SSS 890 Analysis and Critique of Social Welfare Policy Models (3 credits) Fall, 2014

SSS 890 Analysis and Critique of Social Welfare Policy Models (3 credits) Fall, 2014 This course outline is the property of NCSSS and the instructor. It may be distributed with written permission. Dr. Will C. Rainford, LMSW, Ph.D. I. COURSE PURPOSE: From a social developmental perspective, this course critically examines social welfare policies in the United States. Building on knowledge and experience gained from master s level studies and the practice of social work, this course provides students the opportunity to analyze the relationship between social work values, societal values, alternative social philosophies, and contemporary social policies designed to support and protect individuals, families and communities. The competing influences of political, economic, legal, religious and public media systems as well as the influence of social science research on policy formulation will be considered. Although primary emphasis in this course will be placed on domestic policies and their impact on intended target populations, attention will be given to new and emerging issues surrounding human rights, globalization and the impact of United States policies on the world order. Poverty in the United States is of central concern to social workers engaged in social policy work. Many other social problems are contextualized by and contribute to poverty. In this course, students will be confronted with the challenge of examining poverty in the US and the adequacy or lack thereof of anti-poverty policies. Given significant gaps in social policy, students will work together throughout the course to identify those gaps and find policy responses that would provide for more efficacious policy responses to poverty. An important by-product of this course is the student s opportunity to begin conceptualizing how to teach social policy practice to MSW and BSW students. Students in the course will be charged with creating a mock course syllabus they would use in a foundation level or generalist social policy course. As part of this process, students will be challenged to identify and critique learning theories towards development of a teaching philosophy useful in their future career as an academician. II. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES By the end of this course, students will demonstrate ability to: 1. Apply the theory of social development to social problems; 2. Critically analyze social policies using Bardach s Eightfold Path model; 3. Explain poverty in the United States, its causes and consequences; 1

4. Apply theories of power to the critique of anti-poverty policies and programs in the US; 5. Identify and utilize data from social science databases, as well as from government and NGO sites in the analysis of social policies; 6. Create a course syllabus for delivery of a social policy course at the foundational or generalist social work level. III. COURSE REQUIREMENTS A. Required Texts: Required texts may be acquired through the CUA Bookstore or via a web-based book vendor. In the case of journal articles, students are expected to locate the material via the CUA Library search systems. Bardach, E. (2012). A practical guide for policy analysis: The eightfold path to more effective problem solving (4th edition). London: Sage. ISBN: 978-1-60871-842-9 Loeb, P. (2010). Soul of a citizen: Living with conviction in challenging times. NY: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN: 978-0-312-59537-1 Midgley, J. (2014). Social development: Theory & practice. London: Sage. ISBN: 978-1- 4129-4777-0 Midgley, J. & Conley, A. (2010). Social work and social development: Theories and skills for developmental social work. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-973232-6 News of the Day: In addition to course readings, students need to read one national newspaper each day, either in paper format or via the internet. Students must be prepared to discuss noteworthy news in class each week that has unfolded the week prior to class. Students are expected to be fully informed and participatory in these discussions. B. Recommended Texts David, K. & Bent-Goodley (2004). The color of social policy. Alexandria, VA: CSWE Press. Day, P. (2009). A new history of social welfare (6 th. ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson Education. DeParle, J. (2004). American dream: Three women, ten kids, and a nation's drive to end welfare. New York: Viking. Gil, D. G. (2013). Confronting injustice and oppression: Concepts and strategies for social workers. New York: Columbia University Press. Haynes, S. & Mickelson, J. (2010). Affecting change: Social workers in the political arena (7 th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. 2

