Student offers an overview of what students learn about in a social work policy class

Social Policy has opened my eyes to lots of areas the American government is lacking in regards to providing the necessary resources families need to meet their basic needs. For one, learning about welfare reform has been very interesting. $2 a Day showed that people no longer believe they are eligible for resources, even when they are in an incredibly rough state. Currently, the way assistance programs are set up in the United States, they don't meet as much as a need as there is. For one, the movie Poor Kids showed that people were so poor in America. It makes me really angry that as a country with so many resources, we let children go hungry on a daily basis. The idea of hunger is something children in foreign far away countries might struggle with, but I believe it's a problem that absolutely should not exist in America. 

This class has also brought insight on how people think about the same topics in completely different ways, especially politically. I believe a part of this is due to political ideation but I also concur that some just has to do with upbringing. If someone was brought up poor they are naturally going to have a different idea about something than someone who grew up never needing any government assistance. I do value learning and processing how peers feel about issues. In some instances the class has been able to come to a mutual understanding and in some circumstances we have not. This reminds me of learning about tribal political beliefs. If we as a class or even as a society are able to get to a level where we can hear each other out, I believe there is great benefit in that. 

Social Policy and Culture and Diversity have had a lot of similar topics this semester. For one, both classes have brought up the issue of racial disparities in many areas of the United States. These are seen in health care, the prison system, and even in employment. We see in the news on a daily basis, people being treated two different ways based upon if they are white or black. Part of being a social worker in this area would be to advocate for actual equality, not the perceived equality some people believe we have in America. 

To conclude, I have already learned quite a lot in this class and am looking forward to the resources I will obtain that will help me to be a more informed citizen and a better social worker. Before attending this class, I have not stayed up on current events. I think these homework assignments will help me change that. Parts of this class have been difficult for me because policy doesn't necessarily relate to the area of social work that I want to work in. I do believe regardless of what area I work in, there is something I can get out of this class.