SW
250 Introduction to Social Welfare
Fall 2006
Instructor: Mr. John Moody
Bradley 103
Ph: 677-4786
E-mail: moody@bradley.edu
Office Hour: Mon: 8:00 -10:00 a.m., Tues: 11:00-12:00 a.m. Wed: 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Or by appointment
Class Schedule: M-W-F 10:00 -! 0:50 a.m.
Accommodation: Any student with a disability or special need who requires accommodation should inform the instructor at the beginning of this course
Non-discrimination Statement: Students will be expected to display respect of fellow students'
unique characteristics including race, color, religion, creed, ethnic or national
origin, age, veteran status, disability, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual
orientation and political orientation. All written assignments will use non-
discriminatory language.
Intercollegiate
Competition: Any student
representing
Relationship to other Courses in the Curriculum: This is an introductory course open to both
social work and non-social work majors. It is designed to acquaint students with an overview of the issues and policies involved in social welfare and to assist students who are undecided in deciding whether to major in social work. For those students who continue as social work majors, the course is designed to provide a basic framework to understand social welfare issues and policies.
Generalist Practice Principles: This course in the Social Work Curriculum is supported by the following 8 principles of the generalist social work perspective:
1. A systems approach provides the basic
framework for understanding the generalist practice
perspective and planning interventions with multiple systems.
2. Problems in living are presented from a
person-in-environment perspective, with focus on the transactions between individuals and the environment.
3. Assessments and interventions must
address both intrapsychic and environmental strengths and
stressors.
4. Generalist practice involves assessment
and interventions at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
5. Practice is based on the problem
solving process and knowledge, skills, and values, which are applicable across settings with
diverse populations and in a variety of problem areas.
6. Critical analysis of social problems is
inherent in generalist practice and results in both practice and policy responses.
7. Empirical research provides a solid
foundation for both education and practice and generalist
practitioners are expected to participate in practice evaluation activities.
8. Generalist practice often requires the
social worker to function in multiple roles depending on the
needs of the client system.
I. Course
Description:
This course will explore
the social welfare system including social problems and policy responses of society. This course explores the major social
problems, political ideology
influencing these
problems, program and policy initiatives, and philosophies of social welfare
programs. In addition to class lectures
and assigned readings, learning methods will include class discussion, small
group activities, monitoring current policy issues in the media, community agency
contacts, and guest speakers representing related fields of practice.
II. Course Objectives:
Students will be expected to demonstrate
learning in the following areas:
Knowledge
1.
Students will acquire a basic understanding of social problems affecting individuals
and families within our society.
2. Students will acquire a basic
understanding of the etiology of social problems and societal responses that influence,
exacerbate, or remediate the problems.
3.
Students will acquire a basic understanding of the policy responses our
society has made to social
problems and be able to critically analyze the results.
4.
Students will acquire a basic understanding of the influence of
political ideology on social
policy responses both historically and currently.
5.
Students will acquire the ability to critically analyze the impact of
social stigma and
discrimination associated with many
social welfare issues
6.
Students will be able to identify the inherent values of society within
social welfare issues and
policy responses.
7. Students will gain an appreciation for the
complexity, synergism, and intercorrelation of
many social welfare issues and thus be more
able to analyze the effectiveness of policy
responses.
8. Students
will demonstrate an understanding of current theoretical perspectives regarding
the social welfare system and the
implications for policy, legislation, and service delivery.
9.
Students will acquire the knowledge of how some policies contribute to
economic and social
injustice in the manner of implementation.
10. Students will acquire the knowledge of
how to access the empirical literature to foster a value of being lifelong
learners.
Skills
1.
Students will demonstrate the ability to locate and identify appropriate
community agencies
to address particular problems in order to make effective referrals or
take constructive community action.
2.
Students will demonstrate an awareness of multiple fields of practice in
the social services
and the issues particular to each
field.
3.
Students will demonstrate a beginning awareness of their own
intrapersonal and inter-
personal attributes and values that
may correlate with social work as a career choice.
Values
1.
Students will appreciate and respect the dignity and unique characteristics
of people of
all socioeconomic status, ethnic
background, religious beliefs, age, gender, sexual
orientation and political
orientation.
2.
Students will appreciate the effects of discrimination of all forms on
social issues and
understand the consequences of social
and economic injustice to the lives of the people experiencing the
discrimination.
3.
Students will appreciate the complexity of social welfare issues and
understand the values
associated with analysis of the issues and policy responses
enacted.
4.
Students will be able to analyze social welfare issues in a
non-judgmental manner and be
able to assess the strengths as well
as limitations of people experiencing social problems.
5.
Students will be able to appreciate and analyze the contextual nature of
all social welfare
issues and therefore assess the
person, problem, and policy responses in light of the social
environment.
