"The Problem is That Puerto Rico Does Not Have a Say"

Students' Critical Reflections on Service-Learning in Post-Maria Puerto Rico

Authors

  • Dee Ann Sherwood Western Michigan University http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9548-6784
  • Karen VanDeusen Western Michigan University
  • Mioara Diaconu Western Michigan University
  • Courtney Jones Western Michigan University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18060/25255

Keywords:

service learning, environmental justice, Puerto Rico, critical theory, trauma, resilience, disaster social work

Abstract

This study explored the reflections of graduate social work students from a public university in the Midwest region of the continental United States, following a service-learning course in San Juan, Puerto Rico during the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The course linked academic study and civic engagement through organized service with Proyecto ENLACE, a public corporation that unites eight communities and twelve grassroots organizations located along the estuary banks of the El Caño Martín Peña. Nine students and two faculty members repaired and painted a community center building. Faculty facilitated opportunities for critical reflection on the dynamics of power, privilege, and oppression in the context of working with communities during the reconstruction phase of the disaster. Students met with Puerto Rican community members and social workers to learn about their experiences and perspectives. Qualitative analyses of a student focus group revealed themes in students’ learning processes, students' perceptions of trauma and resilience among community members and disaster relief workers, environmental justice in Puerto Rico, and the increased visibility of macro-level practice opportunities. We recommend critical reflection as a valuable pedagogical tool for social work education and requisite for skill development and transfer learning.

Author Biography

Dee Ann Sherwood, Western Michigan University

Dee Ann Sherwood, MSW, MPA, PhD WMU School of Social Work Grand Rapids MSW Program Coordinator

References

Bauwens, J., & Naturale, A. (2017). The role of social work in the aftermath of disasters and traumatic events. Clinical Social Work Journal, 45(2), 99101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-017-0623-8

Benevolenza, M. A., & DeRigne, L. (2019). The impact of climate change and natural disasters on vulnerable populations: A systematic review of literature. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 29(2), 266-281. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2018.1527739

Brodine, M. (2017). Proyecto ENLACE delCaño Martin Peña: Restoring an ecosystem and building resilient communities in Puerto Rico. https://urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org/resources/proyecto-enlace-del-cano-martin-pena-restoring-ecosystem-building-resilient-communities-puerto-rico/

Chansky, R. A. (2019). Teaching Hurricane Maria: Disaster pedagogy and the ugly auto/biography. Pedagogy, 19(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1215/15314200-7173718

Chen, S., Bagrodia, R., Pfeffer, C. C., Meli, L., & Bonanno, G. A. (2020). Anxiety and resilience in the face of natural disasters associated with climate change: A review and methodological critique. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 76, 102-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102297

Cordero, A., & Rodriguez, L. N. (2015). Fostering cross-cultural learning and advocacy for social justice through an immersion experience in Puerto Rico. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 29(2), 134-152. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841230802238195

Council on Social Work Education. (2015). 2015 Educational policy and accreditation

standards. Author. https://www.cswe.org/getattachment/Accreditation/Standards-and-Policies/2015-EPAS/2015EPASandGlossary.pdf.aspx

Diaconu, M., Racovita-Szilagyi, L., & Neacsu, A. (2018). International service-learning trips: A framework for developing cross-cultural competence. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 45(1), 115-132. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4170&context=jssw

Dominelli, L. (2015). The opportunities and challenges of social work interventions in disaster situations. International Social Work, 58(5), 659-672. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872815598353

Fernando, D. M., & Hebert, B. B. (2011). Resiliency and recovery: Lessons from the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 39(1), 2-13. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2011.tb00135.x

Findley, P. A., Pottick, K. J., & Giordano, S. (2015). Educating graduate social work students in disaster response: A real time case study. Clinical Social Work Journal, 45, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-015-0533-6

Flaherty, J. (2016). No more heroes: Grassroots challenges to the savior mentality. AK Press.

