SWK395: International Social Work

Winter 2019

Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

This syllabus is tentative and may be changed at the discretion of the Instructor until the

beginning class day of January 16th

at which time it will become the final version

Professor: Cynthia Sottie, MSW, PhD.

Email: cynthia_sottie@boothuc.ca

Phone: (204) 924-4896

Office: Room 319

Office Hours: Wednesdays 1: p.m.-2:30 p.m. Fridays

Voluntary Withdrawal Date: March 8, 2019

Time Extension Deadline: March 29, 2019

Territory Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge that we are on Treaty One territory in the heart of the Métis Nation.

Availability

Students are encouraged to contact me with any questions or concerns throughout the semester.

The best way to connect with me is via email. I will respond to emails within 24 hours except on

weekends and holidays.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The world has become smaller than ever imagined and problems of other countries have become

issues of global concern. With increasing migration from various countries around the world due

to wars, economic deprivation and human rights violations, the common problems we face as a

global community – poverty, homelessness, child maltreatment, unstable economy, oppression,

political unrest, gender inequality, illiteracy etc. is becoming much more evident. Social workers

increasingly face the challenge of dealing with issues beyond their local borders and some are

little prepared to work outside the local context. This course examines current issues in social

work in an international context. Students will learn about global processes that inform social

work practices around the world and the nature of social issues in various contexts. Cross-

cultural social work theories and discourses on social issues and cross-national theoretical and

practical applications/interventions will be discussed. Topics will include issues that confront

various nations/cultures around the globe and strategies they have adopted in meeting the needs

of their citizens given their social and economic circumstances. The social development model as

a tool for intervention in securing basic resources and meeting the social welfare needs of

vulnerable populations will be discussed.

Social Work Program Outcomes

1. Identification as a professional social worker and use of self.

2. Adherence to the Social Work Code of Ethics and Adoption of Social Work Values in

Professional Practice.

3. Professional practice skills with individuals, families, groups, communities and

organizations, applying knowledge of human behaviour and the social environment.

4. Identification of structural sources of oppression and inequity, and promotion of human

rights and social justice at all client system levels.

5. Employment of critical thinking in professional practice.

6. Engage in research.

7. Engage in policy analysis and development to advance social and economic well-being

and deliver effective social work services.

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

1. Gain an understanding of the key factors that shape social work in different contexts;

2. Critically assess the social development approach and its benefits as a strategy to improve

conditions in developing countries.

3. Demonstrate an understanding of the main issues in international social work, such as:

poverty, migration and refugeeism, human trafficking, streetism and child labor etc.

4. Identify various international social welfare policies and critically assess the effectiveness

of these policies in relation to international social welfare issues.

5. Demonstrate knowledge of humanitarian agencies and their role in providing social

services around the world

6. Critically analyze the impact of political, economic, cultural, religious, historical and

environmental factors on social welfare policies and the delivery of human services in

international settings

7. Display awareness of the interplay of social, religious, cultural, historical, economic, and

political factors in designing strategies for interventions.

8. Reflect on the Code of Ethics and examine their relevance and application to practice in

different cultural contexts

Required Textbook(s) and Reading(s)

Cox, D. & Pawar, M. (2013). International social work. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications.

ISBN-13: 978-1452217482

Course Format

This course will utilize a variety of instructional methods and learning activities, including but

not limited to lectures, video clips, small group activities, student presentations and discussions.

Course Policies & Expectations

1. Assignments: Complete all written assignment using Microsoft Office in APA style (see

link: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/1/ ).

2. Late Assignments: Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Extensions are not

granted on the due date. Late assignments without prior instructor contact and approval

will be penalized 5% per day including the day the assignment is due, including

weekends. All assignments must be completed to receive a passing grade in the course.

3. Attendance: Students are expected to attend all classes and be present for the full three

hours. Arriving late or leaving early will constitute an absence for the class. Please notify

your instructor in the event of any absence. Three or more absences will result in the final

grade being reduced by 15% of the final grade. Absence from four or more classes will

lead to automatic failure in the course.

4. Participation: Class participation includes attendance, prior reading of assigned readings

for the class and engagement with the class. Discussions and interactions with others are

vital to your understanding of social work practice and yourself.

5. Professional Conduct: Students are held to professional standards at all times while in

the program. The classroom is considered to be a professional setting and students are

expected to behave and perform accordingly. Please turn off cell phones while in class. If

you are on call and expecting an important message please let the instructor know prior to

class. Laptops may only be used for taking notes or other educational purposes. Students

who use their computers for other purposes such as Facebook, or surfing the web will be

asked to leave for the class session and this will constitute an absence for the class.

Having a side conversation during a class lecture, discussion or class activities unrelated

to class is not acceptable as it may potentially disturb or distract student learning.

