Assignment
Social Work History and Social Welfare Policy: Do not use any quotes from your textbooks, outside readings, or the Internet in your answers.
Barusch, A. S. (2018). Foundations of social policy: Social justice in human perspective (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Jansson, B. (2019). The reluctant welfare state: Engaging history to advance social work practice in contemporary society (9th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
I. Identify the policy choices facing FDR when he assumed office in 1933. Discuss how FDR's decisions relating to social welfare differed from previous U.S. presidents. Additionally, add information about the significance of FDR's policy decisions to the development of our current welfare state.
II. Compare and contrast the treatment of the poor by Charity Organization Societies and Settlement Houses during the Progressive Era. Identify the ideological beliefs influencing their approaches to social intervention and discuss how these two movements influenced the development of the social work profession.
III. Which trends in income and wealth distribution have emerged within the United States over the last 15 to 20 years? Which federal policies have contributed to these trends? How do these trends differ from wealth and income distributions during the previous 70 years and why have they changed?
IV. Identify cultural values that have shaped the United States' approach to poverty. How are these values evident within current policies? How do these values conflict or align with core social work values as articulated in the NASW Code of Ethics and the IFSW's Statement of Ethical Principles?
V. Discuss the historical and current role played by the U.S. government in the well-being of non-dominant groups within our society, specifically Indigenous peoples, African Americans, and Latinos. Provide examples of how the government institutionalized oppression, as well as examples of policies in which the government has sought to rectify or mitigate oppression of this group. What are some of the repercussions of these policies today?
VI. Identify the major provisions of the Social Security Act. What were some of the most salient cultural, social, and economic factors influencing the development and passage of this policy? How does it shape social welfare services today?
VII. Discuss the different goals encompassed within U.S. immigration policy. Be specific in your discussion of these goals and provide examples of policies that have been established to achieve each of the goals. Include major immigration policies enacted throughout U.S. history as discussed in our readings.
VIII. Distinguish between absolute and relative poverty.
IX. What is the poverty threshold, how is it determined and what role does it play in social welfare programming?
Social Work History and Social Welfare Policy: For each of the following practice scenarios, identify the policies and, when requested, the provisions or requirements that best fit the client's situation.
X. You are a school social worker working with a fourth grader who is diagnosed with ADHD and learning disabilities. Both diagnoses inhibit her ability to learn. Which policy ensures that this student will receive assistance in learning?
XI. You are a lead social worker at a domestic violence shelter and you are concerned about acquiring funding for your services. Identify two policies that might provide funding to your agency.
XII. You are employed by a county child welfare agency and were recently assigned a family with three children, the father of whom is a registered member of the Piute tribe. Which policy will govern your interactions with the tribe? Which policy will dictate the reunification timeline for this family?
XIII. You are working at a transitional program for homeless adults and encounter a man in his late-60's who has been living on the street for several years. He reports substance use as well as a history of mental health concerns. Currently, he receives no assistance or services to address these issues. Which programs/policies might help fund his potential treatment programs for this client?