POLICY ANALYSIS AND ADVOCACY

Catalog description

This course introduces students to the principles and practices of social policy analysis and advocacy, with a focus on promoting social and economic justice. Students will explore how social workers and allied professionals engage in policy practice to address systemic inequities and improve outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Through a step-by-step model of policy advocacy, students will learn to identify social problems, analyze policy alternatives, develop evidence-based proposals, and engage in strategic action to influence decision-makers. Emphasis is placed on understanding the policy environment, building coalitions, using power ethically, and advocating across micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice. The course includes critical examination of historical and contemporary policy issues, with attention to race, class, gender, and other intersecting systems of oppression.