Assignment Submission

All Assignments must be completed in APA format. (see link:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/1/ ).

Assignments should be submitted electronically by uploading them to the assigned drop box on

the course website. Double check to make sure your document uploaded properly.

Assignments must be submitted as Microsoft Word documents.

Academic Learning Center – Booth University College offers free academic tutoring and other

research and writing resources. Please visit Boothuc.ca for further information

Course Requirements

Due Dates:

Assignment Due Date

Individual Assignment 1 – Case Study 1:

Country Focus

February 6

Case Study II: Social Issue Focus March 13

Application of Integrated Perspectives

Approach

April 3

Group Presentations April 3 & April

ASSIGNMENTS

Group Assignment 1 – Case Study 1: Country Focus Value: 25%

International Social Work requires among other things knowledge about other countries besides

one’s home country and an appreciation of differences in social, economic and political

experiences. It also necessitates an understanding of what informs current experiences of

populations and an awareness of local and foreign influences and their impact on a people’s way

of life. In this assignment, students are required to pick a country outside North America and

Europe. (Students will use this country in their second assignment).

Submit a 10-15-paged paper on your chosen country. All papers must include:

A. The identification of the nation: historical, cultural, political and social contexts (include

geographic information).

B. Indicate current demographics (population, education, life expectancy, household income,

major ethnic groups, and major languages)

C. Current social, economic and political issues

D. Identify measures/systems available for providing for the needs of the vulnerable and the

nature of social work interventions.

E. Interactions between Canada, US, Europe and your chosen nation – do these help or hamper

their progress?

F. Which key United Nations (UN) conventions is your chosen country a signatory to?

(Examples of UN Convention – United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Chid (UNCRC),

Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW),

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) etc.)

In addition to your paper, please prepare a one-page summary sheet of the important “talking

points” regarding your chosen nation to share with the class. (Do not upload the one page

summary to the course site)

Mode of Presentation: Mode of Presentation/Submission: 10-15 pages, double spaced. Times

New Roman; Font size 12, APA formatting. Upload to the Course Site as a Word Document

Rubric:

Individual Assignment 2 - Case Study: Social Issue Focus Value 35%

Complete a 5 to 6-page case study of a particular social issue in your selected country, using

class readings, country-specific literature and research, and statistics from appropriate

international organizations and other sources. (Each student must pick a different issue)

1. Identify and describe the social issue

2. Discuss prevalence, population most affected, political cultural

3. Examine local efforts to address the issue and the nature of these efforts

4. Examine international assistance to address the issue

5. Critically reflect on whether local and international efforts conflict or complement each

other.

6. Reflect on how best you think the issue should be handled given your knowledge of the

local context from your first assignment.

Mode of Presentation: Mode of Presentation/Submission: 5-6 pages, double spaced. Times

New Roman; Font size 12, APA formatting. Upload to the Course Site as a Word Document

3. Group Assignment International Social Issue: Application of IPA

Paper 20%

Class Presentation 20%

This assignment will be completed in groups of not more than 4 students. Each group is to

identify a trending international social issue (e.g., child labor, human trafficking, street children,

HIV/AIDS, poverty, refugees/immigration, Rohingya crisis, natural disasters,

current‘colonization’ of Africa by China etc.).

1. Use the integrated perspectives approach (IPA) to analyse your chosen issue and to

develop appropriate strategies (that are ‘ethno-conscious’) to address the issue.

2. Indicate which of the perspectives within the integrated approach you find most relevant

to addressing your chosen issue. Provide reasons.

3. Prepare a 30 minute PowerPoint or Prezi presentation (includes 10 mins discussion)

Mode of Presentation: Mode of Presentation/Submission:

1. 10-12 pages, double spaced. Times New Roman; Font size 12, APA formatting. Upload

to the Course Site as a Word Document

Grading Written Criteria: All written assignments will be graded according to the following organization, clarity,

grammar,.

Clarity & Organization of Paper

Logic of Argument/ Evidence of Critical Thinking

Sufficient evidence to support points made/Inclusion of literature

Inclusion of assignment criteria as outlined above

Grammar/ Spelling

APA Citation & References

Course Marks

Case Study I: Country Focus 25

Case Study II: Social Issue Focus 35

Application of Integrated Perspectives Approach 40

100%

Grading Schedule/Interpretation:

A+ Exceptional Performance with evidence of outstanding

original thinking, superior organization, exceptional

capacity to analyze and synthesize, a superior grasp of the

subject matter with sound critical evaluations; evidence of

extensive knowledge base.

94-100%

A Excellent Performance with evidence of excellent

original thinking, excellent organization, excellent

capacity to analyze and synthesize; an excellent grasp of

the subject matter with sound critical evaluations, evidence

of an extensive knowledge base.

