Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare HWC 505 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I (HBSE II) SPRING 2015 Instructors: Berger, Hayward, Kardaras COURSE DESCRIPTION Human Behavior and the Social Environment II is the second part of a two course sequence that explores the study of human behavior. HBSE II focuses groups, communities, and organizations. The focus of this course is on the micro/macro dimensions of the social environment which the individual inhabits and the impact of these surroundings, whether physical or political or spiritual on the individual, family, or group. This course presents a holistic model that encompasses mind, body, spirit, and environment. The biological portion of bio-­‐psycho-­‐social-­‐
spiritual framework takes as its focal point, the physical world of the air we breathe, the soil as a source of nourishment for plant and animal life, and the water that sustains the existence of all living things. Theoretically, ecosystems concepts direct our attention to interrelationships as between humans and the earth or the family and work or school. In addition, we draw on an empowerment perspective as we seek intervention strategies toward humanistic social change. A multidisciplinary theoretical approach is presented which incorporates relevant theory from a variety of social and human science disciplines. The theories are assessed in terms of the values and ideologies they represent, thereby illuminating the social construction of all theories about human behavior. In addition, the theories are critiqued in relation to how they contribute to our understanding of the impact of our social environment and of human development in terms of individual and cultural diversity, people’s strengths, and capacity to grow and change. The course reflects the School’s commitment to the core values of human dignity, social justice, human rights, and individual and cultural diversity. The readings and topics in the course reflect our concern about the scope and depth of oppression and its psychological impact on individuals, groups, families, and communities. Professional ethics requires that we examine our values and how they influence the theories, concepts and beliefs we hold about human behavior and our social and cultural contexts. This course will develop a framework for examining prevailing assumptions and their foundations related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation and disability. The development of critical thinking skills is an indispensable component of social work practice; this course encourages a critical analysis about the theories and knowledge utilized to guide practice. This course provides an opportunity to examine historically evolved social roles and structures, social norms, legitimization and validity as these factors permeate daily life, individual and cultural experience and the development of individual and sexual identity. We examine how we know whether a particular perception of a person, family, group or culture reflects respect for human dignity, diversity and awareness of people’s strengths or denies these fundamental principles. We examine how our own beliefs about gender, sexual orientation and race and HBSE II Spring 2015
ethnicity, or age and disability have been shaped and how they have contributed to our own identities. How these assumptions and beliefs influence our developing knowledge and conceptions of social work practice is of particular importance. This course addresses the core competencies identified by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE, EPAS 2008). Although each of these competencies is addressed, some play a more prominent role. The ten competencies are listed below. Specific competencies associated with HWC 505 are linked to course assignments and can be further identified through specific course objectives and the focus of course content. Students demonstrate mastery of course content and core competencies through a variety of methods. Class participation offers the opportunity for communication of ideas and critical thinking. Course assignments are formulated to provide opportunities to evaluate and analyze important factors relating to application of theory to social work practice, to self-­‐reflect and critically evaluate significant issues, collaborate with peers, and create presentations that reflect integration of course material and objectives. EPAS – Core Competencies 2.1.1 – Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly 2.1.2 – Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice 2.1.3 – Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments 2.1.4 -­‐ Engage diversity and difference in practice 2.1.5 -­‐ Advance human rights and social and economic justice 2.1.6 –Engage in research-­‐informed practice and practice-­‐informed research 2.1.7 -­‐ Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment 2.1.8 –Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-­‐being and to deliver effective social work services 2.1.9 -­‐ Respond to contexts that shape practice 2.1.10 (a-­‐d) -­‐ Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities COURSE OBJECTIVES Learning is a process that involves mutuality, dialogue, exchange and shared development. We divided the course objectives into three areas: values, knowledge, and skills: Values: Our focus is to prepare practitioners who acknowledge and build upon the importance of: 1. The worth of human development models and their value to social work practice; 2. Human dignity, social and economic justice and cultural diversity as core professional social work values; 3. The objective and subjective consequences of oppression which systematically operate to devalue groups of people on the basis of class, age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and functional abilities; 4. Identifying and reflecting on our values and their relationship to social work practice; 5. The achievement of social and economic justice for all members of our society. 2
