Immersion Experience Proposal
Once the instructor has approved your proposal, yo
Immersion Experience Proposal
Once the instructor has approved your proposal, you may begin your immersion experience. Your proposal grid must include the following information (you may copy and paste the grid into a separate Word Document, thoroughly fill in the information, save it with your name as part of the title, and submit as an attachment via Canvas):
I. Identification and Descriiption of Population: This section must clearly identify the population of interest with whom you will be interacting, how this population is different from you, and what your perceptions of this group are at this point in life. The descriiption of differences should include both the obvious (visible differences, etc.) and the not so obvious (religious beliefs, sexual orientation, etc.). Please state all the differences you can identify – the instructor should not have to presume anything. Your perceptions of this population should include information such as what you were told about this group as you were growing up, any beliefs/perceptions/assumptions you have about this group, what your sources of information about this group have been in the past, and why you have an interest in this group. In this section you must make a case for how this population is different from you and why this experience will be challenging for you.
II. Interaction Activities: You will need to engage in interaction activities (mezzo level) of the population with which you have chosen to interact. Examples of interaction activities are: attend a spiritual service, take a tour of this group’s community, visit a soup kitchen, attend a culture-themed play, tour a prison, attend an organizational meeting, attend a community meeting specific to the chosen population etc. For this section of your proposal, you must identify the interaction activities you plan to attend and the dates you will be in attendance – the instructor is aware that dates are subject to change. Please note: You are required to do this experience without inviting along a member of your family or regular social group.
III. Personal Dialogue: You will need to gather information about the lived experience of a person from your population of interest (micro level). You will gather this information through a dialogue with someone from your population of interest. This is called a dialogue as it should be a two-sided conversation that results in the exchange of information about diversity-related experiences. This dialogue can happen over time or in a one-time sitting, but you must decide which way you will do it for this assignment. The content of this dialogue should be integrated into the paper. This section of your proposal should specify 3 points of information:
a. How you plan to gather this information – whether you plan to gather this information over time or in a one-time setting
b. The approximate date(s) that you expect to complete the dialogue on/by
c. How does the person you intend to dialogue with reflect certain characteristics of the population with which you are engaging?
IV. Professional Dialogue: You will need to obtain professional insight from a social worker (who provides services to the population of interest) or from another social service agency professional who provides services (macro level). Engage in a dialogue with the professional about her/his perspective on the needs of the population, how the agency responds to those needs, gaps in services, and what type of training is important to be a productive service provider. The dialogue can extend
beyond these areas of discussion. The content of this dialogue should be integrated into the paper. This section of the proposal should specify 3 points of information:
a. How you plan to gather this information – whether you plan to gather this information over time or in a one-time setting
b. The approximate date(s) that you expect to complete the dialogue on/by
c. Identification of the professional’s title and agency
Immersion Experience Proposal
Thoroughly fill in each box below so course instructor has a strong idea of your planned experience.
(Copy and paste this chart into a Word document, save, and submit via Canvas)
Identification and Descriiption of Population:
Interaction Activities:
Personal Dialogue:
Professional Dialogue:
Paper Overview
This paper should consist of the following components in correct APA Style 7th Edition “student paper” version (APA Student Paper Format Example: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar- guidelines/paper-format/student-annotated.pdf):
• Title Page
• Body/Content (5 pages minimum)
• References
• Appendix
This paper will be a succinct culmination of what you have personally and professionally experienced throughout this activity. Papers submitted with any form of plagiarized information will receive zero points. Students are responsible for any work submitted for grading and must ensure the paper does not: replicate work from another course or lack appropriate citations. There are two sections that should be followed in writing the paper.
1. Reflection on your Immersion Experience (2 pages minimum)
a. Discuss the interaction activity(s) attended and the personal dialogue? Reflect on your experience and what insight it gave regarding your selected population. For example:
i. Discuss some of your impressions of this population. Describe how your diverse background may have influenced what you observed. Explain any new learning about this population and yourself?
ii. Discuss key points gained from the dialogue that would impact your professional practice. Discuss what you experienced during the dialogue (i.e. your verbal and nonverbal communication), the impact of any preconceived notions or biases, and new learning.
2. Reaction and critical analysis of your experience (3 pages minimum)
a. This section of the paper should incorporate a professional analysis of the information gained from the professional dialogue and population group as compared to professional literature (e.g., course textbook, peer-reviewed journal articles). Integrate a theory from the course textbook, and its relevance to the information learned. Discuss any gaps in services identified by the social service professional. Explain ways those gaps could be addressed. Develop recommendations for services based on your learning. How might your findings compare/contrast with information noted in the professional literature (citations are required to support assertions made in this section). Integrate social work terminology throughout this section. Discuss the relevance of your experience to social work practice.
Writing tip: ensure each paragraph of the paper is at least 5 sentences and does not exceed ½ a
generally, lack adequate substance.
Immersion Implementation Chart
(Copy and paste the chart below as an APA Style appendix section of paper)
Date
Descriiption of Immersion Experience Activity
Amount of Time Spent