SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
SOW 311 Social Welfare as a Social Institution 3 cr.
This course examines the meaning of social welfare and its place in the contemporary United States and other countries. Social welfare is defined and distinguished from social work. The link between social welfare and values supporting efforts to help others is explored and developed historically. Ways in which social welfare programs are organized and structured are presented along with examples of major social welfare programs. Formal and informal, as well as public and private, social welfare arrangements are studied. Social welfare professions are briefly reviewed. Consistent with the fundamental
commitment of the profession of social work to social justice for all people, this course pays special attention to how institutional structures interfere with need fulfillment on the part of people of color, different ages, women, the poor, gay and lesbian people and those with physical or mental limitations.
SOW 315Z Foundations of Social Work Practice 3 cr.
Orients majors to the nature of professional education and its important for social work practice. Analyzes the structure and design of generalist practice and education at the baccalaureate level. Studies social work values and their interaction with the knowledge foundations of the profession. Introduces skills of assessment; strengthens beginning relationship and communication skills.
SOW 220S Social Science Research 3 cr.
Study of the scientific system of inquiry; introduction to various types of research designs and methods; application of social research methods within the context of prediction and control; class presentation and discussion within a humanistic frame of reference. Course designed for sociology, social work, and political science majors.
SOW 322Z Social Work Processes I 4 cr.
Analyzes in depth the program's conceptualization of entry-level professional social work practice; begins the development of practice skills needed to assess and intervene in situations involving a range of systems; furthers the development of skills, including communication and professional relationships. Includes the application of skills through a required practicum.
SOW 312Z Human Behavior and Social Environment 3 cr.
Reviews basic concepts taken in social, biological, and behavioral science foundation courses; develops a framework to integrate basic concepts for use in holistic social work assessment; uses the framework to analyze the life cycle, focusing on resources and populations at risk.
SOW 413Z Social Welfare Policy 3 cr.
Presents an approach to integrate policy and entry-level social work practice. Defines and identifies policies of concern to the baccalaureate social worker by utilizing elements drawn from the program's conception of practice. Analyzes policy-making and policy-formulation processes in a range of resource systems used by the baccalaureate social worker. Develops policy-related analytical and interactional skills for use in practice.
SOW 423Z Social Work Processes II 3 cr.
Further develops practice skills needed to assess and intervene in situations involving the range of systems; begins the development of skills to evaluate one's own practice; examines the relation of skills to professional values and ethics.
SOW 495Z Field Instruction in Social Work I 6 cr.
Supervised practicum to acquire skill in social work practice and to test in a field setting the principles and theories learned in the classroom. Students spend 14 hours per week in an agency and participate in a weekly seminar.
SOW 424Z Social Work Processes III 3 cr.
Refines and integrates practice skills needed to assess and intervene in situations involving the range of systems; further develops tools and skills essential to the evaluation of one's own practice and to the effectiveness of interventions.
SOW 496Z Field Instruction in Social Work II 6 cr.
Continuation of SOW 461Z.
SOW 491Z Senior Seminar 3 cr.
Integration of concepts learned in previous course work and field experience. Synthesis of a knowledge base for social work practice. Evaluation of personal values as they affect and are affected by current social work practice.
SOCIAL WORK ELECTIVES
SOW 110 Social Needs and Societal Responses (also WMS 110) 3 cr.
This course explores social welfare institutions that respond to identified human needs. Students will analyze political, cultural, and economic factors shaping social needs and society's responses, gaining a familiarity with major types of programs, their historical development, and the roles of those who work in these fields.
SOW 201 Special Topics: Community Sampler 3 cr.
This course focuses on community needs and their translation into community services. Through field visits, students learn about human service programs serving target populations in the fields of aging, mental health and mental illness, developmental disabilities, child welfare, housing and homelessness, and substance abuse. Classroom discussion, videos, and individual projects supplement field visits. The distinct roles of professionals, such as social workers, nurses, psychologists, and educators explored through observations and readings.
SOW 226 Working with Families: A Cross Cultural Perspective 3 cr.
This course provides a cross- cultural perspective of major ethnic groups in the New York metropolitan area. It assesses the functional and dysfunctional consequences of cultural influences on the formation of personal identity, development of family values, formal and informal roles, interpersonal boundaries, gender-based prescriptions, child-rearing patterns, and the conduct of intergenerational conflicts. It also addresses verbal and non-verbal language as a means of communication and identity, racism, sexism, and the impact of the women's movement, and varieties of interculturally enriched families.
SOW 227 Issues in Child Welfare 3 cr.
Explores child welfare issues including child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, and family violence; the impact of child welfare laws and social policy on prevention, assessment, and intervention practices; and the role of interdisciplinary practitioners, the court system, private/public agencies, and other support systems. Explores the role of women as mothers and caretakers.
SOW 228 Issues in Substance Abuse 3 cr.
Provides factual information about drugs and alcohol in an historical and social context. Explores drug use from psychological, pharmacological, spiritual, biological, historical and legal perspectives, and examines effects of substance abuse on health and social functioning.
SOW 289 Special Topics: International Social Development 3 cr.
Focusing on Third World countries and using a development education approach, this course explores international social development which strives to achieve a more humanistic society with institutions and organizations that are responsive to human needs. The context of development efforts, obstacles to development, and issues of global interdependence and transnational inequities as they affect social welfare are considered.
SOW 289 Special Topics: Violence in Families and Relationships 1 cr.
This course explores issues of violence and abuse as they relate to intimate relationships. Causes, consequences and resources are discussed.
SOW 289 Special Topics: Overview of HIV Infection and AIDS 1 cr.
This course presents an introduction to HIV and AIDS. Epidemiology, transmission, prevention, early detection, and medical care are included.
SOW 289 Special Topics: Understanding Mental Illness: Identification and Treatment Issues 1 cr.
This course presents an overview of the latest trends of mental health. Students will enhance their understanding of mental illness and learn about interventions and models used in the mental health field (strength-based assessment/individualized care and consumer empowerment) through lectures and interactive exercises.
SOW 289 Special Topics: Team Building: Preparing for the Workplace of the Future 3 cr.
This interdisciplinary course is designed to prepare students for collaborative partnerships and communal decision making. Using the class as a laboratory and the health care system as a focus, students develop competence in promoting consensus among diverse groups through techniques of conflict resolution, group work community organizing and communication.
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