85-93%

B+ Very Good Performance with evidence of original

thinking, very good organization, demonstrated ability to

analyze and synthesize; a very good understanding of the

relevant issues under examination; very good familiarity

with the relevant literature.

78-84%

B Good Performance with evidence of a good grasp of the

subject matter; evidence of critical capacity, good

analytical skills, a good understanding of the relevant

issues under examination; evidence of good familiarity

with the relevant literature.

70-77%

C+ Satisfactory Performance with evidence of a satisfactory

grasp of the subject matter; evidence of critical capacity,

an ability to develop solutions to simple problems found in

the material; evidence of familiarity with some of the

relevant literature.

65-69 %

C Adequate Performance with evidence of an adequate

grasp of the subject matter; some evidence of critical

capacity, an ability to develop solutions to simple

problems found in the material; evidence of familiarity

with some of the relevant literature.

60-64 %

D Marginal Performance with evidence of marginal

familiarity with the subject matter and some evidence that

critical and analytical skills have been used.

50 59%

F Inadequate Performance with little evidence of even a

superficial understanding of the subject matter; serious

weaknesses in critical and analytical skills; limited or

irrelevant use of the literature; failure to satisfy course

requirements.

0-49 %

Booth UC Policy Statements

Students are responsible for reviewing and abiding by all Booth UC academic policies in the

current Academic Calendar.

Academic Integrity

It is a serious offense to present a piece of work for course credit as one’s own if the work was

done by some other person (plagiarism). Plagiarism or any form of cheating in examinations or

term tests is subject to serious academic penalty that may include loss of part or all of the

marks for an assignment/test, failure in the course, dismissal from the College, or other serious

consequences.

To plagiarize is to take ideas or words of another person and pass them off as one’s own. In

short, it is stealing something intangible rather than an object. Obviously it is not necessary to

state the source of well-known or easily verifiable facts, but students are expected to

acknowledge the sources of ideas and expressions they use in their written work, whether

quoted directly or paraphrased. This applies to diagrams, statistical tables and the like, as well

as to written material and materials or information from Internet sources. To provide adequate

documentation is not only an indication of academic honesty but also a courtesy which enables

the reader to consult these sources with ease. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism. It will

also be considered plagiarism and/or cheating if a student submits an assignment in whole or

in part by someone other than him/herself, or copies the answer or answers of another student

in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.

Instructors are required to report all allegations of plagiarism or cheating to the Academic

Dean before a grade is assigned. The original assignment is submitted to the Academic Dean.

The Academic Dean will chair a joint meeting of student and instructor to hear both the

allegations and the student’s response to the allegations. The Academic Dean will then make a

determination whether or not plagiarism or cheating has in fact occurred and decide on

appropriate disciplinary measures. The student and instructor will be notified of the Academic

Dean’s decision in writing. A copy of the decision will be sent to the Registrar and College

President.

The student has the right to appeal the decision of the Academic Dean. The Academic Appeals

process may be found on pages 18-19 of the academic calendar

http://online.anyflip.com/ezsa/dfla/#p=19

Students with Disabilities

It is the student’s responsibility to request academic accommodations. If you are a student with

a documented disability who may require academic accommodations and have not registered

with Student Services, please contact the Dean of Student Services Rhonda Friesen at

Rhonda_Friesen @BoothUC.ca.

Bibliography

United Nations Development Programme (2004). Chapter 3: Linking poverty to national

policies. Chapter 4: Linking countries’ international policies to poverty. In Overcoming Human

Poverty, UNDP Poverty Report 2000. New York: United Nations, 36-51.

Healy, Lynne M. (2008). International social work. Professional action in an

Interdependent world (2nd Edition). NY: Oxford University Press.

Borrmann, S., Klassen, M., & Spatscheck,, C. (Eds.). (2007). International social work

social problems, cultural issues and social work education. Farmington Hills, MI:

Barbara Budrich Publishers.

Cox, David & Pawar, Manohar (2013) International Social Work: Issues, Strategies, Programs

(2nd ed.) Sage Publishing

Healy, Lynne, M (2008) International Social work: Professional Action in an Interdependent

World. Oxford University Press ISBN-13: 978-0195301670

de Soto, Hernando. (2001). The mystery of capital: Why capitalism triumphs in the west

and fails everywhere else. New York: Basic Books.

Gray, M., Coates, J., & Yellow Bird, M. (2008). Indigenous social work around the world.

Towards culturally relevant education and practice. Burlington, VT: Ashgate.

Ramanathan, C., & Link, R. (1999, 2004). All our futures: Principles and resources for Social

Work in a Global Era. Belmont: CA: Wadsworth. (Hereafter referred to as R &L)

Midgley, J. (1997).Social welfare in global context. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications.

