Syllabus
Master of Social Work
SSWO 610 Social Work in the Political Arena
Credits - 3
Description
This course examines the political environment of the policy process through several sets of lenses. We will examine the motives of actors, institutional constraints and how these politics are altered at different stages of the policy process. This is not an examination of any single stage or actor in the policy process, but rather it is a calculated effort to provide you with an understanding of the critical issues involved in policy making.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
School of Social Work Program Outcomes:
Graduates of the UNE SSWO will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:
- Demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.
- Advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
- Engage in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in practice.
- Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
- Engage in policy practice.
- Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Course Objectives
Through the completion of your assignments, you will demonstrate your ability to:
- Articulate the role social workers have played as change agents in United States politics over the last 100 years.
- Discuss the impact that political decisions have on clients’ lives.
- Describe the political process ranging from municipal to federal levels.
- Develop strategies and techniques that are effective tools for researching, organizing, lobbying, advocating campaigning and working as a legislator.
- Identify the ethical issues that may present themselves as social workers become involved in the political arena.
Assignments
Learning Activities
A variety of learning activities are designed to support the course objectives, facilitate different learning styles, and build a community of learners.
Learning activities for each module include the following:
Readings and Multimedia:
Throughout this course you will complete several readings from your textbook, watch videos, and interact with different Web sites to help you grasp the information being presented in each learning module. There is a lot of material to cover in each module, so be sure to read and review carefully.
Discussions:
Each week you will engage in a few activities in the discussion boards. You will complete specific discussion question activities with all of your classmates. All of the discussion activities lead toward completion of the White Paper and the Campaign Project Presentation – they prepare you for the assignments. Some of the discussions are complex in nature so it is strongly advised that you begin working on them at the start of each module.
Writing Assignments, Projects and Assessments:
The major assignment for this course is the development of your Political Advocacy Project. You will be required to write a paper and create a presentation for your 3 classmates. Other writing assignments will include writing your political autobiography and summarizing a local government meeting.
Due Dates: Due dates for all learning activities are provided in the Course Schedule.
Grading Policy
The School of Social Work uses the following grading system for all courses with the exception of field education courses. Students are expected to maintain a “B” (3.0) average over the course of their study. Students with less than a GPA of 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 in order to receive their Master’s Degree.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Point Value | Percent of Final Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly Participation in all Discussions | 200 points (25 points/week * 8 weeks) | 20% |
| Political Autobiography | 100 points | 10% |
| Local Government Meeting Paper | 150 points | 15% |
| Political Advocacy Project: White Paper | 250 points | 25% |
| Political Advocacy Project: Campaign Presentation | 200 points | 20% |
| Resources Forum: Post an article and respond to each student | 100 points | 10% |
| Total | 1,000 | 100% |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Course Dates: January 3, 2018 – February 25, 2018
Module: 1 Social Workers as Political Change Agents
Week 1 | Dates: Wednesday, January 3 – Tuesday, January 9
- Readings: Textbook: Shaw (2014) – Preface, Chapter 1, Appendix A, and an article
- Multimedia: Government Made Easy: Political Change, Meet Juan Crow: Arizona’s Disenfranchised Voter, Part 1, New York Legalizes Same Sex Marriage
- Discussion: Local Issues
- Assignments Introduced: Local Government Meeting Paper – Introduction; Political Advocacy Project – Introduction; Political Advocacy Project: White Paper – Introduction; Political Advocacy Project: Campaign Presentation – Introduction
Module 2: Using Your Social Work Skills in the Political Arena
Week 2 | Dates: Wednesday, January 10 – Tuesday, January 16
- Readings: Textbook: Shaw (2014) – Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 12
- Multimedia: Developing a Campaign Plan, Sibley Bike Depot – Advocacy in the Form of a Bike Shop!; Political Advocacy – A View From Local Businesses; Faces of Social Work: Steve on the Diversity of Social Work
- Discussion: Skills in the Social Work Practice Arena
- Assignments: Political Autobiography Assignment; Political Advocacy Project – Continue Working on Project
Module 3: The Art and Pseudoscience of Responsible Political and Issue Campaigning
Week 3 | Dates: Wednesday, January 17 – Tuesday, January 23
- Readings: Textbook: Shaw (2014) – Chapter 10, articles
- Multimedia: How to upgrade democracy for the Internet era, Classic Negative Campaign Advertisement, Repower America on the Issues of Issue Campaigning
- Discussion: Policy and Strategy Scenario
- Assignment: Political Advocacy Project – Continue Working on Project
Module 4: Media, Messaging and Mass Education
Week 4 | Dates: Wednesday, January 24 – Tuesday, January 30
- Readings: Textbook: Shaw (2014) – Chapter 4, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, documents
- Websites: Portland Press Herald Aid for Needy Families Supports Those Who Work and Have Kids
- Discussions: Creating an OpEd Piece; Creating a Press Release
- Assignments: Local Government Meeting Paper Assignment; Political Advocacy Project – Continue Working on Project
Module 5: Financing a Political or Issue Campaign
Week 5 | Dates: Wednesday, January 31 – Tuesday, February 6
- Readings: Textbook: Shaw (2014) – Chapter 5
- Multimedia: We the People, and the Replublic we must reclaim, How to Run a Political Campaign: Political Campaign Budget; Financing a Local Campaign; Using House Parties to Raise Money
- Discussions: Developing a Budget for Your Campaign; Asking for Money
- Assignment: Political Advocacy Project – Continue Working on Project
Module 6: Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers
Week 6 | Dates: Wednesday, February 7 – Tuesday, February 13
- Readings: Textbook: Shaw (2014) – Chapter 11
- Multimedia: How to Run a Political Campaign: Campaign Strategy
- Discussion: Recruiting Strategy Discussion
- Assignment: Political Advocacy Project – Continue Working on Project
Module: 7 Ethical Issues in Campaigning
Week 7 | Dates: Wednesday, February 14 – Tuesday, February 20
- Readings: Textbook: Shaw (2014) – Chapter 9
- Websites: Leighton’s Campaign Finances – Ethical Issues, Ethical Considerations for Candidates and Their Supporters, Ethical Campaigning, Ethical Issues in Online Advertising
- Discussion: Ethical Challenges in Campaigning Exercises
- Assignment Submission: Political Advocacy Project: White Paper
- Assignment: Political Advocacy Project: Campaign Presentation – Continue Working on Project
Module 8: Final Thoughts on the Political Process – Future as a Candidate?
Week 8 | Dates: Wednesday, February 21 – Sunday, February 25
- Readings: Textbook: Shaw (2014) – Chapter 13
- Multimedia: The View From a Life in Politics; Ted Kennedy, Chapter 1: Teddy; Tim Davis – My Life in Politics
- Discussions: Next Steps in Politics; Political Advocacy Project: Campaign Presentation – Discussion
- Assignment Submission: Political Advocacy Project: Campaign Presentation
Student Resources
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
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Policies
Attendance Policy
8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
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Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.