SOCL_WRK-330-roseanne.droesch-2026-02-23-02-06-55
Title of Course: Policy in Social Work
Prefix and Number: SOCL_WRK 330
Semester and Year [tbd]
Number of Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: Admitted to the Social Work Program
Course Details
Day and Time: [tbd]
Meeting Location: [tbd]
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor Name: [tbd]
Instructor Contact Information: [office location, phone, email] [tbd]
Instructor Office Hours: [click here Links to an external site. for best practices] [tbd]
TA Name: [tbd]
TA Contact Information: [office location, phone, email]: [tbd]
TA Office Hours: [click here Links to an external site. for best practices] [tbd]
Course Description
This course examines the policy and program development of social services. It explores current and emergent policies in social work. It critically analyzes the context and development of policies and potential for advocacy to promote social change.
Course Materials
Books: All course readings are Open Educational Resources (OERs) available and accessible through Canvas.
Mick Cullen & Matthew Cullen. Social Work & Social Welfare: Modern Practice in a Diverse World. https://oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/82483/overview Links to an external site.
Valérie Vézina & Alexandra Taylor. Political Ideologies and Worldviews: An Introduction – 2nd Edition. https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/politicalideologies2e/ Links to an external site.
Links to an external site.Social Problems - Continuity and Change. https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Social_Work_and_Human_Services/Social_Problems_-_Continuity_and_Change Links to an external site.
Other Materials: Readings will also include peer-reviewed articles, references from https://opensocialwork.org/textbooks/#policy Links to an external site., and other materials assigned by the professor.
You will need a laptop or device to access course content through online resources and the Canvas Learning Management System. Plan to log into the Canvas course several times per week and check your email frequently for announcements or other information from your instructor.
Fees: N/A
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Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:) |
Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes | Assessment of the Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| Understand the process involved in creating social policy | lectures, class discussions, group activities | assignments, quizzes, reserach presentation |
| Understand how programs are developed under policies | lectures, class discussions, group activities | assignments, quizzes, reserach presentation |
| Identify current and emerging policies in social welfare |
lectures, class discussions, group activities |
assignments, quizzes, reserach presentation |
| Articulate historical context on US social welfare policies |
lectures, class discussions, group activities |
assignments, quizzes, reserach presentation |
| Articulate historical impact of social welfare policies |
lectures, class discussions, group activities |
assignments, quizzes, reserach presentation |
| Dates | Lesson Topic | Assignment | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Week 1 |
Introduction to social welfare and social policy |
Social Work & Social Welfare: Modern Practice in a Diverse World. Chapter 1 & 5
NASW Code of Ethics
Web Article: what is social policy and how does it affect society?: https://legalclarity.org/what-is-social-policy-and-how-does-it-affect-society/ Links to an external site. |
Discussion Board Post #1: What does ‘policy’ mean to you as a future social worker? |
| Week 2 [dates] |
History of social welfare in the U.S. |
Social Work & Social Welfare: Modern Practice in a Diverse World. Chapter 2
Watch YouTube video: History of U.S. Welfare Programs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5RYIiNCaEI Links to an external site. Social Security Act of 1935 – SSA Official Summary Links to an external site.: |
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| Week 3 [dates] |
Social welfare policy research |
NPR Podcast: “Trapped in a Social Safety Net” (SSI rules & unintended consequences). https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trapped-in-a-social-safety-net/id1222114325?i=1000679513488 Links to an external site.
Article: Changing Support Needs Among Single Adults Experiencing Homelessness: Washington State Apple Health Clients, 2019–2023. https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sites/default/files/rda/reports/research-11-277.pdf Links to an external site.
Policy evaluation frameworks: https://health-policy-systems.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12961-024-01110-0 |
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| Week 4 [dates] |
The U.S. policy-making system |
Political ideologies and worldviews: An introduction. Chapter 3, 4, & 5
Read U.S. Social Policy timeline: https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/events/ Links to an external site.
How a bill becomes a law: Fun video on how a bill becomes a law: PBS. Crash Course on Government #9 (7 mins): https://www.pbs.org/video/crash-course-government-9/ Links to an external site.
Government 101 - website - familiarize yourself with how a bill becomes a federal law. http://votesmart.org/education/government#.VWNEwE_BzGc Links to an external site. |
Discussion Board Post #2: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. policy system? |
| Week 5 [dates] |
Specific policy topics: Poverty |
Social Work & Social Welfare: Modern Practice in a Diverse World. Chapter 9
Social Problems: Continuity and Change: Chapter 2
Watch the TED video titled “How Economic Inequality Harms Societies” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ7LzE3u7Bw Links to an external site.
