The society is rapidly changing nowadays, and the changes that take place within it affect different groups of individuals in distinct ways and to different degrees. The fact that some (vulnerable) groups may be left behind means that advocacy is paramount to promote their interests as well. This paper considers the differences between social change and advocacy; discusses the implications of these distinctions; proposes some actions that may be taken to assist the Indian Creek Foundation to better help disabled individuals, and debates the potential implications of such actions.
The term “social change” refers to the process of alteration of various structures existing within a particular society; this process may take place in social behaviors, relationships, or institutions (Homan, 2016). On the other hand, the term “advocacy” is utilized to denote the directed, purposeful actions aimed at promoting certain decisions inside social, political, or economic structures within a particular society (Homan, 2016). Therefore, the distinctions between social change and advocacy include the fact that the first term refers to the alterations within a society, whereas the second term denotes the efforts which are aimed at purposefully shaping such alterations (Snow, 2013).
These definitions imply that while social change can happen as part of the functioning of society, without particular directed effort, advocacy is always an intended activity. Also, it seems clear that social change of some type always takes place within a particular society, because any society consists of agents who act within it and promote their interests. Therefore, it is clear that in many cases, advocacy is important, for it may permit for promoting the interests of groups that require this, for instance, of vulnerable populations within society.
For instance, Schutz (2011) argues that many modern pedagogies of the 20th century were based on the views of the privileged middle class, which left the needs of the working class without attention. In these circumstances, it is pivotal to practice advocacy to stimulate social change that would permit for dealing with the needs of individuals who represent the working class.
The strategic plan that will be developed for the social change/advocacy project pertains to a non-profit organization known as the Indian Creek Foundation, which is aimed at assisting children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, supplying these people with the comfortable social environment, and helping them to find their place in the society (Indian Creek Foundation, n.d.). This organization is currently operating using outdated operational plans, which does not correspond to the programs and services they offer.
From the social change perspective, it is possible to aid the Indian Creek Foundation with developing a new operational plan which would be relevant to their current programs and services, for these programs and services have been adjusted to the changes that have taken place within the society since the currently used plan had been created. From the advocacy perspectives, it is possible to participate in assisting the Indian Creek Foundation with further developing programs aimed at attracting public attention to the problems of persons with disabilities.
The potential results of the development of a new operational plan include an increased efficacy and effectiveness of the activities carried out by the Indian Creek Foundation, whereas assisting with the advocacy activities may permit for enabling the foundation to better help individuals with disabilities to address their needs and realize themselves within the society.
On the whole, it should be stressed that the term “social change” refers to the structural changes in the society, whereas “advocacy” denotes purposeful efforts to cause such changes. Thus, advocacy is important to aid vulnerable populations that may otherwise be left behind. To help the Indian Creek Foundation, it is possible to assist them with creating new operational plans that would be up to date with their current activities, and with developing new programs to address the needs of individuals with disabilities.
References
Homan, M. S. (2016). Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Web.
Indian Creek Foundation. (n.d.). About. Web.
Schutz, A. (2011). Power and trust in the public realm: John Dewey, Saul Alinsky, and the limits of progressive democratic education. Educational Theory, 61(4), 491-512. Web.
Snow, K. C. (2013). The importance of advocacy and advocacy competencies in human service professions. Journal of Human Services, 33(1), 5-16. Web.