Fook, J. (2008). Foreward: Critical reflection and the professional task. In R. Pockett & R. Giles (Eds.), Generating theory from practice. (pp. vi-ix). Darington Press.

Freire, P. (2018). Pedagogy of the oppressed: 50th anniversary edition (4th ed.). Bloomsbury Academic. (Original work published 1968)

Fussell, E., & Lowe, S. R. (2014). The impact of housing displacement on the mental health of low-income parents after Hurricane Katrina. Social Science & Medicine, 113, 137-144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.05.025

Garriga-López, A. M. (2020). Compounding disasters: Puerto Rico confronts COVID-19 under US colonialism. Social Anthropology, 3(10), 269-270. https://doi.org/10.1111/1469-8676.12821

Glassman, B. (2019). A third of movers from Puerto Rico to the mainland United States relocated to Florida in 2018. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/09/puerto-rico-outmigration-increases-poverty-declines.html#:~:text=Poverty%20in%20Puerto%20Rico%20The%20poverty%20rate%20in,among%20the%20highest%20state%20poverty%20rates%20in%202018

Gray, M., & Schubert, L. (2011). Sustainable social work: Modelling knowledge production, transfer, and evidence-based practice. International Journal of Social Welfare, 21(2), 203-214. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2397.2011.00802.x

Grupo de las Ocho Comunidades Aledañas al Caño Martín Peña [G-8]. (2021). Know us. http://g8pr.org/conocenos/sobre-el-g8/

Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1998). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The landscape of qualitative research (pp. 195-220). Sage.

International Association of Schools of Social Work [IASSW], International Council on

Social Welfare [ICSW], International Federation of Social Workers [IFSW],. Jones, D. N. (Ed.). (2020). Global agenda for social work and social development: Fourth report. Strengthening recognition of the importance of human relationships. https://www.ifsw.org/social-work-action/the-global-agenda/

Jha, M. K. (2015). Liquid disaster and frigid response: Disaster and social exclusion. International Social Work, 58(5), 704-716. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872815589388

Johnson, S. R. (2017). Devastated by two hurricanes, Puerto Rico's healthcare system faces a long road to recovery. Modern Healthcare, 47(40), 1-7. https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20170930/NEWS/170939994/puerto-rico-s-healthcare-system-faces-a-long-road-to-recovery

Jones, J. L., Rotabi, K. S., Levy, J. K., & Gray, L. A. (2012). An interdisciplinary approach to developing innovative teaching strategies for responding to global disasters. Advances in Social Work, 13(2), 279-290. https://doi.org/10.18060/1961

Kishore, Marqués, D., Mahmud, A., Kiang, M. V., Rodriguez, I., Fuller, A., Ebner, P., Sorensen, C., Racy, F., Lemery, J., Maas, L., Leaning, J., Irizarry, R. A., Balsari, S., & Buckee, C. O. (2018). Mortality in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. The New England Journal of Medicine, 379(2), 162-170. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsa1803972

Kulig, J. C., Edge, D. S., Townshend, I., Lightfoot, N., & Reimer, W. (2013). Community resiliency: Emerging theoretical insights. Journal of Community Psychology, 41(6), 758-775. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21569

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. Sage. https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8

Lowe, S. R., Joshi, S., Pietrzak, R. H., Galea, S., & Cerd, M. (2015). Mental health and general wellness in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Social Science & Medicine, 124, 162-170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.11.032

McAuliffe, C., Upshur, R., Sellen, D. W., & Di Ruggiero, E. (2019). Critical reflections on mental well-being for post-secondary students participating in the field of global health. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 17(3), 542-554. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-018-0007-5

Mezirow, J. (2000). Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress. Jossey-Bass.

