- Human Behavior in the Social Environment (HBSE)

Catalog description

This course assists the student in building a foundation for understanding human behavior in diverse contexts across the lifespan. Students enrolled will study the life cycle of the individual from in-utero through old age using biological, psychological, sociological, spiritual, and social work theories. Course content is sensitive to human diversity, specifically including materials on race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical challenges, spirituality, and socioeconomic factors as they affect human behavior and life span development. Students will use this material as a background for assessing strengths, limitations, risk, resilience and protective factors that affect clients’ social functioning. Attention will be given to multiple theories and perspectives such as person in environment, systems, ecological, cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, strengths perspective, and community change models among others to further understand human behavior. The combination of theory and human development over the lifespan aid the student in social work practice related to engagement, assessment, and intervention.