6. Students will demonstrate an
appreciation for professional ethics and recognition of each
Individuals right to
self-determination.
III.
Resources:
A.
Required text: Zastrow, Charles.
(2000). Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare.
B.
Additional
articles relating to class topics may be assigned and will be put on reserve in
the library.
1. Students are expected to attend class on time.
2. Students are expected to keep side conversations to a minimum in order not to disrupt the lecture.
3. Students are expected to not share results of tests or papers. Any questions or concerns regarding tests or papers see professor and make appointment to discuss.
TESTS AND PAPERS WILL NOT BE
DISCUSSED IN CLASS
V.
Learning Evaluation:
A.
Class Participation: 100 points
Preparation, attendance, and
participation will be required throughout this course. This
course is a basic foundation to all
future coursework in the study of social work and
human services. Students will therefore be expected to read
the assignments prior to
class attendance, participates in
class discussion, and integrates learning from week to
week, thereby gaining a
comprehensive understanding of social welfare issues.
Students are expected to be
concerned citizens of our society and must therefore be
aware of social issues and
policies that are currently emerging in society.
B.
Paper: 105 points
Students will write a paper discussing the
questions at the end of this syllabus. Length of paper three to four pages (see
back page for instructions) Due Oct 11 The paper must be double spaced and
stapled. No papers will be accepted that
are not stapled or double spaced.
C. Exams:
300 points
Three exams will be given
throughout the semester with each worth 100 points. Dates for the exams are included in the
following class schedule.
Total Course points: 505
450-
505 = A
400-
450 = B
350-
400 = C
300-
350 = D
VI. Class Schedule
Week 1: The History of Social Welfare
and Social Work
Reading assignment: Chapter 1 of text
This section will begin
with an overview of the class and expectations.
The class will examine the historical development of social welfare and
social work .Class will discuss the challenges to social work today addressing the
changes in the practice of social work, and its implications for the worker and
the community. We will discuss social
work and its role with other professions, such as psychiatry and
psychology. We will also discuss the
changes in social work theory and its implications for how we understand
community members.
Aug 25, 28, 30
Week 2:
Social and Economic Justice
Reading assignments: Chapter 4 of text
This section will
examine the impact of poverty on individuals and society and provide an
understanding of the consequences of economic injustice. This section
will examine how we
understand the poor through our cultural values. We will discuss how poverty serves a function
in society and can provide for the middle and upper class. we will discuss how vulnerable
populations such as people of color, women, the
elderly and the disabled
are disproportionately represented among the lower
Socioeconomic
groups. This section will critically
analyze the historical policy
response to poverty and discuss the
effectiveness of the responses.
Sept. 1, 4, 6
Week 3: The Mentally
Ill as a Vulnerable Population
Reading assignments: Chapter 5 of text
In class review:
excerpts from movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest. We
will discuss what is mental illness? W
will contrast the medical model versus a social interactional model. We will discuss diagnosis, symptoms,
psychosis, involuntary admission, voluntary admission and delusions etc We will
discuss does mental illness exist or is it caused by societal oppression and
injustice. We will discuss how should we
approach mental illness?
Sept, 8, 11, 13
Week 4: The Family in
Society
Reading assignment: Chapter 6 of text
In class, we will view
the movie Home is where the Hurt is regarding domestic violence
and child abuse. In this section will address what is family
and how has family changed since the agricultural period and the introduction
to industrial revolution. We will
discuss problems with family, domestic and child abuse and divorcee. We will examine some solutions to these
issues deterrence for domestic abuse, family or marital therapy,
incarceration. Changing the age limit
for marriage, premarital counseling prior to marriage? We will also discuss changes in family one
parent family gay parents, single parent adoption, gay marriages, and
artificial insemination.
Sept. 15, 18, 20
Week 5: Human
Sexuality
Reading assignments: Chapter 7 of text
This section examines
problems in society regarding human sexuality including
sexual assault, sexual
abuse, incest, and child molestation.
Discrimination and
oppression of gay and
lesbian populations is critically examined.
Policy responses
are evaluated Video to a Safer Place will be viewed
.
Sept. 22, 25, 27.
Exam 1 Sept. 29
Week 6: Addiction
Reading assignments: Chapter 8 of text
We will discuss what is
addiction? Treatment approaches and how
we understand addiction, recovery, and relapse? Dual diagnosis? We will look at
historical approaches to addiction and populations at risk? We will discuss should addicts be treated or
incarcerated? What is the role of social
work?
.
