Social Work
Program
SW 250 Introduction to
Social Welfare
Summer 2004
Instructor: Wayne C. Evens, MSW, Ph.D.
Bradley Hall 124
Ph: 677-2392
E-mail: evens@bradley.edu
Office
Hours: Tues: 8:00-11:00 a.m. or by appointment
Class Schedule: T-W-Th 11:00 -!
2:00 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
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.
Blackboard readings and assignments
IV.
COMMENTS
1. Students are expected to attend class on
time.
2. Students are expected to participate in class
discussions
V. Learning Evaluation:
A.
Class Participation: 50 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, participate
in class discussion, and integrate 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.
Students
will actively contribute to class by at least twice during the semester
bring in an article from a newspaper or news journal (Time, Newsweek, U.S. News
and World Report) that pertains to a social welfare issue or policy You must attach to this article why you
picked it out and its relevance to you.
(50 points ).
B.
Paper: 100 points
Students have a choice between two assignments
write a paper focusing on “AA” or “NA” meetings. This paper will address community services
responses to addiction or alcoholism. The other option is to write a paper
discussing a social welfare issue and policy responses to the societal problem.
Length of paper no less than two pages (see back page for instructions) Due
Date: Aug. 10
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:
500
450- 500 =
A
400- 450 =
B
350- 400 =
C
300-350 = D
VI. Class Schedule
Week 1: The History of Social Welfare
and Social Work , Social and Economic Justice, Vulnerable Populations
Reading
assignment: Chapters 1, 4 & 5 of
text
This section
will begin with an overview of the class and expectations. The class will examine the historical
development of social welfare institutions and the social work profession
including its mission and philosophy.
Discussion will examine the influence of political ideology and values
on social welfare policies. The class will examine how social policy impacts on
peoples' achievement of optimal health and well-being and the affect of policy
on social work practice. It will also will examine 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.
Week 2: The Family
in Society, Human Sexuality, Addiction & Crime and Juvenile Delinquency
Reading
assignment: Chapters 6, 7, 8 & 9 of text
This
section examines historical trends in the institution of the family, issues related to families
in society, and an examination of how our society's policy response may deter
or help in maintaining or achieving optimal health and well being of
individuals within families. Discussion
will focus on child abuse, domestic violence, and divorce and how these events
impact on populations at risk such as women, children, and people of
color. The influence of social and
economic injustice, discrimination and oppression will be examined as an
influence on the family and it’s functioning in American society. 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. This section will critically analyze
treatment approaches and examine policy responses to addictions and people who
are addicted.
This
section discusses an overview of crime in
Week3: Social and
Economic Justice Issues in The Education System, in
Employment, in Gender Issues, and Ethnicity and Family Therapy
Reading assignments: Chapters 10, 11, 12 & 13 of text
This section
will examine the current American educational system with its inherent
Prejudices’ and injustices to people of color and people of low socioeconomic
classes this section discusses a social institution that is neither humane nor
responsive to human needs and challenges students to become active. Policy
responses to educating our society's youth and the impact on the
"quality" of education will be discussed. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Week 4: Social and Economic Justice Issues relating to
Gerontology, Diversity Issues of People with Disabilities as a Population at
Risk, Environmental and Ethical Concerns
Reading
assignments: Chapters 14, 15, 16 &
17 of text & NASW Code of Ethics
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. 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 achievement of
optimal health and well being of recipients of service. Experiential in class exercises are used to
increase sensitivity to experiencing life with a disability. 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
Social Work Program
SW 250 Introduction to Social Welfare
Fall 2003
Agency Paper due
Choose a social welfare
issue and than select an agency that services this area. I can help with suggestions for agencies in
You must interview
staff person from the agency and obtain information about your issue?
You must include in
your paper the following:
1. Why did you choose this welfare issue?
2. How long has agency been in existence
providing service for this issue?
3. How is it an issue? In
addition, for whom?
4. Have services increased or decreased
regarding this issue over the time period that agency has been providing the
services?
5. Does agency staff believe that the agency has
done well in providing the services
6. Would you go to this
agency for these services? Why or Why
not?
7. How has this paper influence your thinking about Social Welfare? What did you learn?
Grading for the paper
will focus on:
10 points for each
question
30
points for critical thinking and organization and how well paper is written.
SW 250 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WELFARE
ASSIGNMENT:
You have the choice
between doing a paper on “AA” or “NA” meetings
You must
attend an “AA” or “NA”meeting and interview a
sponsor. You must discuss the following: in your interview and in the
paper.
1. 1.
What is
the goal of “AA”or “NA” meetings?
2. 2.
Who are
the people who attend these meetings?
What type of backgrounds?
3. 3.
What is
the meaning of the twelve steps?
4. 4.
What is
society response towards addicts?
5. 5.
What can
society do to help the addicted?
6. 6.
What were
your perceptions of “AA”or “NA” meetings before this
interview? And now?
7. 7.
Would you
recommend “AA” or “NA” Why? Why Not?
Paper due Aug. 10
Length of paper at
least two pages no more than four
Identify location of
“AA” or “NA”
meeting
Grading: Write paper in paragraph form.
Each
question worth 10 points. 30 points will
be assessed for critical and creative thinking and grammar.
**It
is important that if you attend “AA” or “NA” meetings that you identify
yourself to be a
student and that you are doing research for class assignment.