SWK 404 - Social Services and Social Policy

This course is intended to provide students with (a) an in-depth understanding of the development of social welfare policies in the US and (b) the skills necessary to analyze the impact of social policies and social programs generated from them. Social policy will be analyzed from a historical and philosophical perspective, within the framework of the social principles of social and economic justice. Current policies and their resultant institutionalized service delivery systems and programs, as well as resulting issues and alternative policy formulations, will be used to illustrate course content. Emphasis will be given to the impact of politics, government, special interest groups, economics, and social problems on the formulation of past and present social policies, and the impact of those policies on the health and well being of individuals, families and communities. This course will explore social policies in the context of social and economic justice and social work practice, especially the role of the social worker as a change agent and advocate.

Prerequisites & Notes
Adv Codes: A
Prereq: SWK 204, SWK 222, SWK 304, SWK 305, SWK 383, SWK 384
Coreq: SWK 483

Normal Offering Cycle: Fall

Credits: 3