Oct. 2, 4
Week 7: Crime and
Juvenile Delinquency
Reading assignment: Chapter 9 of text
In this section we will discuss an overview of
crime in
Oct, 6, 11, 13
Week 8: Social and
Economic Justice Issues in the Education System
Reading assignments: Chapter 10 of text
This section will
examine the current American educational system and discuss should it focus on
building and maintaining self esteem of community members? Should education focus on adding
knowledge? Should education focus on
producing productive citizens? Should education focus on diversity or
merit? What are the implications for
people of color, minorities, and women? What should education address?
.
Oct. 16, 18, 20
Week 9: Social and
Economic Justice Issues in Employment
Reading assignments: Chapter 11 of text
This section will
discuss trends and changes in the labor force including current
challenges of labor
force transitions and the evaporization of "blue collar jobs" and
The human challenges of
industrialization and technology will be highlighted This section examines the
impact of social and economic forces on individuals and social systems in
enhancing or deterring
the maintenance and achievement of optimal health and
well-being.
Oct., 23, 25, 27
Exam II Oct.
30
Week 10: Issues of
Diversity
Reading assignments: Chapter 12 of text
On reserve: Chapter 1
from Ethnicity and Family Therapy
by McGoldrick, Giordano,
and Pearce In class, viewing Racism
on College Campuses regarding affirmative action in education and
employment which discusses the historic need for affirmative action and the
policy response to remediate for discrimination, prejudice, and oppression of
population at risk., will be discussed This section examines issues of
ethnocentrism, institutional racism, and differing experiences of cultural
groups within society. This section
examines differences and similarities in the experiences, beliefs, and needs of
people of various diverse backgrounds. Social
and economic justice issues are examined by discussion of various policy
responses that creates institutionalized racism and discussion will focus on
how social institutions could be more humane and responsive to human need by
accepting all unique characteristics of diverse
populations.
Oct. Nov.
1. 3, 6
Week 11 Social and
Economic Justice Issues of Gender
Reading
assignment: Chapter 13 of text
In class, viewing of video Stale Roles
and Tight Buns to examine inherent gender
prejudice and discrimination in media depicting
male and female roles, will be examined. This
section examines sexism, sexual
harassment, and gender inequality and the resulting social and economic
injustice from the oppression of this population at risk. Discussion
will examine the policy responses of society and how social institutions could be more humane and
responsive to human needs.
Nov. 8, 10, 13
Social and Economic
Justice Issues relating to Gerontology
Reading assignment: Chapter 14 of text
Possible guest speaker
from Senior Strength Agency to discuss issues of elder
abuse. This section examines ageism in society and
the social and
economic discrimination,
deprivation, and oppression of the elderly.
Social welfare
institutions and policies are examined in meeting the needs
of this population at
risk.
Nov. 15, 17
Week 12: Gerontology
Continued
Issues in the Social
Welfare Institution of Health Care
Reading
assignment: Chapter 15 of text
This section examines the impact of medical
illness on the well being and
functioning of individuals and families. This section also examines how
past and current trends in healthcare, the
current healthcare "non-system",
and policies and programs have either enhanced
or deterred the maintenance or
or achievement of
optimal health and well being of recipients of service.
Nov. 20, 27
Week 13: Social and Economic Justice and Diversity
Issues
of People with Disabilities as a Population
at Risk
Reading
assignment: Chapter 16 of text
This section examines
the impact on functioning, health and
well being, and achieving human capacities
with various developmental, emotional,
and physical
disabilities. Societal responses of
discrimination, economic deprivation, and
oppression are examined. Policy
responses, particularly
Nov. 29
Week 14: Issues of
Environmental Concerns
Reading assignment: Chapter 17
This section examines
global problems of overpopulation and concerns with pollution that deter societies from fostering
an environment that develops each person's capacity for health and well being
This section emphasizes the international interdependence of nations and the
need for worldwide cooperation. Video
Race to Save the Planet may be watched and discussed
Nov Dec 1
Week 14: Ethical Considerations
Dec 4
Final Exam TBA
Bradley University Social
Work Program
SW 250 Introduction to Social
Welfare
Fall 2006
Agency Paper Due
Oct. 11
Choose a social welfare
issue for example, poverty, domestic violence, sexual abuse, addiction or
psychiatric illness to name a few.
Identify an agency, either here in
1. Why did you, the student, choose this welfare
issue?
2. How is this issue address in this agency?
3. How significant is this issue to the
community? According to you and or the agency?
4. Has progressed been made or not regarding
this issue? How is such determined?
According
to you and the agency?
5. How has this interview impacted on you, the
student? Explain?
? What did you learn?
Grading for the paper
will focus on:
15 points for each
question
25 points for critical
thinking and organization and how well paper is written.
Example of critical
thinking
Such
as your agreement or disagreement to the way the issue is being address or how
it has improved or not in your opinion?
understanding of the issue and changed your
response to members of the community who
has been defined by this issue?