SW 712 - Social Welfare and Public Policy

Credits 3
Recommended prior coursework: SW-710. This course studies the emergence and role of social work, understanding of patterns of current provision, and introduction to the analysis of social welfare policies. This course traces the history of social welfare and within it, the evolving role of social work and social welfare by assessing history, philosophy, and development of social welfare as an essential institution in the United States. An analytic approach is used to highlight the forces that facilitate or inhibit changes in social policies. An overview of current patterns of the provision is used with an analytic, evaluative framework. Students will understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education. This course will apply student understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels; and engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Students will recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy as well as policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation.