other
people who come from different culture. To put it into social work context I think
The discussion went very well and each member actively gave opinions but still in right
corridor that respect other opinions. The group members all did this and it was clear by their
expression on their face they were concentrating and thinking really hard about this
conversation. For me this indicated that they all were engaging themselves in a form of
higher order thinking. I learned this is the point where we could feel more “deliberate” and
carefully expressed our opinion in appropriate manner. Both deep sympathy and knowledge
were present in this conversation. All group members also showed a deep interpretation of
the concepts and argument in the article and they were able to use their knowledge to
articulate their opinion in respectful ways. Most importantly, all group member were able to
establish the relation with various people from different cultural background. I think once is
obvious, discussing complicated matters which is include politic, ideology, and culture,
demand a thorough approach. We must encourage and involve in challenging discussion and
always be sure to use a fair and balanced approach.
In conclusion as a social worker I also learned that I am much more interested in the realistic
application of what can we do in terms of looking over the hill and always problem solving
oriented. The most striking realization I came was that it is important to support policies to
respond to the problems. However it is also important to think about the way we can get
equal and proportional distribution of resources. Yet, so far unnoticed is the fact that
distribution of resources went to industrialized countries, which includes only 16 percent of
world population but consume 80 percent of resources.

Our discussion start with a comment that said sometimes people in developed country
blamed people from “third world country” as a major actor in environmental damage. It got
worst by their overcrowded population and unable to provide adequate resources for their
populations. I realized that this stereotype perspective has been around hundreds years ago.
I believe it all started when Thomas Malthus published his essay on the Principle of
Population in 1798. This essay has become a major reference in overpopulation issues until
now, although his figure and statistical data were thin. His message was clear the primary
threat was overpopulation, and once populations begin to grow, land tends to become
increasingly scarce. I think Robert Malthus inception –later called as Malthusian curse- made
many people become more paranoia and overpopulation issues constantly diverted people
from the real issue that is inequality.

Another group member argued that it was simply because in some countries having a lot of
children considered as their cultural value. I could not agree more with this opinion, because
this is what happened in my country. Most people want to have children at some point of
their lives. A family would not seem to be a complete family if they don’t have any children.
I have learned about technology through the Advance Online Learning Strategy class, PF282-
G4CC, but I have also learned about what defines a learning community and how to
successfully participate in one.

Through the various assignments, I have mastered the use of technology as never before. I
have learned to communicate through e-mail to my instructor and classmates. I have
learned to use the online library to access various research articles. I have learned how to
use the Internet and to use various search engines as vehicles for research, and how to
evaluate the quality of the material I had gathered. In addition, I learned to create my own
Web page and post it on the Internet. The class Bulletin Board was also a new learning
experience for me, as was participating in the Chat Room. Both of these modes of
communication enabled me to see how a person can really get to know someone without
ever meeting face to face. Something I once doubted. What was particularly interesting for
me was the Electronic Editing assignment. It was there that I learned how one must
understand the original purpose of a document before one can edit it. Otherwise, the
meaning can become somewhat altered from the original intent. These different forms of
technical communication allowed me to participate by interacting with my class and
instructor—in what I now define as a learning community.

Prior to this class, I had never thought of education as a learning community. I had heard of
the term before, but not in the same context as I have come to understand it in these last
few weeks. I now believe that learning should be a voluntary act, and that teaching should
be a response to that act—not a burden, not a one-person show. Probably the most
important aspect of this distance online class has been learning about what defines a
learning community and how it differs from a traditional classroom. Not only does this
environment place the impetus to learn on the student, it also offers students the flexibility
they need to participate in their own education at their own pace. Many times throughout
this past semester I had work-related problems and could not participate every day at a
certain time. I participated, but when it was convenient for me to do so. In other words, to
borrow a new term, I learned that learning can be both asynchronous and synchronous.
Some of the time my learning took place on my own and then at other times with the class.
In fact, I noticed that all of the elements that are crucial in accomplishing work-related goals
are also present in this learning environment. For example, collaboration was necessary at
certain times during this distance learning class, just as it is in the workplace. I couldn't
always "do it alone," just as I cannot always do it alone on my job.

As I reflect upon on my strengths and weaknesses as related to this course, I think that the
old saying about how my "greatest weakness became my greatest strength" applies here.
One of the problems I first encountered in this class was not being able to get an immediate
answer when I was having difficulty with something. In a traditional classroom the teacher is
always physically present, so if there is an immediate need he or she is usually immediately
accessible in one way or another (in class or during office hours). This problem, however,
turned around as I gradually learned to dig deeper and investigate further for my own
answers. I also learned to rely on my learning community (classmates), too. In the beginning
of the semester there was an adjustment period, but as the semester progressed and as I
began to work with the system, I learned to be less dependent on the instructor and more
dependent on me. I think this was a good learning experience. Sometimes teachers answer
far too many questions easily when they need to let the student search for their own
answer. As a distance-learning student, I found that it was important to work independently
to find solutions to problems. This is where my critical thinking skills came in handy. I don't
mean to disregard the need for the learning community, but being an independent learner
enables a student to be a better member of that learning community. So, to summarize, my
greatest weakness—the inability to access information instantly—became my greatest
strength—my ability to become an independent learner and achiever.

