"Against"
by Lucy Zhao
While the “Room for Debate” section is a fun and creative idea, I’m not exactly convinced it’s quite applicable for a social work journal. As social workers, it is impossible to avoid ambiguous and complex problems; we regularly exercise our abilities to take on others’ perspectives and recognize the vast diversity in experiences, values, and backgrounds that shape our thoughts and opinions. Though the “Room for Debate” section is meant to showcase fellow social work students' varying viewpoints, the dichotomous structure essentially reinforces binary thinking. Oversimplifying such issues is the exact logical fallacy that social workers actively try to combat. Furthermore, it creates the potential for the journal to act as a gatekeeper, choosing which sides and viewpoints to be featured. I’m sure as social work students, we can all recognize the issue in that. Rather, we should embrace and acknowledge the vast spectrum of perspectives that can be taken with any given problem—without the limitations of “sides.” Instead of pitting ourselves against one another in a “debate,” let’s present our opinions in a collaborative and exploratory dialogue. All in all, two sides do not seem like much room for debate at all.
"For"
by Nick King
We should all be storytellers, whether this manifests through debates, op-eds, or something we interweave into our daily conversations. The “Room for Debate” section is the perfect vehicle for our unique and varied student voices. In one of my social work classes, I was introduced to Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She warns us of the danger when we only hear a single story; the danger not being that the story isn’t true but incomplete. I challenge you, the reader, to view this section as a space to learn about multiple perspectives, not only as opposing viewpoints. Yes, we may disagree with each other, but conflict is not a dirty word. We should be engaging in these types of conversations more often. We need to hear binary thinking as well as directional thinking. Sometimes it is easier to first see things in black and white and later see the gray. Sure, call us “gatekeepers” because that is your side of the story. My side of the story is we need gatekeepers to allow these uncomfortable conversations to happen.