Social problem (Socw 6351)

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Social Security

 

Public assistance and social insurance programs provide assistance to individuals and families with financial needs. Yet, as you begin to examine these programs more closely, you will discover that the policies often have service gaps or disparities.

Sometimes, these disparities are unintentional. Other times, they may be designed to exclude various sub-groups and populations. It is always important that you are aware of these disparities in order to provide accurate referral information to clients. This knowledge will also make you an educated and effective advocate for changes.

This week, you compare differences between Social Security and public assistance programs and how these programs influence social perceptions and potentially create disparities. You also identify causes of social problems and examine the theoretical explanations and approaches that are involved.

 

Assignment: Social Problem Research

 

Responding to the social problems that affect the populations you serve as a social worker is only one aspect of the professional responsibility you must undertake. The ability to be proactive by identifying disparities and gaps in policies is just as important. However, in order to be an effective advocate and to fully participate in the policy process, it is important that you be able to connect theory and research to policy-making decisions. Having the knowledge and skills to implement new policies and policy alternatives without creating new disparities is a skill all social workers need to possess.

For this Assignment, consider what you have learned about the possible causes of the social problem you selected.

By Day 7

Assignment (2–4 pages, APA format): Your paper should include:

  • A description of the known explanations or causes of the issue you selected in your Social Issues paper in Week 3
  • A description of the theoretical explanations and approaches scholars and policy analysts used to discuss this issue
  • A description of the policies that have resulted from these discussions and an explanation of whether they are effective at resolving the issue

Support your Assignment with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

Required Readings

Popple, P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2019). The policy-based profession: An introduction to social welfare policy analysis for social workers (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

  • Chapter 7, “Aging: Social Security as an Entitlement” (pp. 138-160)

NASW. (2009). Social work speaks. Washington, DC: NASW Press.

  • Long-term Care (pp. 223–228)

U.S. Social Security Administration. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2013, from http://www.ssa.gov/