Discussion Post: Political Strategy in Policy Advocacy
Political strategies evolve as a result of a sequence of actions and verbal exchanges with policy makers and stakeholders. A social worker and policy advocate may find himself or herself in the role of political activist as well.
You examine how to use power resources to create and put into action a political strategy that has been designed to increase the chances that a policy proposal will be successfully enacted to change and improve the lives of people. You develop a series of political strategies to address one aspect of the situations and/or problems facing family members in the families you are introduced to through case studies presented in the readings and the media of this week. You also write a proposal for a policy practice or social advocacy that will seek to change a social/organization/legislative policy or advocate for the amelioration of a social problem.
Learning Objectives
o Analyze political strategies related to social work
o Analyze policy alternatives
o Analyze issues related to policy alternatives
Learning Resources
Required Readings
These websites will be required throughout the semester. Become familiar with these websites, especially when doing research for your homeworks.
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 11, "Developing Political Strategy and Putting It into Action in the Policy-Enacting Task" (pp. 372-419)
Plummer, S.-B, Makris, S., Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Concentration year.Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
"Social Work Policy: Children and Adolescents. The Case of Susanna" (pp. 57-60)
"Social Policy and Advocacy: Violence Prevention" (pp. 53-55)
McNutt, J. (2011). Is social work advocacy worth the cost? Issues and barriers to an economic analysis of social work political practice. Research on Social Work Practice, 21(4), 397-403.
Sherraden, M. S., Slosar, B., & Sherraden, M. (2002). Innovation in social policy: Collaborative policy advocacy. Social Work, 47(3), 209-221.
Required Media
Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013). Bradley (Episode 7 of 42) [Video file]. In Sessions.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.
Discussion: Developing Political Strategies
In this resources, you explore the stories of Susana and the Bradley family. They are all in situations that need social work intervention and advocacy. What political strategies would you use to enact policies developed to assist these individuals?
In this Discussion, you develop political strategies to address one aspect of the situation(s) and problem(s) facing Susana and members of the Bradley family.
To Prepare: Read and review Chapter 11 in your text. Read "Social Work Policy: Children and Adolescents" and "Social Policy and Advocacy: Violence Prevention". View the Bradley Episode 7 in the media for this week.
Post an explanation of the political strategies you would use to address one aspect of the situations/problems facing Susana and members of the Bradley family. Explain why you selected that strategy.
Respond to a colleague who chose a different political strategy than you. Offer a supportive insight based on your own experience as a social worker and/or policy advocate.
Project Homework: Identification of a Policy Alternative
As an astute social worker and professional policy advocate, once you have selected and identified a social problem, you begin the process of creating and implementing a policy that addresses that social problem. One of the first things you do in the implementation process is an analysis of the social policy you identified. There is always the possibility that the policy created and implemented to address the social problem you identified is not viable for a variety of reasons. In this case, you must explore a policy alternative.
In this project of your ongoing Social Change Project homework, you identify a policy alternative to the social problem you identified.
Complete your Social Change Project.
Address the following items within a 3 to 4 page paper:
a) What is the policy alternative?
b) What, if any, change(s) in the policy alternative are necessary and where will they need to occur (local, state, national, and international)?
c) Is this policy alternative congruent with social work values? Explain.
d) What is the feasibility of the alternative policy (political, economic, and administrative)?
e) Does the policy alternative meet the policy goals (e.g., social equality, redistribution of resources, social work values, and ethics)?
f) What are the forces that are for/against the policy?
g) What policy advocacy skills can be used to support the policy alternative?
h) How does the current policy affect clinical social work practice with clients?
i) What changes could be made in the policy to support the needs of clients seeking clinical services?
j) Provide an update on the advocacy activities your proposed in the Week 6 Homework.
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
a. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
b. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
c. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.