Article: Are we asking the right questions about poverty in America? https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/epdf/10.1086/679331 Links to an external site.
Article: Growing up in Rural vs. Urban Poverty: Contextual, Academic, and Cognitive Differences: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/55118 Links to an external site. (optional)
Article: Rural–Urban Disparities in Health Outcomes, Clinical Care, Health Behaviors, and Social Determinants of Health: https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0002420 Links to an external site. (optional) Final Paper Part 1: choose a policy area of interest and explain its significance, supported by key historical, political, economic, and ideological background (due next week) |
Discussion Board Post #3: After watching the TED video titled “How Economic Inequality Harms Societies,” discuss what changes might you suggest if you wanted to decrease the economic inequality in the U. S.?
|
| Week 6 [dates] |
Discrimination |
Social Work & Social Welfare: Modern Practice in a Diverse World. Chapter 6, 7, & 8
Social Problems: Continuity and Change: Chapter 3 (3.4, discrimination).
Article: Race in the Labor Market: The Role of Equal Employment Opportunity and Other Policies. https://www.rsfjournal.org/content/5/5/198 Links to an external site.
Final Paper Part 1: choose a policy area of interest and explain its significance, supported by key historical, political, economic, and ideological background (due) |
Research Paper Part 1: choose a policy focus Policy paper 1 |
| Week 7 [dates] |
The American health care system |
Social Work & Social Welfare: Modern Practice in a Diverse World. Chapter 12 Social Problems: Continuity and Change: Chapter 13
Kaiser Family Foundation. 2019. 10 Things to Know about Medicaid. Issue Brief. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/10-things-to-know-about-medicaid-setting-the-facts-straight/ Links to an external site.
Kaiser Family Foundation. 2019. Overview of Medicare http://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/an-overview-of-medicare/ Links to an external site.
Final Paper Part 2: analyze a specific policy in depth, exploring its development, key influencers, economic and ideological forces, and its impact on vulnerable groups, inequality, and social cohesion. (due in three weeks) |
Exchange Paper 1 with peers for feedback (optional) |
| Week 8 [dates] |
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Policy/Criminal Justice |
Social Work & Social Welfare: Modern Practice in a Diverse World. Chapter 14
Social Problems: Continuity and Change: Chapter 7
Benko, Jessica. 2015. “The Radical Humaneness of Norway’s Halden Prison.” The New York Times Magazine, March 26, 2015. http://nyti.ms/1HMmyZ2 Links to an external site.
Binelli, Mark. 2015. Inside America’s Toughest Federal Prison. The New York Times Magazine, March 26, 2015. http://nyti.ms/1GsrGDt Links to an external site.
NPR podcasts: Criminal Justice Collaborative: https://www.npr.org/sections/criminal-justice-collaborative Links to an external site.
Final Paper Part 2: analyze a specific policy in depth, exploring its development, key influencers, economic and ideological forces, and its impact on vulnerable groups, inequality, and social cohesion. (due in two weeks) |
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| Week 9 [dates] |
Social Insurance program and Public Assistance programs |
Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). Policy Basics: Top Ten Facts about Social Security. http://www.cbpp.org/research/policy-basics-top-ten-facts-about-social-security Links to an external site.
Final Paper Part 2: analyze a specific policy in depth, exploring its development, key influencers, economic and ideological forces, and its impact on vulnerable groups, inequality, and social cohesion. (due this week)
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Research paper 2 |
| Week 10 [dates] |
Child welfare system |
Social Work & Social Welfare: Modern Practice in a Diverse World. Chapter 10 & 11
Article: Introduction: A Multilevel Perspective on Family Policy https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-54618-2_1 Links to an external site.
Article: Conceptualizing and Analyzing Family Policy and How It Is Changing. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-54618-2_2 Links to an external site.
Foster Care Policy Reading list: https://www.povertylaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Foster-System-Reading-List.pdf Links to an external site.
Final Paper Part 3: propose a policy improvement and outline a realistic advocacy campaign, using a simplified policy analysis framework to guide their recommendations. (due next week)
|
Discussion Board Post #4: What are the most significant challenges in balancing child safety with family preservation in U.S. child welfare policy? |
| Week 11 [dates] |
Contemporary policy issues |
Reach book chapter. State and Local Government and Politics. Chapter 3. https://open.oregonstate.education/government/chapter/chapter-3/ Links to an external site.
