Social Work & Social Policy

Catalog description

This course will provide an examination of the historical roots of the United States' response to human needs through social policy. The course will examine the effectiveness of various governmental policies -- welfare, health, labor, education -- to improve the well-being of residents of the U.S. The experience of oppression and discrimination of vulnerable groups will be stressed along with the distribution of power, status, and resources. A systematic framework for policy analysis will be presented and applied to contemporary social welfare policies, stressing critical thinking in how these policies can be improved to better serve individuals, especially those who have historically experienced oppression and discrimination. Cause advocacy will be presented for advancing social, environmental and economic justice, and human rights. Ethical issues and the underlying values associated with the allocation of resources will be highlighted.