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6. Developing an appreciation for human development, human behavior and how the strengths perspective is considered a major component of human adaptation in social work practice. Knowledge: Students should be able to: 1. Develop the capacity to critically analyze the strengths and limitations of a variety of theories of human behavior, their assumptions about the person-­‐environment relationship, families, and communities-­‐-­‐and their implications for practice with diverse populations; 2. Develop an understanding of the basis and implications of theories and models of understanding groups, organizations and communities; 3. Develop an understanding of oppression, its structural foundation, universal and diverse impact upon groups community, culture and other social relationships; 4. Develop an understanding of the consequences of oppression and its influence on groups, communities and organizations as contributor to alienation and dysfunction; 5. Develop an understanding of individuals as contextual or social beings, as members of societies, cultures, communities, families and other membership groups in the context of a relational connection or alienation. Develop an understanding and appreciation of different cultural value systems and the norms which reflect them, and how they influence perception and judgment, with particular emphasis on how these perceptions influence child rearing. 6. Identify the sources of validation and connection or isolation and repression of people’s dignity, and experience social and economic justice: and 7. Develop an understanding of the necessity of and professional responsibility for continuous learning, openness to new knowledge, and new ways of knowing. 8. Particularly important is gaining an understanding of how self-­‐reflection can assist professional development. Skills: Students should be able to: 1. Critically assess the strengths and limitations of various theories and models of human behavior and the applicability to social work practice. 2. Evaluate contributions of various theories and models to determine their potential for supporting practices emphasizing human dignity, individual and cultural diversity, self-­‐
determination and social and economic justice to social work practice and research. 3. Compare and evaluate theories and models of human development, in terms of social role (e.g., sex roles, the family) and the influence on social work practice. 4. Conduct contextual assessments, identifying validation and/or obstruction of human dignity, and social and economic justice and human diversity in social structures, ideologies, and practices. 5. Examine the impact of isolation vs. support on relationships and behavior. 6. Understand the internalization of oppression and its impact on individual behavior and adjustment, community affiliation and societal isolation. 3
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COURSE FORMAT Class format will be lecture, small group discussion, and experiential exercises. Student participation is expected. In addition audiovisual materials will be presented. Assigned readings, other than those in the textbooks, will be on reserve in the Health Sciences Center Library. REQUIRED TEXTS Van Wormer, K. & Besthorn, F.H. (2010). Human behavior and the social environment: Groups, communities, and organizations. Macro Level. 2nd edition. New York: Oxford. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Attendance will be taken every class. Students are expected to arrive on time and to remain for the entire session. Students will be graded F for the course if more than three sessions are missed. Students are expected to do the assigned readings throughout the semester, complete all assignments on time, to participate in class discussion and to adhere to the School of Social Welfare and University Student Conduct Codes and to embrace the NASW Code of Ethics. In addition, Stony Brook University expects students to maintain standards of personal integrity that are in harmony with the educational goals of the institution; to observe national, state, and local laws and University regulations; and to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, and/or inhibits students’ ability to learn. Assignments & Assessment Methods DUE % of Method DESCRIPTION Week Grade 7 25 % Mid Term In class exam on material covered through Unit 3 Exam 9 15 % Reflection Paper Reflection paper on topic assigned by the instructor 15 25% Final Exam In class exam on material covered in Units 4 & 5 All 20% Class participation Class participation includes contribution to class discussions for which you need to be prepared by having done the reading. 4