Watch YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0zAvlmzDFc Links to an external site.
Article: Urban renewal, gentrification and health equity: a realist perspective. https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/28/2/243/4633688 Links to an external site.
Article: Gentrification, Displacement, and the Role of Public Investment. https://www.urbandisplacement.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/gentrification.pdf Links to an external site.
Pew Research Center – Demographic Trends: US Hispanic population changes: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/02/03/u-s-hispanic-population-continued-its-geographic-spread-in-the-2010s/ Links to an external site.
Final Paper Part 3: propose a policy improvement and outline a realistic advocacy campaign, using a simplified policy analysis framework to guide their recommendations. (due this week) |
Research paper 3 |
| Week 12 [dates] |
American welfare state in international perspective |
Read book chapter. Sustaining the commons, chapter V, a systems perspective. https://sustainingthecommons.org/2nd-edition-2016/ Links to an external site.
Article: The Welfare State and Human Well-Being Around the World: A Cross-National Analysis. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11482-023-10247-z Links to an external site. Article: Why Doesn’t The US Have A European-Style Welfare State? https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/glaeser/files/why_doesnt_the_u.s._have_a_european-style_welfare_state.pdf |
Discussion Board Post #5: Compare the U.S. welfare state with one other country of your choice (e.g., Sweden, UK, Canada). What are two key differences in their approach to social welfare, and what do these differences reveal about values and priorities?
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| Week 13 [dates] |
Research presentations (final research paper due prior to presentation) | in-class presentation | Presentation |
| Week 14 [dates] |
Research presentations (final research paper due prior to presentation) | in-class presentation | Presentation |
| Week 15 [dates] |
Research presentations (final research paper due prior to presentation) | in-class presentation | Presentation |
Expectations for Student Effort
It is WSU policy that for every hour of in-class instruction, or equivalent online instruction, students should expect at least 2 hours of outside class course preparation in the form of reading, course assignments, and review of previous lectures.
Grading [add more lines if necessary]
| Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc) | Points | Percent of Overall Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion Boards (5) (original post 10 pts, each response 5 pts) | 100 | 18% |
| Policy Paper Part 1 | 50 | 9% |
| Policy Paper Part 2 | 100 | 18% |
| Policy Paper Part 3 | 100 | 18% |
| Presentation | 100 | 18% |
| Final Quiz | 100 | 18% |
| Total | 550 | 100% |
| Grade | Percent | Grade | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| A |
94-100 |
C | 74-76 |
| A- | 90-93 | C- | 70-73 |
| B+ | 87-89 | D+ | 67-69 |
| B | 84-86 | D | 64-66 |
| B- | 80-83 | F | <64 |
| C+ | 77-79 |
Standard rounding procedures will be applied to the percentages to calculate grades. For example, an 89% earns a B+ and 90% earns an A-. A student with an 89.5% will be rounded to a 90%.
Attendance and Make-Up Policy
Social work education involves experiential and collaborative learning and the development of high standards of personal and professional responsibility. Every student contributes as a valuable resource, and peer collaboration is fundamental to the learning milieu. It is important for emerging social workers to begin to express critical course-related ideas and reflections in the classroom. Active participation is essential. Students are expected to be present and on time for class. If students are not able to attend class, they must contact the instructor prior to that session to determine if participation/attendance credits can be awarded in an alternative format. (Emergencies may be excused on a case-by-case basis.)
Please contact your instructor prior to a planned absence such as a school sponsored event, conference, etc. If you have an emergency, please contact your instructor as soon as possible through their WSU email address, preferably prior to the class.
Academic Integrity Statement
You are responsible for reading WSU’s Academic Integrity PolicyLinks to an external site., which is based on Washington State lawLinks to an external site.. If you cheat on an assignment in this class, you will:
- Fail the assignment.
- Be reported to the Center for Community StandardsLinks to an external site..
- Have the right to appeal the decision.
- Not be able to drop the course or withdraw from the course until the appeal process is finished.
If you want to ask for a change in the instructor’s decision about academic integrity, refer to the formLinks to an external site. at the Center for Community StandardsLinks to an external site. website. You must submit the request within 21 calendar days of the decision.
If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask your instructor.