Oct. 13, 15 Nutritional Politics Fighting Hunger: NutCourse Number: SW323K Instructor: David L. Evans, MA Unique Number: 63095 Office Number: SSW2.122A Semester: Fall 2003 Phone: 589-0506 or 440-4031 (Urgent MSG) Meeting Time: M & W 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Office Hours: Wed. 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (By Appointment) Social Welfare Programs, Policies, and Issues I. Course Description This course is in the social policy curriculum area required for undergraduate program majors. This course is designed to provide students with the concepts to form the ability to analyze contemporary social welfare policy issues and programs and to understand the relationship between social policy and social work practice. The course focuses on historical, economic, political, and other social conditions that influenced the policy developed over time in the United States. Specific policy areas discussed are those in which social workers play major roles: income maintenance (with a focus on social insurance and public assistance), health, mental health, child welfare, and aging. Policy issues and programs are addressed as they affect major groups as well as populations at-risk (e.g. people of color, people with disabilities, women, gay men and women) with a particular emphasis on social and economic justice. Also, policies effecting quality of life for aging Americans will be examined. Students will learn to use policy analysis tools in order to understand how policy influences practice and planning decisions and how social workers can influence social welfare policy. Pre-requisites for this course include Government 310L and 312L (or their equivalents), an introductory economics course, and SW 310 (the first course in the policy sequence). Specific contact points in Texas State Government and the U.S. Federal Government will be discussed and these will serve as a resource for the class and possible future employment. 1II. Course Objectives By the end of this course, the student should be able to: 1. Articulate why our understanding of social policy is essential to performing social work responsibilities and understanding the issues; 2. Define social policy from a variety of perspectives; 3. Discuss and interpret the history of development of social policy and the impact of economics, politics, and social values on policy formation in the United States and the ways that issues of diversity (such as culture, class, gender, physical or mental stability, age) have been addressed; 4. Define key concepts in social welfare policy (e.g. universal, residual, public assistance, social insurance, cash, in-kind benefits); 5. Apply frameworks for analyzing the development of social welfare policy; 6. Apply frameworks for evaluating the effects of social welfare policy; 7. Identify and explain contemporary issues in the development of social welfare policy (e.g. centralized and decentralized policy-making, types of transfers, alternatives for addressing social welfare concerns), including values and ethical dilemmas; 8. Discuss issues and apply theoretical frameworks related to the policy areas of income maintenance, health, mental health, child welfare, and aging); 9. Analyze the impact of social welfare policy in terms of social and economic justice (i.e., differential effects on minority groups and particular populations including people of color, people with disabilities, women, gay men and women, etc.); 10. Analyze the roles of social workers in the social policy process and the effects of social policies on social work practice. III. Teaching Methods Social workers need to be able to articulate ideas clearly and persuasively. To enhance the development of this skill, this course will require a high level of class participation by students. A variety of teaching methods will be used including weekly readings, instructor lectures, video presentations, small group discussions, and guest speakers on topics related to social welfare policy. I encourage your active participation in creating an exciting learning experience for all of us. 2IV. Required and Recommended Texts DiNitto, D. (2003). Social Welfare: Politics and Public Policy, (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Students will also be required to read one additional text from a list of Optional books, as well as several articles provided by the instructor. V. Course Requirements Final grades for the course will be determined by the following: Class Participation ............................ 10% (10 points) Quizzes (4 Total) ............................ 40% (40 points) -with legislative aide Book Review ............................ 10% (10 points) Policy Analysis Paper ... 30% (30 points) Summary of Discussion ......................... 10% (10 points) Note: There will be no mid-term or final exam given in this course. Grading will be based on a total 100 percentage points accrued by the end of this course: 90-100 points ..........................A 80-89 points ..........................B 70-79 points ..........................C 60-69 points ..........................D Below 60 ...............No Pass Criteria for Evaluating Student Learning: Class Participation (10 points): All students begin with 10 points at the beginning of the semester. Students who miss more than three classes or who do not participate in discussions will lose 1 point per class (including portions of class). Quizzes (40 points or 10 points each): Students will be given (4) quizzes throughout the semester. The quizzes will ask basic questions taken from the class lectures and readings, so it is important that students read each week's assigned readings before class. Quizzes will be administered on a random basis and may be given at any time during the semester. Students will be allowed to drop the lowest grade they receive (total score will be based on the 3 best quiz scores). No make-up quizzes will be given. All quiz answers can be found in the class required DiNitto text. 3Book Review (10 points): Students will prepare a 3-4 page (double-spaced) book review, which the student will select from a list of books that will be distributed in class by the instructor (you will be assigned a book based on your preferences by the 4th class day). Evaluation of the book review assignment will be based upon how clearly you describe the content of the book and your