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TBD 15 % Group Presentation Participation in a learning group and group presentation on theory of choice and application to social problems. Final grades for the course will be calculated as follows: 100 – 95 Points = A 94 – 90 “ = A-­‐ 89 – 85 “ = B+ 84 – 80 “ = B 79 – 75 “ = B-­‐ 74 – 70 “ = C+ 69 – 65 “ = C 64 – 60 “ = C-­‐ 59 – 00 “ = F AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Disability Support Services, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building, room128, (631) 632-­‐6748. They will determine with you what accommodations, if any, are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty are required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health Sciences Center (School of Health Technology & Management, Nursing, Social Welfare, Dental Medicine) and School of Medicine are required to follow their school-­‐specific procedures. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/ CRITICAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or 5
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inhibits students' ability to learn. Faculty in the HSC Schools and the School of Medicine are required to follow their school-­‐specific procedures. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION Email and especially email sent via Blackboard (http://blackboard.stonybrook.edu) is one of the ways the instructor officially communicate with you for this course. It is your responsibility to make sure that you read your email in your official University email account. For most students that is Google Apps for Education (http://www.stonybrook.edu/mycloud) but you may verify your official Electronic Post Office (EPO) address at: http://it.stonybrook.edu/help/kb/checking-­‐
or-­‐changing-­‐your-­‐mail-­‐forwarding-­‐address-­‐in-­‐the-­‐epo If you choose to forward your official University email to another off campus account, instructors are not responsible for any undeliverable messages to your alternative personal accounts. You can set up email forwarding using these DoIT-­‐provided instructions found at: http://it.stonybrook.edu/help/kb/setting-­‐up-­‐mail-­‐forwarding-­‐in-­‐google-­‐mail If you need technical assistance, please contact Client Support at (631) 632-­‐9800 or [email protected]
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UNIT Week 1 UNIT 1: Introduction to Human Behavior & the Social Environment 2 3 UNIT 2: Groups as Social Systems 4 UNIT 3: Families, Culture & Community 5 OVERVIEW OF UNITS & TOPICS Topics Assigned Reading & In Class Activity Review syllabus, access and review • Overview of Course • Macro focus – how this course Blackboard. is different from last semester Read: Introduction, van Wormer & Besthorn(2010) • The nature of macro focused theories Ch 1: Theoretical Perspectives, van • Theoretical Perspectives Wormer & Besthorn (2010) • Theory construction • Critical thinking at the macro level • Ecosystems theory • Structural functionalism • Feminist, empowerment & anti-­‐oppressive persectives Ch 2: The Social Psychology of Group • Social psychology of group Behavior behavior • Social conformity FILM: Milgram experiment • Role theory http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvi
• Stigma & prejudice deo/152218/The_Milgram_Experiment
• Obedience studies _Full_Video/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc
vSNg0HZwk • Small group as a social system Ch 3: The Small Group as a Social System • Psychodynamic approach • Small group structure & process • Group processes • Group leadership • Self-­‐help groups Ch 4: Families in Society • Families in society • The family as an eco system • Ethnic family patterns • Family violence in a global perspective 7
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UNIT Week 6 7 8 9 10 UNIT 4: Community & 11 Community Development 12 Topics • Culture & society • Cultural competence • Ethnocentrism • Culture as a macro system • Exam to cover Sessions 1-­‐6 • Community development • Theories of community breakdown • Restorative justice • Community development as a social work practice • The community of work • Organizations • Leadership • Theoretical perspectives on organizations • The community of work • Corporations • Alienation • Toxic work environments • The community of earth • Ecological disaster & decline: global challenges • Farming & food systems • Ecological justice & environmental racism • Consumerism & its effects on people and the planet • Global warming • The community of earth • Deep ecology • Eco feminism • Expanding social work’s ecological model Assigned Reading & In Class Activity Chapter 5: Culture & Society MIDTERM EXAM Ch 6: Community & Community Development Ch 7: Human Behavior and the Organizational Environment: The Community of Work, pp. 227-­‐244 Ch 7: Human Behavior and the Organizational Environment: The Community of Work, pp. 224-­‐263 FILM: “Rape in the Fields” http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/fron
tline/rape-­‐in-­‐the-­‐fields/ Ch 8: Human Behavior & the Natural Environment: The Community of Earth, pp.264-­‐289 Ch 8: Human Behavior & the Natural Environment: The Community of Earth, pp. 289-­‐309 FILM: “Taking root: The vision of Wangari Maathai” http://takingrootfilm.com/ Resources: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens
/takingroot/classroom.html 8
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Week UNIT 13 14 15 Topics • The community of faith • Organized religion & spirituality • Social work’s early religious heritage • The community of faith • Theoretical perspectives (Fowler, Wilber) • Exam to cover sessions 8-­‐14 Assigned Reading & In Class Activity Ch 9: Human Behavior & the Religious/Spiritual Environment: The Community of Faith, pp. 319-­‐350 Ch 9: Human Behavior & the Religious/Spiritual Environment: The Community of Faith, pp. 350-­‐361 FINAL EXAM 9