SWO 590 Advocacy & Social Action
The focus of this course is to understand relevant theories and strategies of advocacy and social action that promote social justice within organizations, the larger community, and society. Students will gain understanding of theories and skills in regard to social, economic, political, and organization systems, and will use this knowledge to influence, formulate, and advocate for policy and other changes to meet the needs of clients and all people who experience oppression. They will develop skills to create change that is founded on the principles and ideas of social, distributive, political, and economic justice so that people receive their legal, civil, social and economic rights, with a framework of safety, security, and equity. These advocacy and critical thinking skills will be understood within a professional social work value framework that views social workers as allies with oppressed groups to assist people to empower themselves and receive full access, inclusion, rights, and quality of life and well-being within society. Some sections focus on special topics areas including: military, disability, chronic illness, anti violence work, gerontology, international social work and social work in developing countries. Special topic focus is reflected in the course title. Detailed descriptions of sections appear in the SSW Course Catalog.