In closing, I would like to add that I have really enjoyed the experience of this class. It has
been good for me to learn first-hand what this distance learning is all about. Thank you for
your help and patience.

anguage, society and cultural difference

Language, society and cultural difference and the relationships are both
interesting topics. Recently, many scholars and educators have
focussed on them and conducted further research. Hall (1997:1)
explores the definitions of language, identity and culture and discusses
the relation between them in the introduction of his article
'Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices'. This
essay will discuss three factors, language, identity and culture. The links
between them and a relevant example in terms of my experience will be
explored.
The close relationships between language, identity and cultural
difference are shown in Hall's circuit of culture (p. 1). According to Hall
(2003), 'language operates as a representational system' (p. 1); through
language, people may represent their 'concepts, ideas and feelings' to
others, meanwhile, 'the representation through language is the process
by which meaning is produced' (p. 1). In other words, without language,
the 'production and circulation of meaning' (p. 5) cannot take place.
People give meaning to things including ideas, values, and emotions
through the language. The meaning is what gives us a sense of the
group we belong to, of who we are (our identity) (p. 3). Moreover, 'in
order to communicate these meanings to other people' (p. 4), people
also need to use the linguistic codes (p. 4) of language. Here, Hall
claims that language has a much wider sense (p. 4). It is not only
spoken and written words, but also involves anything that can represent
meaning such as, music, clothing, food, any non-verbal actions, even
traffic lights.

Hall (2003) also argues, 'culture is about shared meanings' (p. 1).
'Culture not only embodies the "best that has been thought and said" in
a society' (p. 2), but also it is a process, a set of practices. It is
concerned with the 'giving and taking of the meaning' between the
members of a society or group (p. 2). To put it another way, members of
the same culture must interpret the world around them in similar ways
and share a set of ideas, images and values of the group or community,
which embodies their cultural characteristics and makes them distinctive
from members who belong to other groups, which is their identification.
When they interpret the world and indicate their identification, they are
also consuming their culture. The ways members of the same group
share the same cultural code (p. 4) includes their behaviours or life style
in human and social contexts.
In this case, language is an important vehicle or tool to convey cultural
values and who we are, and the characteristics of the group we belong
to. In other words, 'Language is one of the media through which
thoughts, ideas and feelings are represented in a culture' (p. 1). Without
language, culture could not exist. Meanwhile, language representation,
produced meaning and consumed culture regulate social practices and
decide the way in which it is organized and governed.
There are a lot of interesting examples which manifest the links
between language, identity and cultural difference. From my
experience, I remembered my first English class in Australia, which
gave me a big 'cultural shock'. When I called my teacher 'Teacher Sue',
she was unhappy with that, and asked me to call her by her first name.
In China, this situation has never happened. We address older people
including teachers, and the boss with a title in order to express our
respect for them. The use of the first name without title, would be
regarded as a taboo.
At that time, I felt great embarrassment. I could not understand why
they dared to use the teacher's first name. And now, I read Stuart Hall's
article, I have found the answer and understand why the teacher asked
me to use her first name. This is related to the question 'how does the
teacher represent herself or himself?' My teacher, Sue represented
herself through her first name in her cultural community. However, in my
Chinese cultural context, I represent the teacher through the title in
order to indicate my respect to the teacher. Thus, my teacher in
Australia and I produce our different identity through our representation
and language. Hence, as Hall states 'Language is not only the
privileged medium in which we "make sense" of things, in which
meaning is produced and exchanged' (p. 1), and Meaning is what gives
us a sense of our own identity (p. 3). On the other hand, language as a
symbolic practice (p. 5) and expresses the meaning of the cultural
identity and society we belong to.
Also, when my teacher represented herself through the language, she
was also consuming her cultural content. Meanwhile, when she
conveyed to me her cultural identity, I had to consume the view 'you are
my teacher,' but, also 'you are my different teacher.' Therefore, it can be
seen that because of these language systems, we reflect and maintain
the common 'life-world' which we call a culture (p. 5). We hold different
cultural values, Confucian as opposed to Western values. Confucian
culture emphasises respect for the authority of teachers'. Western
culture values the lecturer and students as individuals of equality and
believes that teachers and students hold equal positions and rights.
Also, this manifests the relationships between teachers and students in
different cultural backgrounds. When my teacher and I represented and
consumed our different cultural identities, the relationships between
teachers and students which reflect in the social practice are regulated.
In other words, 'shared the meaning' (p. 1) which is culture in the same
context, is regulated as a rule through language.
According to my own experience, after I came here as an overseas
student, 'cultural shock' happened to me. At that time, I was worried that
I had lost my way and my identity. Hall's argument makes me
understand that it is a necessary experience, a process of adaptation to
a new society. Using a new language means forming new memberships
in new cultural contexts. There is a change in language, which leads to
a change in identity and social relationships. Likewise, any change in
language, identity and culture leads to the change of the other two
aspects. And now, I also accept and consume this new culture. I am
also used to using the lecturer's first name. However, after I go back to
China, I have to remind myself to call the teacher with their title. I
change the cultural context where I live and the group which I belong to,
so I have to change my language. As a future EFL teacher,
understanding the relationships between language, identity and cultural
difference is of great help to do a good job.

“I used to believe …, however, after considering the effect of … my perception has shifted ….
Once seemed obvious that … yet now it is more tempting to ask …. Perhaps …. is an
assumption which relies too heavily on … Therefore it may be more accurate to suggest…”

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