Hope, Anne, and Timmel, Sally (2001). Training for Transformation: A Handbook for

Community Workers. Book IV. London: ITDG Publishing. (Hereafter referred to as H&T)

Ramanathan, C., & Link, R. (2004). All our futures: Principles and resources for Social Work in

a Global Era. Belmont: CA: Wadsworth. (Hereafter referred to as R &L)

Mapp, S. C. (2014) Human Rights and Social Justice in a Global Perspective: An introduction to

International Social Work. 2nd

. Ed. New York: Oxford university Press

Midgley, J. (1995). Social Development: The Development Perspective in Social Welfare.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Hokenstad, M. C., Khinduka, S. K., & Midgley, J. (1992). Profiles in International Social Work.

Washington, DC: NASW Press. ISBN 0-87101-215-4

Midgley, J. (1995). Social Development: The Development Perspective in Social Welfare.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-8039-7773-5

United Nations. (1994). Human Rights and Social Work: A Manual for Schools of Social Work

and the Social Work Profession. A publication of the United Nations Centre for Human Rights,

in cooperation with the International Federation of Social Workers and the International

Association of Schools of Social Work. New York: United Nations. ISBN 92-1-154104-2

Recommended International Development Organizations’ Websites and Resources:

1. Alphabetic index of websites of the United Nations system of organizations.

http://www.unsystem.org/

2. A vast compilation of data from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, United

Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank, World Resources Institute, UNESCO,

UNICEF and OECD. Data that helps compare countries http://www.nationmaster.com/

3. Comprehensive worldwide news and situation analyses from an Internet community of

over 1,600 organizations promoting human rights awareness and fighting poverty

worldwide. You can receive free news and editorial updates on your area of interest.

http://www.oneworld.net/

4. ELDIS, a free search engine from the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, UK,

offers an easy route to the latest information on development and environmental issues

http://www.eldis.org/

5. This page provides a search system for locating private voluntary organizations

worldwide along with points of contact and organizational descriptions

http://www.pvo.net/usaid/index_intl.html

6. United Nations international development research and analysis site

http://www.un.org/esa/research.htm

7. United Nations Statistics and Links https://unstats.un.org/home/

8. World Development Indicators (WDI) Online is the premiere data source on the global

economy. It contains statistical data for over 550 development indicators and time series

data from 1960 to the present for over 200 countries and 18 country groups.

https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/dataset/world-development-indicators

9. The World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/

10. The United Nations http://www.un.org/

11. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development

network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge,

experience and resources to help people build a better life. http://www.undp.org/

12. United Nations’ Research Institute on Social Development (UNRISD) is an autonomous

United Nations agency that carries out research on the social dimensions of contemporary

problems affecting development. http://www.unrisd.org/

13. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) http://www.unicef.org/

14. The World Food Program, the food organization of the United Nations

http://www.wfp.org/index.htm

15. United Nations High Commission on Human Rights offers extensive information and

materials on human rights treaties, including country reports on compliance.

http://www.ohchr.org/english/

16. The International Labour Organization is the UN specialized agency which seeks the

promotion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights.

http://www.ilo.org/

17. The World Health Organization, the UN specialized agency for health.

http://www.who.int/en/

18. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Site has several publications including “the

State of the World’s Population (current report). https://www.unfpa.org/

WEEKLY COURSE OUTLINE

Class Dates TOPIC REQUIRED READINGS

January 16

(Week 1)

Course introduction

International Social Work: Definitions

and Perspectives

Ch. 1 & 2

January 23

(Week 2)

Global Social Problems and

international response

Sustainable Development Goals

Ch 3

United Nations Sustainable

Development Goals:

https://www.un.org/sustainabledeve

lopment/sustainable-development-

goals/

January 30

(Week 3)

International Social Work: Programs

and Strategies

Ch. 4

February 6

(Week 4)

Development: Issues, Programs and

Strategies I

Case Study I: Country Focus due

Ch. 5

February 13

(week 5)

Development: Issues, Programs and

Strategies II

Ch. 6

Reading Week January 12 to Jan 22

February 27

(Week 7)

Poverty Ch. 7, 8

March 6

Conflict and Post-conflict

reconstruction

Ch. 9, 10

(Week 8) Case Study II: Social Issue Focus due

March 13

(Week 9)

Displacement & Forced Migration

Ch. 11 - 13

March 20

(Week 10)

Practice with Specific populations

within international contexts

Ch 14

March 27

(week 11)

International Organizations & role of

Social Workers

Ch 15

April 3

(week 12)

Group Presentations

Application of Integrated Perspectives

Approach due

April 10

Week 13)

Group Presentations/Course Wrap up Ch 16