Video Analysis Essay: Wards of Crown

Introduction

The video, Wards of Crown, talks about the conditions of four young people, Leah, Chantal, Andrew, and Emily, who lived in the child welfare system. All the four young people have moved from different group homes in their lifetime. All of them have not received a family love, do not have proper education, and do not have jobs to sustain them. Leah has had a rough upbringing as she has don prostitution and moved to different group homes. Chantal has been in more than thirteen group homes since she was 2 years. Andrew has had a difficult life experience as he has been in 19 group homes in 17 years. Emily has no recollection of her childhood and dropped out of school in 6th grade.

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One social problem associated with the case is family problems. Regarding the social problem, there are objective and subjective conditions associated with the issue. Guerrero (2016, p.7) affirms that the objective conditions pertain to the acknowledgment that a particular problem exists through the collection of data. On the contrary, the subjective elements pertain to the acknowledgement that a particular exists as a social problem (Guerrero, 2016, p.7). Regarding objective elements, in the video, Leah has faced serious family problems. She has faced beatings and molestations from her father after her mother left their home. Also, Chantal has had family problems ever since her mother and father separated and she had to be put in a group home. Andrew and Emily, on the other hand, have been refused foster homes because of behavioral problems that arose from family problems. Concerning the subjective element, it is believable that family problems are the reason children continue to suffer and move from one group home and foster homes to another.

By acknowledging C. Wright Mill's work, Guerrero (2016, p.5) affirms that the sociological imagination is the ability to connect personal lives and experiences with the social world. Sociologists can first comprehend the social issue of family problems by understanding the current situation of foster children who have family problems. Then, sociologists can reassess the dynamics that surround family problems. For example, they can attempt to find out the source of the conflict. Besides, they can identify the stem of the problem by assessing whether it is a patriarchal issue or economic problems. Family problems raise the question about the society's obligation to uplift their fellow on the way to resolve family problems. By utilizing the sociological imagination, sociological can manage to become aware of the social structures that govern family problems.

In the video, the notion that foster homes should not be a permanent home is presented. Claudette Mayheux, the manager of child and youth in care services in Ottawa affirms that when children are placed in foster care or group homes, they always look for a permanent solution, which is either to make them system kids or find a way to reunite them with their families. From a personal perspective, the social action for solving the issue of family problems is to work with families of children who are in group homes or foster care. The help can be in the form of counseling services that can help them in their drug addiction, anger management, and psychiatric issues.

Conclusion

After viewing the video, a myriad of thoughts lingered in my mind. Foremost, when the government decides to put children in foster homes, it is always in their best interest to maintain their safety and wellbeing. However, the conditions displayed in the video are deplorable. The young people reveal that they have never known love as it is inappropriate to love in the foster homes. Due to this, my career path in social work will be geared towards ensuring foster kids receive the care, education, and love they deserve in the foster homes.

Reference

Guerrero, L. (2016). Chapter 1-Sociology and the Study of Social Problems. Retrieved from

https://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/70326_Leon_Guerrero_Chapter_1.pdf