Hays, S., 1956. (2004). Flat broke with children: Women in the age of welfare reform. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Iglehart, A. P. & Becerra, R. M. (2011). Social services and the ethnic community: history and analysis (2 nd ed.) Long Grove: Waveland Press, Inc. Jansson, B. (2011). Becoming an effective policy advocate: From policy practice to social justice (6 th ed.). Pacific Cove: Brooks/Cole. Karger, H. &,Stoesz, D. (2010). American social welfare policy: A pluralist approach. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Kingdon, J.W. (2003). Agendas, alternatives, and public policies. (2 nd ed.). New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, Inc. Martin, J. M., & Martin E. P. (1985). The helping tradition in the Black family and community. Washington, DC: NASW Press. Oliver, M. & Shapiro, T. (2006). Black wealth/white wealth. A new perspective on racial inequality. NY: Routledge. Pennock, M. (2007). Catholic social teaching: Learning & living justice. Notre Dame, Ind: Ave Maria Press. Rank, M. R. (2004). One nation, underprivileged: Why American poverty affects us all. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Rank, M. R. (1994). Living on the edge: The realities of welfare in America. New York: Columbia University Press. Reisman, D. A. (2001). Richard Titmuss: Welfare and society. New York: Palgrave. Seccomb, K (2011). So you think I drive a Cadillac? Welfare recipients perspectives on the system and its reform (3 rd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Sherraden, M. (1991). Assets and the poor: A new American welfare policy. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. Stern, M. & Axinn, J. (2012). Social welfare: A history of the American response to need (8 th ed.). Boston: Pearson. Trattner, W. I. (1999). From poor law to welfare state: A history of social welfare in America. New York: The Free Press. 3

Wilson, W. J., 1935. (1997). When work disappears: The world of the new urban poor. New York: Knopf. C. Internet Resources Catholic Social Teaching USCCB Seven Themes of CST http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-socialteaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching.cfm Advocacy Government Catholic Charities USA http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/ Charity Lobbying for the Public Interest http://www.clpi.org OMB Watch http://www.ombwatch.org Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy http://crispinc.org/?tag=congressional-social-work-caucus First Government http://www.firstgov.gov Thomas @ Library of congress http://thomas.loc.gov United States Census Bureau http://www.census.gov US House of Representatives http://www.house.gov US Senate http://senate.gov White House http:/www.whitehouse.gov Policy Research Center on Budget and Policy Priorities http://www.cbpp.org Moving Ideas: Electronic Polity Network http://moving ideas.org Urban Institute http://www.urban.org Brookings Institution http://www.brook.edu Institute for Research on Poverty http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/irp Economic Policy Institute http://www.epi.org D. Course Assignments Social Policy Analysis Paper (60% of semester grade) Applying the theory of social development, and following Bardach s model of policy analysis, the student will propose an anti-poverty policy that addresses one cause or one result of poverty. The paper is due November 30, 2014 at 5:00 PM and will be submitted via electronic email in Microsoft Word. Students must follow APA formatting throughout the paper. Fatal Error Policy: An assignment submitted in this course that has more than three grammatical, syntactical and/or citation errors on any give page will be assigned a grade 4

of zero. The paper will be returned to the student for correction and resubmission. The highest grade the rewritten paper will then be awarded is a B+ (85 points). If the resubmitted paper violates the fatal error policy, the paper will be assigned a grade of zero. Note: Assignments completed for this course must be of the highest standards and rigors expected of a doctoral student. No late assignments will be accepted, regardless of reason. If a paper is submitted beyond the due date and time, it will receive a grade of zero. Students are advised to work methodically on the assignment across the semester. Anti-Poverty Social Policy Course Syllabus (40% of semester grade) The student will create a syllabus for a BSW level social policy course focused on antipoverty policy. The parts of the syllabus that must be included are, at a minimum: 1. Title of the Course 2. Course Description 3. Student Learning Outcomes 4. Required Reading 5. Suggested Reading 6. Suggested Websites 7. Instructor s Teaching Philosophy 8. Course Assignments 9. Course Outline 10. Assignment Evaluation Guidelines The syllabus is due November 30, 2014 at 5:00 PM and will be submitted via electronic email in Microsoft Word. Students must follow APA formatting throughout the assignment. Copying other syllabi, in whole or part, either that exist electronically or in paper format, will be considered an act of plagiarism and will result in a failing grade. Fatal Error Policy: An assignment submitted in this course that has more than three grammatical, syntactical and/or citation errors on any give page will be assigned a grade of zero. The paper will be returned to the student for correction and resubmission. The highest grade the rewritten paper will then be awarded is a B+ (85 points). If the resubmitted paper violates the fatal error policy, the paper will be assigned a grade of zero. Note: Assignments completed for this course must be of the highest standards and rigors expected of a doctoral student. No late assignments will be accepted, regardless of reason. If a paper is submitted beyond the due date and time, it will receive a grade of zero. Students are advised to work methodically on the assignment across the semester. 5

