International Social Work : Simmons College School of Social Work : Simmons College

Understanding Social Welfare Policy, Advocacy, and Social Action from a Global Perspective (SW 553M)

Beverly C. Sealey, PhD, Associate Professor
bsealey@simmons.edu

Course description: We live in a changing world with changing social, cultural, demographic, technological, and changing economies, where competition is happening across the world. Economies of the future include having workers who are trained and educated in global cultures, where they have knowledge of other worlds, international regions, cultures, and global international issues. It is necessary for social workers to have direct exposure, experience, knowledge and understanding of diverse worlds to be sensitive to, and to value, appreciate, and respect diversity, and be able to function with different cultures. Given the rapidly increasing global interconnectedness and work with immigrant, refugee, and international migrant populations, social workers must be able to work in a global and cross cultural environments.

This course is designed to allow students to learn about international social work, social welfare policy, advocacy and social action practices from a global perspective. In this course students will learn about international social work, social welfare, advocacy and social action from a global perspective, using principles of social justice, human rights, and development as the overarching theoretical frameworks. The course will include content on topics and themes ranging from colonization, globalization and its impact on Third World countries, development and sustainable development, oppression, discrimination, racism, rights of women and girls, etc.

This course includes a three-week study abroad component to Ghana, W. Africa where students will learn about social work practices in a Third World, developing country. The travel abroad will allow students to gain direct exposure to a people, their culture, and worldview very different from one's own, and to learn about and compare how social work, advocacy, and social action are practiced.

At the completion of this course students will:

Gain understanding of international social work.
Gain understanding of social welfare policies and services within in a global context.
Understand the concepts of social justice, injustice, oppression, sustainable development, underdevelopment, poverty, colonization, and globalization.
Understand the role of historical oppression and colonization in creating and perpetuating poverty and inequality.
Investigate the rights and status of children, girls, and women in developing countries, using Ghana as an example, and programs to improve conditions for these populations.
Learn in-depth about globalization and the role of the WTO, IMF, and World Bank on developing countries.
Critique the success of international social policies such as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, the Declaration on the Rights of the Child, and the Declaration of Human Rights to address human rights violations, poverty, and development in undeveloped countries, and the role of NGO's (Non-governmental Organizations) in sustainable development.
Describe what is advocacy and social action processes from an international perspective, examining models used in Ghana, W. Africa, to address unmet welfare social needs.
Describe social action and activism techniques used by social work professionals in developing countries , examining models used in Ghana, W. Africa, to affect social change to address unmet social welfare needs.
Complete a community service-learning project in a developing country.
Learn about and compare differences and similarities of a people and their culture and worldview different from one's own culture.
Gain knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of another culture different from one's own.

Course format: This three-credit course will be conducted as a seminar, and will use a variety of methods, such as lectures, class discussions, guest speakers, videos, exercises, a field trip, and a study abroad component in Ghana, W. Africa. In Ghana, the course will include seminars lead by Ghanaian faculty and professionals, field trips, agency site visits, and a community service-learning project or agency field placement.