Credits: | 3 |
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Prerequisites: | Foundation Essentials required |
Community Change | |
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Global | Elective |
Interpersonal Practice | |
Mgmt & Leadership | Elective |
Policy & Political | Requirement (Host) |
Program Evaluation | Elective |
Older Adults | |
Children & Families |
This course will introduce students to a set of analytic tools and skills for critical policy thinking, reading, and writing. Analytic tools introduced in this class include frameworks for policy analysis and using feminist, intersectional, and critical race lenses for policy analysis. The impact of race, gender, and class on policy development and enactment are emphasized throughout the course as well as an exploration of global approaches to policy analysis.
This course will enhance critical writing skills and teach concise and persuasive writing methods, issue framing, and legislative literacy for effective policy writing. Students will learn qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods frequently used for policy analysis. Students will also be introduced to policy document writing, including policy briefs, memos, factsheets, op-eds, and public comments. Finally, students will learn how to locate, read, and translate policy for community consumption.
1. Explore frameworks for policy analysis and utilize various frameworks for analysis, such as critical race theory, feminist, and intersectional frameworks;
2. Apply frameworks for policy analysis to the assessment of impact on social, economic, and environmental justice;
3. Explore research on evidence-based policymaking and its application to policy development and enactment;
4. Develop and evaluate a reasonable set of options (policy recommendations) for changing a particular bill or existing policy;
5. Design and implement a preliminary political and advocacy strategy for facilitating the enactment of the preferred option;
6. Organize and prepare different types of policy documents and/or policy recommendations;
7. Discuss the effect of social location and positionalities on policy development, their influence across system levels, and the process by which policy can advantage/privilege and disadvantage/oppress groups based on social location;
8. Discuss typical ethical concerns and concepts of equity related to social policy development and enactment
This course will use multiple methods including but not limited to: lectures, demonstrations, case studies, readings, guest speakers, discussions, written assignments, individual and group exercises. The course will be offered primarily in person with the possibility of a flipped-class or hybrid structure.
University of Michigan
School of Social Work
1080 South University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106