SOCW 6361

Required Readings

SOCW 6361 Webliography

These websites will be required throughout the semester. Become familiar with these websites, especially when doing research for your assignments.

Community Toolbox. (n.d). Chapter 5  Section 3: Social planning and policy Change. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/promotion-strategies/social-planning-policy-change/main 

Community Toolbox. (n.d). Chapter 5 Section 4: Social action. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/promotion-strategies/systems-advocacy-and-community-organizing/main

Jansson, B. S. (2018). Becoming an effective policy advocate: From policy practice to social justice. (8th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning Series.

Chapter 7, "Analyzing Problems in the First Step of Policy Analysis" (pp. 204-243)

Midgley, J., & Livermore, M. M. (Eds.). (2008). The handbook of social policy (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Chapter 14, "Critical Social Policy" (pp. 215–235) (PDF)

Project: Part 1: Identification of a Social Problem and Identification of a Policy

As an astute social worker and professional policy advocate, you must be adept at identifying social problems that exist in your community or in an agency or organization with which you are acquainted. Once you have selected a social problem, you begin the process of creating and implementing a policy that addresses that social problem.

In this assignment, you identify and describe a current social problem. You also identify a policy created and implemented to address the problem. This is the first part of your Social Change Project final assignment.

By Day 7

Complete Part 1 of your Social Change Project.

Address the following items in a 3-4 page paper:

• Describe a current social problem. How might this problem be incongruent with social work values/ethics?


• How/when has this problem been identified historically, and what were the actions taken to address this concern?


• How have the groups affected by this concern changed over time?


• Describe the policy area related to this social problem.


• Is the policy identified by your group dictated by local, state, or federal statute—or a combination thereof?


• What are the different aspects of the policy?


• How long has the current policy been in place?


• Who supports and who opposes the policy?


• What changes/amendments have been made to the policy?


• Explain how this policy affects clients you might see in a clinical setting and why, as a clinical social worker, it would be important to advocate for change.

Make sure that your assertions are supported by appropriate research and reputable resources