E. Instructor s Teaching Philosophy I apply adult learning theory (see the work of Malcom Shepherd Knowles) and social construction theory (see the work of Ian Hacking and others) to teaching social policy to doctoral students. Thus, I hold high expectations that students will be engaged in learning, both their own and that of others in the course, because of its benefits, not due to some perceived coercion on my part. The course will not succeed if students view themselves as mere students sitting in chairs absorbing what I have to offer. Rather, and importantly, it is the student her or himself that is the instructor and all of us in the course learners. The knowledge, experience, skills, character and values you bring to the classroom is as instructive and crucial as anything I might bring. Therefore, it goes without saying, attendance and participation is an act of investment by the student in other students and me as the instructor for our edification. We all must complete reading assignments in advance of class sessions, be completely apprised of news of the day, and arrive at class energized to engage each other in the rhetoric of policy discourse. Discussing poverty and social policy often involves reflecting on and expressing personal values. Those values will naturally be divergent in a class of adult learners. Doctoral students in the NCSSS are expected to uphold the NASW Code of Ethics in engaging with each other, even and especially in intense political discourse. Respect and regard of others is absolutely necessary for us to learn from one another in this course. F. Grading Assignments will be evaluated based on the matrices in the appendices of this syllabus. SCHEDULE OF CLASSES This course is divided into four components: The Nature of Poverty; Reasons for Poverty; Effects of Poverty; Anti-Poverty Policy. Throughout the course, students will explore values of American society, historical and contemporary, that shape responses to poverty, as well as their own values that will guide them in their anti-poverty policy work. The application of the theory of social development will be examined in each component of the course. Unit 1: Introduction to Course Required Reading Loeb, P. (2010). Soul of a citizen: Living with conviction in challenging times. NY: St. Martin's Griffin. Chptrs 1-7 Midgley, J. (2014). Social development: Theory & practice. London: Sage. Chpt 1-2 NASW Code of Ethics http://socialworkers.org/pubs/code/default.asp 6

Catholic Social Teaching http://usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-webelieve/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching.cfm Unit 2: Nature of Poverty Required Reading Explore trends in poverty at US Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html Allegretto, S. A. (2006). Basic family budgets: Working families' incomes often fail to meet living expenses around the United States. International Journal of Health Services, 36(3), 443-454. Blank, R. & Greenberg, M. (2008). Improving the measurement of poverty. Brooking Institution. Retrieved on July 26, 2014 from http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/files/rc/papers/2008/12_poverty_measurement_blank /12_poverty_measurement_blank.pdf Bratter, J. L., & Damaske, S. (2013). Poverty at a racial crossroads: Poverty among multiracial children of single mothers. Journal of Marriage and Family, 75(2), 486-502. Broussard, C. (2012-05). Stressors and coping strategies used by single mothers living in poverty. Affilia, 27(2), 190-204. Cellini, S., McKernan, S., & Ratcliffe, C. (2009). The dynamics of poverty in the United States: A review of data, methods, and findings. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 27 (3), 577-605. DeSante, C. (2013). Working twice as hard to get half as far: Work, ethic, and America s deserving poor. American Journal of Political Science, 57(2), 342-356. Gans, H. (1972). The positive functions of poverty. American Journal of Sociology, 78 (2), 275-289. Gradín, C. (2012). Poverty among minorities in the United States: explaining the racial poverty gap for Blacks and Latinos. Applied Economics, 44(29), 3793-3804. Harvey, D. & Reed, M. (1996). The culture of poverty: Sociological Perspectives, 39(4), 465-495. An ideological analysis. Hill, K. L. (2011). Single mothers How are they doing? Journal of Organizational Culture, Communication and Conflict, 15(1), 1-10. Kainz, K., Willoughby, M. T., Vernon-feagans, L., & Burchinal, M. R. (2012). Modeling family economic conditions and young children's development in rural united states: 7