Michaud, J., & Kates, J. (2017). Public health in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. The Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/other/issue-brief/public-health-in-puerto-rico-after-hurricane-maria/

Pasch, R. J., Penny, A. B., & Berg, R. (2017). National Hurricane Center tropical cyclone report: Hurricane Maria (No. AL152017). https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL152017_Maria.pdf

Patel, S. S., Rogers, M. B., Amlôt, R., & Rubin, G. J. (2017). What do we mean by 'community resilience'? A systematic literature review of how it is defined in the literature. PLoS Currents, 9, 1-34. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29188132/

Pintar, J. (2006). Rethinking trauma in the hurricane’s wake. Space and Culture, 9(1), 52-54. https://doi.org/10.1177/1206331205283872

Pittman, J., & Gioia, D. (2020). Transformative learning and inclusion in a global social work course. Advances in Social Work, 19(2), 446-462. https://doi.org/10.18060/22899

Prewitt Diaz, J. O. (2017). Hurricane Maria: Personal and collective suffering and psychosocial support as a cross-cutting intervention. Journal of Tropical Psychology,7, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1017/jtp.2017.6

Quiñones, R. (2007). Forces that hinder. In R. Quinones (Ed.). Consciousness in action: Toward an integral psychology of liberation and transformation (pp.71-96). Ilé Publications.

Richards, M., & Dixon, L. B. (2020). Resilience. Psychiatric Services, 71(8), 878-879. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.71804

Rivera, F. (2018). Hurricane Maria 'lifted the veil' on Puerto Rico's broken system. https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2018/09/18/hurricane-maria-lifted-veil-puerto-ricos-broken-system/ideas/essay/

Rubin, A., & Babbie, E. R. (2017). Research methods for social work (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Saldaña, J. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (3rd ed.). Sage.

Salsberg, E., Quigley, F. L., Richwine, C., Sliwa, S., & Acquaviva, K., & Wyche, K. (2020). The social work profession: Findings from three years of surveys of new social workers. Council on Social Work Education and the National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=1_j2EXVNspY%3D&portalid=0

Samavar, L. A., Porter, R. E., & McDaniel, E. R. (2007). Communication between cultures: Improving intercultural communication. Thomson Higher Education.

Sherwood, D. A., Tripplett, M. L., Hoyle-Katz, S., & Langereis, J. (2018). Use of technology, pedagogical approaches, and intercultural competence in development. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 45, 55-76.

Sherwood, D. A., VanDeusen, K. M., Weller, B., & Gladden, J. (2021). Teaching note-Teaching trauma content online during COVID-19: A trauma-informed and culturally responsive pedagogy. Journal of Social Work Education, 57, 99-110. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2021.1916665

Stanchich, M. (2017). People power in Puerto Rico: How a canal community escaped gentrification. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jan/18/people-power-puerto-rico-canal-community-escaped-gentrification

Sweifach, J., Linzer, N., & LaPorte, H. H. (2013). A social worker's duty to care: The self-other dimension of disaster response. Traumatology, 19(1), 3-10. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534765612441977

Torres, B. (2018). After María, resilience in Puerto Rico: Why María had such a devastating impact—and how to mitigate future climate disaster. NACLA Report on the Americas, 50(1), 11-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714839.2018.1448583

United Nations. (2015). World habitat awards. https://world-habitat.org/world-habitat-awards/winners-and-finalists/?fwp_classification=winner&fwp_year=2015

Urban Waters Learning Network. (2021). Restoring a watershed and building resilient communities in Puerto Rico. https://urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org/member-profile/la-corporacion-del-proyecto-enlace-del-cano-martin-pena/

Vasterling, J. J. (2008). The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: A trauma researcher’s perspective. Traumatology, 14(4), 21-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534765608323444

Williams, C. (2006). The epistemology of cultural competence. Families in Society, 87(2), 209-220. https://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.3514

Yordan-Lopez, N., Hernandez-Suarez, D. F., Marrero-Ortiz, W., Marshall-Perez, L., & Lopez-Candales, A. (2018). Challenges and opportunities after Hurricane Maria: University of Puerto Rico medical students' perspectives. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 10(4), 382-384. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-17-01024.1

Downloads

Published

2022-06-14