Course Description
Examines the interrelationships between power, oppression, social justice, evidence-informed practice, advocacy, and diversity in social work practice. The overall framework focuses on understanding the barriers to and the enablers of social change.
Athena Title
Pow Opp Soc Just Pract Adv Div
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in SOWK 7118E
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The overarching objective of this class is to help students move from basic self-awareness to critical consciousness, from practice skill and assessment to intervention and social action in addressing power and oppression, promoting diversity, advocacy, social justice, and in basing appropriate interventions in evidence and applying the best available evidence for various groups and problems. Upon completion of this course, students will: • Understand the historical and contemporary involvements of the SW profession, including the NASW & IFSW, and the UGA SSW in empowerment efforts. • Develop an understanding for the philosophy and spirit of the MSW curriculum at the UGA SSW. • Develop a level of understanding about social justice and its connection to privilege, power, oppression. • Deepen their understanding of their personal social and cultural identities and biases and how these relate to clients diverse clients and communities. • Understand and articulate concepts of culture, identity, privilege, power, ally behaviors, oppression, social justice, and “differentness” and integrate these concepts into their practice framework (micro or macro). Understand how these concepts operate in a global context and relate to human rights. • Gain skills in having honest conversations about the intersection of social work and race, class, gender, ability, sexuality, gender, national origin, difference, oppression, and privilege. • Utilize skills to combat social injustice, which is necessary for competent practice in diverse communities, including self-reflection, self-assessment, and consultation, and use these skills to understand and build ally relationships. • Apply theories of oppression (social injustice) to assess the impact of systemic/institutionalized oppression on clients, develop culturally congruent services to reduce its negative effects, and empower client to challenge existing oppressive conditions by intervening at multiple systems levels. • Identify and discuss the extent and nature of economic and social inequality, discrimination, self-governance and social capital, especially as it relates to race, gender and sexual orientation, age, religion, disability status, ability to vote, class, and ethnicity.
Topical Outline
• Orientation to the social work profession • Activism in the south/the civil rights movement in Atlanta • Social justice/human rights conceptual framework • Oppression/microaggression • Repression and social movements • Power and privilege • Conceptual approaches to empowerment • Working as allies to promote social justice, civil and human rights • Evidence informed policy, practice and research