SCWK7701 · Social Work

The Social Welfare System

School of Social Work

Prerequisite for all other Policy courses. Required of all M.S.W. students. The course explores current social welfare issues in the context of history and underlying political rationale and societal values. The course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the relationship between contemporary social welfare policy and social work practice. The course focuses on the historical, political, economic and other social conditions that influence policy development in the United States. Models of social welfare are presented and critiqued. Policy issues and programs that impact specific populations are explored with an emphasis on social and economic justice. The course content will be framed through the lens of distributive equity and social justice. Understanding how policy influences practice and how social workers can influence social welfare policy are examined.