appt. SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY (POLICY I /MSSW) I. Course Description

This course examines, from an historical perspective, the overall structure of the current social welfare system with a focus on its impacts on the experience of vulnerable populations. Throughout the analysis, it also considers the parallel historical development of the profession of social work, including the ways in which it responded to the demands of social problems across key periods of social welfare policy transformations. This is the first of a two-course policy sequence in the MSSW program. In the next course in the sequence (Policy II), you will learn about methods for current policy analysis and evaluation, and you will have the opportunity to analyze in depth a policy of interest to you (e.g., a specific bill passed by the most recent Texas legislature). II. Course Objectives 1. Understanding of the dominant historical themes that have shaped the social welfare policy debate(s) which is essential for the development of a useful policy orientation toward contemporary issues; 2. Understanding of the economic constraints and opportunities in the development of social welfare programs; 3. Understanding of the interrelationships between the social work profession and th