The student will be able to:

1. Analyze the development and functioning of the social services system through major sociological and interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks.
2. Apply sociological theories to explain the historical and contemporary roots of social problems and systemic inequality.
3. Evaluate the role of social work and social services in addressing social issues within institutional, cultural, and community contexts.
4. Compare and contrast key theoretical perspectives—including structural functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, feminist theory, social constructionism, postmodernism, systems theory, ecological theory, critical theory, labeling theory, strengths and empowerment theory, and behavioral and cognitive theory—as they relate to social welfare and service delivery.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of how theoretical paradigms inform research methods and evidence-based practices in social work.
6. Explore how sociological and interdisciplinary theories inform the selection and application of research methods in the study of social problems and the practice of social work.
7. Examine the relationship between theory and research design, including how specific paradigms shape the formulation of research questions, choice of methodologies, data collection strategies, and interpretation of findings in both academic and applied contexts.
8. Identify and critically examine a range of persistent social issues, including, but not limited to, poverty, racism, sexism, ableism, and substance abuse.
9. Through a theoretical and methodological lens, develop the capacity to critically evaluate existing research, design basic studies, and apply evidence-informed practices in social work settings.
10. Examine the historical development of social welfare systems as responses to social problems.
11. Sketch the development of the field of social services as a profession.
12. Identify and uphold the legal, ethical, and professional practice responsibilities of working with social work and human service organizations, with attention to cultural humility and oppressed groups.
13. Explain the services provided by a local social welfare agency.
14. Illustrate contemporary social issues and problems, and responses of social welfare systems.
15. Compare methods of the discipline as based on core concepts, values, and ethics (as rooted in human diversity and social justice).
16. Analyze the foundations of government and other community social services.
17. Evaluate the development of government laws and social policies as they relate to social welfare services and people's roles in shaping social policy.
18. Compare Western and non-Western approaches to social welfare services.
19. Synthesize current issues, controversies, and conflicts affecting social services.

