Describe Your Beliefs About Social Policy and Social Justice (Approx. 1.5–2 pages) Reflect on your own beliefs and values related to poverty, inequality, and the role of government in promoting social welfare. Think about:
Paper #1: Social Justice Analysis of a Current Issue
Length: 4–5 pages (not including reference page), double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins
Citations: APA format (7th ed.), with appropriate in-text citations and reference list
Overview: What do we mean by social welfare? At its core, it refers to the well-being of people in a society: access to basic human needs such as housing, food, clean water, education, healthcare, safety, and freedom from discrimination. However, access to these needs is deeply unequal, shaped by systems of power, oppression, and social policy.
This assignment invites you to explore how your own beliefs, experiences, and values influence the way you understand the relationship between social justice and social welfare. You’ll also examine how these personal perspectives align, or conflict, with major political ideologies and the core values of the social work profession.
Assignment Instructions
In a 4–5 page essay written in first person, respond to the following:
1. Describe Your Beliefs About Social Policy and Social Justice (Approx. 1.5–2 pages)
Reflect on your own beliefs and values related to poverty, inequality, and the role of government in promoting social welfare. Think about:
- What should the government’s role be in addressing social problems?
- What responsibilities do individuals, communities, and systems have in creating a just society?
- What economic and political ideas shape your thinking?
For this assignment, “economic and political philosophy” means your general beliefs about how money, power, and government should be distributed and used to support people in society.
You must connect your ideas to at least three readings from Sessions 2, 3, and 4. These readings can be found in the Blackboard course under the “Blackboard Readings” folders for each session.
2. Analyze How Your Beliefs Were Shaped (Approx. 1–1.5 pages)
Identify ecological influences (family, education, community, religion, work, etc.) and specific experiences that helped shape or challenge your beliefs. Think of “sensitizing events” as moments, experiences, or lessons that made you think differently about social justice, poverty, or the role of social policy. How did these shape your current perspective?
3. Examine Social Work’s Role and Ideological Alignment (Approx. 1–1.5 pages)
Using the NASW Code of Ethics, reflect on:
- How has the social work profession historically responded to social welfare and justice issues?
- Which political ideologies (think: social democracy, neoliberalism, conservatism) seem most consistent with social work’s ethical values?
- Are there contradictions between the values our profession promotes and how those values are translated into practice or policy? What direction do you think the profession should take moving forward?
Evaluation Criteria
Your paper will be assessed using the 20-point rubric posted on Blackboard, which includes:
· Clarity and depth of your personal analysis and ideological positioning
· Integration of ecological and experiential influences
· Engagement with course readings (at least 3 required) and peer-reviewed sources
· Application of political ideologies and the NASW Code of Ethics
· Structure, writing quality, APA formatting, and use of citations
Refer to the rubric in the assignment folder for full details on how each section is weighted.
Reminders
· You may write in the first person ("I" statements are welcome).
· Avoid simply summarizing the readings! Use them to support and challenge your own perspectives.
· Cite all sources appropriately using APA 7th edition. Failure to do so may be considered plagiarism.