Implications for poverty research. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 33(4), 410-420. Loeb, P. (2010). Soul of a citizen: Living with conviction in challenging times. NY: St. Martin's Griffin. Chptr 8-9 Midgley, J. (2014). Social development: Theory & practice. London: Sage. Chptr 3-7 Poverty in the United States. (2013). Congressional Digest, 92(9), 12-13. Rank, M. R. (2011, Spring). Rethinking American poverty. Contexts, 10, 16-21. Rank, M. & Williams, J. (2010). A life course approach to understanding poverty among older American adults. Families in society, 91(4), 337-341. Schiller, B. (2008). Counting the poor. (pp. 36-66). The economics of poverty and discrimination. NY: Prentice Hall. Available on Blackboard in course readings. Wilson, W. J. (2009). The political and economic forces shaping concentrated poverty. Political Science Quarterly, 123(4), 555-571. Unit 3: Reasons for Poverty Required Reading Beeghley, L. (1988). Individual and structural explanations of poverty. Population Research and Policy Review, 7(3), 201-222. Lewis, O. (1998). The culture of poverty. Society, 35(2), 7-9. Lichter, D., Domenico P., & Taquino, M. (2012). The geography of exclusion: Race, segregation, and concentrated poverty. Social Problems, 59, 364-388. Loeb, P. (2010). Soul of a citizen: Living with conviction in challenging times. NY: St. Martin's Griffin. Chptr 10-12 Midgley, J. (2014). Social development: Theory & practice. London: Sage. Chptr 8-12 Rainford, W. (2004). Paternalistic regulation of women: Exploring punitive Sanctions in Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. Affilia, 19(3), 289-304. Rank, M. (1994). The welfare debate (pp 12-35). Living on the edge: The realities of welfare in America. NY: Columbia University Press. Available on Blackboard in course readings. 8

Sawhill, I. (2003). The behavioral aspects of poverty. Retrieved on July 27, 2014 from http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2003/09/fall-useconomics-sawhill Wilson, W. (2010). Why both social structure and culture matter in a holistic analysis of inner-city poverty. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 629, 200-219. Unit 4: Effects of Poverty Explore life in poverty in America at http://www.povertyusa.org/ Ehrenreich, B. (2002). Serving in Florida (pp. 11-50). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America. NY: Henry Holt and Co. Available on Blackboard in course readings. Murnane, R. (2007). Improving the education of children living in poverty. Future of Children 17,161-182. Rank, M. (1994). Day-to-day living (pp. 51-61). Living on the edge: The realities of welfare in America. NY: Columbia University Press. Available on Blackboard in course readings. Sanoff, S. (2003). Central Appalachia Still the other America. Journal of Poverty, 7, 123-139. Unit 5: Anti-Poverty Policy Mead, L. (1992). Introduction (pp. 1-24). The new politics of poverty: The nonworking poor in America. NY: Basic Books. Available on Blackboard in course readings. Mead, L. (1997). The rise of paternalism (pp. 1-38). The new paternalism: Supervisory approaches to poverty. Washington, DC: Brookings Institute. Available on Blackboard in course readings. Mead, L. (1997). Welfare employment (pp. 39-88). The new paternalism: Supervisory approaches to poverty. Washington, DC: Brookings Institute. Available on Blackboard in course readings. Midlgey, J. & Conley, A. (2010). Social work and social development: Theories and skills for developmental social work. London: Oxford Press. Pimpare, S. (2013). Welfare reform at 15 and the state of policy analysis. Social Work, 58 (1), 53-62. Sheely, A. (2012). Devolution and welfare reform: Re-evaluating "success". Social Work, 57(4), 321-31. 9

Wilson W. (1996). A broader vision: Social policy options in cross-national perspective (pp. 207-240). When work disappears: The world of the new urban poor. NY: Alfred A. Knopf. Available on Blackboard in course readings. 10