1. Social work, human services, and social welfare in historical perspective; historical overview of social work, human services
   1. English and Elizabethan poor laws
   2. Colonial period
   3. Civil War period
   4. Progressive Era
   5. New Deal Era
   6. Great Society Era
   7. Welfare Reform Era
   8. History of professional social work education and practice
   9. Social work in the 21st century and beyond
2. Sociological theory, social problems, and social services
3. Development and functioning of the social services system through a variety of sociological and interdisciplinary theoretical lenses. Emphasis is placed on understanding how different theories explain the origins of social problems, the structures of inequality, and the role of social work in addressing these issues within institutional and community contexts. Strengths and weaknesses of various theoretical analyses
4. Sociological theoretical paradigms and the social roots of inequality - overview of sociological theories in understanding social problems and responses through social services
   1. Examination of the historical and social roots of inequality (race, class, gender, ability, etc.) from a theoretical standpoint
5. Structural functionalism
   1. Key theorists: Auguste Comte, Émile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, Jeffrey Alexander
   2. Focus on the role of institutions, including social services, in maintaining social order and stability
6. Symbolic interactionism
   1. Key theorists: Charles Horton Cooley, George Herbert Mead, the Chicago School, Max Weber, William I. Thomas, Ferdinand Tönnies, Edwin Lemert
   2. Emphasis on micro-level interactions and the construction of meaning in the context of social work practice
   3. Application to understanding client-worker interactions, identity formation, and labeling processes
7. Social conflict theory
   1. Key theorists: Karl Marx, Jane Addams, W.E.B. Du Bois, William Julius Wilson
   2. Analysis of power dynamics, systemic inequality, and the role of social services in reinforcing or challenging social stratification
8. Feminist theory
   1. Key theorists: Catherine Coolidge, Dorothy Smith, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Harriet Martineau, Jessie Bernard
   2. Exploration of gender-based inequality, intersectionality, and the feminist critique of traditional social institutions and practices in social work
9. Social constructionism
   1. Key theorists: Peter Berger, Alfred Schutz
   2. Examination of how social problems and client identities are constructed, defined, and responded to through discourse and institutional practices
10. Postmodernism
    1. Key theorist: Michel Foucault
    2. Analysis of power/knowledge relationships, surveillance, and the role of discourse in shaping social work practice and the categorization of social problems in the post-modern era
11. Interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives
    1. To support a comprehensive understanding of client systems and social service delivery, additional theoretical frameworks from social work and related disciplines are examined, such as:
       1. Systems theory
          1. Analysis of individuals within interrelated systems (family, community, institutional, societal)
          2. Emphasis on holistic approaches to assessment and intervention
       2. Ecological theory
          1. Focus on person-in-environment perspective
          2. Examination of how environmental factors (social, economic, cultural) impact individuals and communities
       3. Critical theory
          1. Focus on challenging dominant ideologies, oppressive structures, and institutionalized injustice
          2. Application to advocacy, anti-oppressive practice, and transformative approaches in social work
       4. Strengths and empowerment theory
          1. Emphasis on client agency, resilience, and capacity-building
          2. Application to culturally responsive, strengths-based social work practice
       5. Labeling theory
          1. Key theorist: Edwin Lemert (also noted under symbolic interactionism)
          2. Examination of how deviance and social problems are socially defined and the consequences of labeling on identity and life chances
       6. Behavioral and cognitive theory
          1. Overview of behavioral (e.g., conditioning, reinforcement) and cognitive (e.g., thought patterns, schemas) models
          2. Application to clinical and community interventions within social service systems
12. Research methods
    1. Exploration of how sociological and interdisciplinary theories inform the selection and application of research methods in the study of social problems and the practice of social work
    2. Students will examine the relationship between theory and research design, including how specific paradigms shape the formulation of research questions, choice of methodologies, data collection strategies, and interpretation of findings in both academic and applied contexts
    3. Strengths and weaknesses of various research methods
    4. Through a theoretical and methodological lens, students will develop the capacity to critically evaluate existing research, design basic studies, and apply evidence-informed practices in social work settings
13. Quantitative research methods
    1. Often associated with structural functionalism, behavioral and cognitive theory, and aspects of conflict theory
    2. Includes statistical analysis, surveys, large-scale data sets, and experimental designs to examine social patterns, institutional functions, and intervention outcomes
    3. Often used in evaluating the effectiveness of social service programs and measuring systemic inequalities
14. Qualitative research methods
    1. Often aligned with symbolic interactionism, feminist theory, social constructionism, postmodernism, and ecological theory
    2. Includes ethnography, interviews, case studies, narrative analysis, and participant observation
    3. Focuses on meaning-making, lived experience, identity, discourse, and the contextual factors that shape client experiences and social service delivery
15. Critical and participatory research approaches
    1. Informed by critical theory, strengths and empowerment theory, and feminist methodologies
    2. Emphasize power dynamics in research, the co-construction of knowledge, and the role of research as a tool for social justice and community empowerment
    3. Includes participatory action research (PAR), emancipatory research, and anti-oppressive research practices
16. Mixed methods approaches
    1. Recognizes the value of integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods
    2. Frequently used in systems theory and ecological models, which require both macro-level data and micro-level insights
    3. Enhances the ability to assess complex social phenomena and evaluate multidimensional interventions
17. The development of the field and profession
    1. Core concepts
       1. Strength based approach
       2. Family centered approach
       3. Empowerment
       4. Valuing human dignity
       5. Valuing cultural diversity
       6. Valuing cultural sensitivity
    2. Varying models of helping relationships
    3. Characteristics of effective helpers
    4. Ethical and professional issues
18. Social problems
    1. Social stratification
    2. Race, ethnicity, racism, and racial stratification
    3. Sexism, sexuality, homophobia, and gender stratification
    4. Poverty, privilege, and the distribution of wealth and valued resources
    5. The feminization of poverty
    6. Age and ageism
    7. Violence/domestic violence
    8. Problems with families
    9. Substance abuse
    10. Mental and/or physical disability
        1. Analyze ableism, disadvantage, and exclusion caused by societal design/barriers
        2. Recognize people with disabilities as the experts on their own needs and experiences
        3. Practices that center disability and the experiences of people with disabilities
    11. Institutionalization
    12. Geographical issues
    13. Social mobility
    14. Stress
19. Social policy and planning
    1. Emergence of social policy
    2. Development of, and changes in, social services policy
    3. Social planning for social services
    4. Research in social services
    5. Government responses to social problems
    6. Social welfare for the rich, middle-income, and the poor
20. Trends, controversies, and issues in social welfare
    1. Welfare reform
    2. Child welfare policies - adoptions and family care/safe families act
    3. Immigration issues
21. Values and ethics in social work practice
22. Building community and progressive societies through social work, social services, and social welfare
    1. Social movements
    2. Poor people's movements
    3. Civil and human rights movements
    4. Models and meanings of civil societies
    5. Best practice models - building on family strengths/family conferencing models
    6. Identify opportunities to advocate for systemic change that promotes social inclusion and equity for people with disabilities
    7. Community organization and social advocacy

Not applicable.

Class discussions
Active learning exercises
Oral presentations
Critical essay(s)
Examinations or quizzes

Lecture
Discussion

Heslop, Philip, and Cathryn Meredith. Social Work Theory in Practice. 2023.

Desmond, Matthew. Poverty, By America. 2023.

Berg-Weger, Marla, and Vithya Murugan. Social Work and Social Welfare, An Invitation. 2022.

Karger, H.J., and David Stoesz. American Social Welfare Policy: A Pluralist Approach. 2018.

Kirst-Ashman, Karen K.. Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare: Critical Thinking Perspectives. 2017.

Stern, Mark, and June Axinn. Social Welfare: A History of the American Response to Need. 2018.

1. College level readings from primary and secondary sources
2. College level writing assignments based on primary and secondary source reflection and/or analysis