The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-08-14
Why The Social
Work Laboratory
Was Established
Confined from Page ene)

in my profession if | could become
more of part of the community
was employed to serve.
Another disturbing thought fol
lowed quickly. Is a college social
science instructor justified in taking
his students into real life conditions?
If he makes the shift, will it not force
the students to make the shift too?
Would students be able to work on
real community projects after having
worked for years doing assignments
in the traditional type of school pro-
gram? Could they be trusted to as
sumo the necessary responsibility to
do community project work? Could
they apply their information to prac-
tical problems and make logical de-
cisions as to what should be done
under the conditions obtaining?
Would they like the taste of respon-
sibIe experience and would they learn
as much or more this way? Would
they endanger the reputation of the
university because of their youth and
inexperience and because of the mis-
takes their responsibility would al
low?
Students Need Real Life Experience
When students graduate from col
lege, do they have sufficient leader
ship ability, sufficient understanding
of their communities, enough under
standing of people and how to get
along with them and enough under
standing of themselves? Do they have
enough faith in themselves to assure
them that their lives will be success
fully lived? Do they have adequate
poise and character? Do they have
the ability to use the scientific meth
cd in meeting their own unique prob
lens? Do they understand the dem
ocratic way of life sufficiently well
to be able to participate effectively
in their own communities? Would
responsible experience on community
projects while in college help them
secure the above? A little reflection
caused me to lean to the affirmative
answer | leaned quite far.
Work Projects Strike Interests
The most disturbing thought to me
was this business of following a "big
idea" to its possible conclusions. Is
q college social science instructor
justified in taking his students and
himself into the larger community, a
place forested by all sorts of vested
rights and privileges which would
be touched by a program
of student work projects? Would the
campus community under
stand the educational goals of such a
or would the spheres of in
terest" come aggressively to life to
it? What would happen and
what could be done to safeguard the
program? And beyond the campus
community would be some more
vested rights and privileges. Could
they be cultivated to allow acceptance
too? What methods could be used
to secure the active support of agen-
cies and people in the community to
work with student work projects
These were big questions The Big
Bad Wolf was evidently still prowling |
at large in the community anxious
to devour a healthy morsel Such |
was the psychological atmosphere |
which cautioned me about a student |
activity program in the community
which was designed to train students
not only in social administration but |
also in civic responsibility. A big
choice had to be made. Should l APP
pease the Big Bad Wolf and blame
the community for its inadequacies or
should ! try to find way to work
and effectively in the COM
munity in order to improve the edu-