Exploring Social Problems and Policies
In this start thinking about what social injustice is and how public policies at the local, state, and national level may contribute to social problems. Research social welfare policies using the Internet.
• Select a social problem, for example, poverty, crime, or unemployment.
• Identify and describe the social factors that contribute to the problem.
• Identify and examine a federal or state social welfare policy that aims to address this social problem.
• Employ the textbook’s National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics as a frame of reference and complete the following:
o Explain whether this social policy addresses the social problem adequately and ethically.
o Give reasons and examples in support.
Research the selected social problem as it exists in one other country. Respond to the following:
• Compare the implications of this social problem in your community to that of the other country.
• Discuss how this problem is handled in the other country. For example, pollution of local water sources may be a problem in your community, but how is it addressed in Norway?
• Give examples and reasons in support of your response.
