Social Change Wheel

When the social change wheel was introduced in class I was very interested because the wheel outlines specific methods for involvement within ones community. I was anxious to see where other students and myself fit in to involvement amongst the different methods of involvement. The most surprising aspect of the discussion was the amount of students in the class that had been involved in voting/formal political activities. In my opinion, the most effective way to contribute to direct social change is to voice your opinion by voting and being involved in politics. The individuals we vote into office every year make all the decisions concerning public policy and voting in individuals that will make decisions you agree with is central to democracy. One probable reason for the low number of students who had participated in political activities is probably because of their age. Most of my fellow students are 19 at the most, which means they have had voter eligibility for only a year at most. They still have plenty of time to participate in politics, so maybe their low participation is due more so to time than attitude. Whatever the case, I personally will always look to voting and participation as a path for social change. The one method I will probably never use however is the Direct Action Strategies method. I don't believe in using confrontation or public disobedience as a method of policy change. While I may think this way, I do not disagree with those who do. There are some situations in which Direct Action is necessary, such as in countries with poor leaders and governments, where citizens are not afforded the power they have in America. I see Direct Action as a desperate, last resort to changing public policy. Here in America there are many channels for even one individual to affect public policy, so therefore I feel Direct Action is not as necessary in America when compared with other countries. This does not mean that I look down on others who use Direct Action as a method of social change, I just will not participate in it myself.