Assignment: Analyzing Social Problems and Social Policy

You might think that social problems only affect those who suffer from the problem directly, but they actually have much broader impact. For example, the public education system shapes the educational experiences of those who are not a part of the private school system. The government provides policies and procedures necessary to develop the public education system and make recommendations on ways to engage youth. If the system does not adhere to these policies or engage the youth effectively, we may be faced with a population of adults that have not received an adequate education. Social problems, if unchecked, may affect a large number of people in the society. As a social worker, you should be keen in discerning social problems and addressing them.

For this Assignment, you will identify a problem that affects populations that social workers serve. Some examples of social problems include poverty, child welfare/abuse, and homelessness.

By Day 7

Assignment (2-4 double-spaced pages in APA format): In addition to a minimum of six scholarly references, which may include electronic government documents and reputable websites, your paper should include:

• 1. A description of the social problem you selected and any known causes or explanations for the problem
• 2. A description of the problem’s prevalence in society
• 3.A description of the specific population impacted by this social problem, if any. If the social problem you selected does affect a specific population, include an explanation of why that might be the case.
• 4. An explanation of the theories that support the problem and approaches scholars and policy analysts use to address the problem

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
"Social Work Policy: Benefit Administration and Provision" (pp. 75–76)
"Working with Immigrants and Refugees: The Case of Luisa" (pp. 79–80)

Popple, P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2015). The policy-based profession: An introduction to social welfare policy analysis for social workers. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Chapter 3, “Social Welfare Policy Analysis” (pp. 35-55)
Chapter 5, “Social/Economic Analysis” (pp. 77-96)

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2011). Policy basics: Introduction to the federal budget process. Retrieved from www.cbpp.org/files/3-7-03bud.pdf