SCHOLAR OF CHANGE (1)

SCHOLAR OF CHANGE

Name

Institution

Introduction

Walden as an institution has included social change in its curriculum to help students be positive agents of social issues. As such, it has created a course that offers students development in social issues and enables them to not only obtain academic knowledge in their disciplines but also become scholars of change (Sidaross, 2013).

Social change has a significant purpose among the students of Walden University. Students face many social issues within the school and after graduating and thus positively being educated on dealing with social change gives them an upper hand in both their personal lives and careers live (Edwards, 2008). Students acquire knowledge about the information regarding their courses and the link between their knowledge they have gained and how they can change better society. Social problems arising from social issues as the study found out can be researched and various solutions found to deal with the different problems facing the society. Social change affects the people in the society, and therefore the students get knowledge and use their expertise to serve the community. Understanding social change is quite important to each person and enables him or her to deal with changes occurring in the society efficiently and take them positively (Biswas-Diener, 2011).

Research thus helps the society deal with social change in an effective manner especially when adapting to the different changes (Kirby et al., 2006). Research is necessary for the correct application of various changes strategically that will deal with various problems associated with people in society. Social change in this regard should be research and different societies compared to come up with plausible results that can help in coming up with efficient changes that will help society to progress smoothly regarding social issues.

Purpose statement and gap of study

Social change involves the change in the social structure of society. It may involve changes in social relations, social behaviors and social institutions. As such, the gap that exists in social change especially among students is how they can intervene in matters related to their workplace especially in promoting and dealing with changes arising in their careers and life. The meaning of social change to the students is such that it is to prepare them for the outside world and the various challenges they may face. As such, students in gaining an understanding of social change can interact with the society in a more effective manner.

Role of Researcher

The role of the student, in this case, was that of an interviewer. The student aimed to collect data and use to come to the conclusion about the meaning of social change to the students at Walden University. The student also has the role of being a classmate and getting more information from other students about their experience studying about social change.

Ethical issues

Students were given the option of voluntary participating and not being coerced in the collection of data. Informed consent was further required of every student who participated in the study to ensure that they were participating without being coerced. Confidentiality of information was maintained to ensure that information about the participants was kept private.

Data collection

The various questionnaires and interviews conducted among the students show that educating students about social change and how to deal with different issues is important for their overall development and successful execution of tasks in the outside world. Students, therefore, show that they still lack in various skills, but those that have undergone social change note the improvement they have obtained which has helped them both at school and in their personal lives.

Data analysis and results

According to the data collected students, most of the students had greatly benefited from the social change, and it had changed their perspective towards life. Most students were positive that the social change studies had prepared not for their careers and how to deal with societal challenges but also their personal lives. Most of the students expressed themselves positively in the answers they gave through the questionnaires and interviews. Various observations made by the alumni of the school showed significant results regarding the changes the students had wrought in the society and their workplace. Social change has considerably helped Walden students and added to their abilities on how to deal with challenges facing them in the society. From the various interviews, the meaning of social change has significantly been brought through analytical skills that the students have gained in dealing with various social problems at both school and the society. Students have a wider scope of social issues and therefore can approach them and solve them from the scholarly point of view according to the interviews carried out. The meaning of social change has therefore been to improve on problem-solving in any setting that the students are placed. Thus, most of the students of Walden are at a better position in dealing with social change and ensuring an effective solution to social issues.

Self-reflection

Being at Walden has made me a better person regarding social issues and personal outlook. Positive social change as put forth by the university has boosted my confidence and widened my scope or a career outlook. As such, I look at the society as a place where to come up with strategies, ideas that can change the society and make it better as a result. I have learned not to focus only on my career but the community also and aim to provide solutions and contribute positively to the community’s development.

Concussion

Walden, therefore, prepares students to be better and efficient in dealing with social problems in the society and ensuring that social change takes place efficiently. Such knowledge gained by the students helps in providing them with valuable skills to develop themselves and the community surrounding them.

References

Biswas-Diener, R. (2011). Positive psychology as social change. Dordrecht: Springer

Edwards, J. M. (2008). Hybrid organizations: Social enterprise and social entrepreneurship. Miami, Fla: Atlantic International University.

Kirby, S. L., Greaves, L., & Reid, C. (2006). Experience research social change: Methods beyond the mainstream. Peterborough, Ont: Broadview Press.

Sidaross, M. (2013). Positive social change?: Check this journey. Place of publication not identified: Xlibris.