SW 1010 challenges students to explore prejudices and advocate for social justice in the heart of Detroit
What are the roots of cultural values and prejudices? How can a culture's structures and values oppress, marginalize, and alienate certain vulnerable populations? How do privileged groups gain power over vulnerable groups? How can I promote equity and advocate for the vulnerable in my community? What are my values and how to they impact my choices and my community?
If any of these questions have ever crossed your mind, SW 1010 is the class for you.
Open to all Wayne State University undergraduate students, SW 1010 fulfills the General Education (GenEd) Diversity, Equity Inclusion Inquiry (DEI) requirement. SW 1010 focuses on the evolution of social welfare as it relates to social policy and the interaction of political and economic institutions. Students will gain an understanding of current welfare agencies, services, and resources as well as the knowledge on professional social work practice. Students will have the opportunity to discuss advocacy in the face of inequality, the role of ethics in practice, the impact of environment on vulnerable populations, social work in the criminal/legal system, and services that support children, families, older adults and those with disabilities.
As social workers, we understand that learning does not end in the classroom. Therefore, SW 1010 students will participate in an immersive service learning experience connecting them to our Detroit area community. This service-learning project allows students to engage directly with the experiences of vulnerable populations through hands-on volunteer work and relate to the lived experiences of those they are helping. Additionally, this project will help students expand their understanding of the role of social work in society and the challenges faced by oppressed and vulnerable populations.
We encourage students who recognize the importance of advocating for social and economic justice and the value of human diversity to explore SW 1010. This course is offered in Winter 2020 as an asynchronous course or a synchronous online course on Wednesday's from 11:30 am - 2 pm.