Verena Pöhl

Social worker / Project worker, Frauen aus allen Ländern

Study Program: Social Work (Bachelor)

When I look back at my time at MCI...

I think of numerous enriching discussions about socio-political topics, which have shaped my attitude about social work to this day. These discussions, which took place both in and outside the seminars, were a place of networked thinking for me. A place within which a holistic view of the connections between different areas and levels could emerge. This is a great advantage of studying at the MCI, as the practical relevance and the small groups provide a lot of room for reflection and exchange.

How did your studies at MCI prepare you for your current job?

In numerous practical small group activities, the ability to consider different positions in debates, to understand different constructions of reality and to be able to relate these back to the theoretical level was strengthened. Those skills are indispensable in order to be able to relate the effectiveness of social discourses to the environments and social positioning of clients, and thus to be able to react holistically to social challenges. In my current job in social work, this approach to social complexities is an important foundation, because binary and linear thinking runs the risk of reproducing inequalities. What is really needed in practice, is to work with ambivalences in a differentiated way, to think in terms of dynamics, processes and hybridities. My time at MCI gave me the necessary tools to master the challenge of translating this view into practice and adapting it to clients’ environment.

What would you tell someone who is considering studying at MCI?

Are you looking for a place where practical relevance, small groups and thus personal exchange is emphasized? Are you looking for a place where you will meet fascinating people who have similar interests/goals/ideas as you do and where you can think about and develop them together? Then I recommend studying at MCI!