Class Descriptions

Special Seminars in Social Context for Practice and Policy

SW849

Course Description

This seminar covers particular aspects of individual and family well being, social participation, social equity and equality,responses to social trends, or other human conditions that may influence social work and social welfare. The seminar will consider the influences of diverse ideologies and values on conceptualizations of these conditions, operational definitions of the variables considered, an analysis of antecedents and consequences of the conditions, and implications for social work and social welfare of the above. Students will analyze how social units are affected by and respond to current or emerging social trends. Selected trends will provide the substantive theme, addressed with five foci: the trend's nature and antecedents, its consequences for particular social units, social problems/opportunities created by it, responses of various social units to those problems/opportunities, and implications for social work and social welfare in responding to the trend
through innovative policies, programs, and treatment methods. Differential effects of the trend on subgroups such as minorities, women and the elderly will be of special interest. Topic selection criteria will include:
timeliness, relevance to problems/opportunities of importance to social work/social welfare, and congruence with faculty scholarly work.