SOCW 560 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Framework for Social Justice

Credits: 3
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical imperatives for all leaders and members of a healthy 21st century community. This course engages students in understanding how diversity fundamentally shapes the human experience. Students will learn social work theories, history, and practices relevant to understanding multiple intersecting facets of human diversity, which manifest in power, privilege, or lack thereof. Students will be exposed to the basic principles of systems, strengths, and empowerment theories which are necessary to provide clinical assessment and intervention to populations belonging to marginalized communities and groups. The primary introduction of knowledge and application of these theories for practice with individuals and families at the micro and mezzo levels of social work will allow for the broader and macro conceptualizing of social work practice. Students will explore strategies for how individuals, institutions, and society may change and influence the most pressing human rights and social justice issues of our time.