Links to good things

Here are some great things from around the web (not my content!) that I think all social workers should see, in no particular order. These are snippets that have stuck with me, helped me see issues in new ways, or have made a lasting impact for one reason or another. I will add more as I am compelled.

1. Brene Brown is a social work professor and researcher at the University of Houston.  She studies shame and vulnerability, and has given a few really great TedTalks on the subjects.
   
   


2. White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack is a classic article by Peggy McIntosh that helps readers understand the unearned benefits we carry by being members of a dominant culture.


3. This article by Lisa Bloom on how to talk to little girls highlights how we value girls, from a very young age, for how beautiful they are. How can we shift the conversation in a way that focuses on their intelligence instead of just their beauty?


4. What is Poverty?  In the 1960's a woman wrote this speech and submitted it for a class paper after presenting it to a civic group in Florida.  It was published using a pseudonym. The writing really engages the senses in its description of what it means to be poor and how hard it is to escape the cycle.
5. Brene again, with a great explanation of the difference between empathy and sympathy, animated!

6, The shadow syllabus. A poetic and beautiful reflection on what it is to teach and learn. (can you handle the truth?)