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MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
MURFREESBORO, TN
Course Title: CULTURAL DIVERSITY: COMPETENCY FOR PRACTICE-SW320
Fall 2000 Course Instructor: James E. Taylor
Wednesday 6:00-8:40 PM
Phone 898-5049
TR 11:00 AM- 12:15 PM
Office-Room
107 AMG
Mail drawer in Peck Hall Room 309
Office Hours: MWF 9:00-11:00 AM e-mail:
jetaylor@mtsu.edu
TR 11:00-1:00 PM
or
by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
SW 320: Three credit hours. Prerequisite: SW 257 and SW 263. An
examination of culturally appropriate practice issues that are essential
considerations for effective service delivery, including African American
families and ethnic subcultures predominant in the U.S.
Preamble: Each subculture in the U.S. has positive and not so positive
attributes and we should learn to appreciate and understand each other's
culture and to look for those positive points on which to build a platform for
improving human relations.
This course is designed to expand the knowledge, values, and skills
necessary to serve diverse population groups. A particular emphasis will be on
attitudes and competencies that are important in effective practice with
populations culturally different than one’s own.
For the purpose of this course, a culturally diverse population will be
defined as a sub-group of a larger population. It is identified by its
bio-socio-cultural background that can be characterized by a set of beliefs and
behaviors that distinguish one group from another. Some of the variables
associated with diversity include race, gender, religion, age, disability,
social class, sexual orientation, and geographical identity.
The following will be addressed in this course: basic concepts and
practice perspectives in the study of ethnic relations; multicultural and
pluralistic trends including characteristics and concerns of subgroups,
subgroup and societal interaction patterns, and methods of conflict resolution;
major societal concerns including stress, person abuse, substance abuse,
discrimination, and the methods of alleviating these concerns; the impact of culture
on the changing roles of individuals, families, and groups within that
subculture; and practice implications for working with people from major ethnic
groups in the region and in the country.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the completion of the course students should be able to:
1. utilize critical thinking skills to assess cultural factors and other
issues of diversity in understanding social problems and in developing
appropriate interventions to solve these problems.
2. practice within the values and ethics of the social work profession
with an understanding of and respect for the positive value of diversity.
3. demonstrate an increased self awareness of one’s own ethnicity and
one’s personal and professional interactions with people culturally different
from one’s self.
4. understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination
experienced by minority group members in our society.
5. understand how to utilize the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of
practice when working with diverse populations.
6. apply knowledge and bio-psycho-social variables, including factors of
diversity, that affect individual development and behavior to understand the
interaction among individuals and between individuals and social systems.
7. assess the adequacy of policy in relation to diverse human needs and
understand how societal race and ethnic relations have an impact upon social
policy.
8. communicate more effectively with a variety of client populations,
colleagues, and members of the community.
9. understand factors related to serving individuals, families, groups,
and organizations with the increased cultural diversity and rapid growth in the
region.
REQUIRED TEXT
Schaefer, Richard T.(2000–8th edition), Racial and Ethnic Groups. New
Jersey: Prentice Hall
NOTE: The text has a Study Guide. It is an optional purchase. However,
you will find that the Study Guide is very helpful in helping you to understand
the concepts presented in the text.
Other readings and reviews: Students will be given for review and in class
discussion case studies and news articles. Videos appropriate to the issues
discussed in class will be shown in class.
Models of instruction exhibited in this course will be chosen from the
following list:
1.
Concept
attainment (lectures, evaluations, presentation, discussions)
2.
Scientific
inquiry (research and experimentation)
3.
Advance
organizer (syllabi, outline, study guides and questions)
4.
Inductive
thinking (class discussion, responses to readings)
5.
Group
investigation and cooperative techniques
6.
Practical
application (opportunities to assume leadership roles)
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Attendance and Participation
This course emphasizes student participation; therefore students are
expected to attend classes, be on time and to participate in class discussions
and presentations. Attendance will be taken. Attendance is worth ten points
(10%) of the final grade. The grading scale for attendance and points earned is
as follows: 0-1 absence=10 points, 2 absences=9 points, 3 absences=8 points, 4
absences-if you have four absences you get ZERO points
Absence due to religious observance must adhere to University Policy. An
absence from class does not mean that students are excused from the
satisfactory completion of all assignments on time. Written assignments should
be given directly to the instructor. However, postmarked postal mail delivery
is also an acceptable means of submitting written assignments on time. DO NOT
fax your assignments to the instructor or leave your assignments in the
instructor’s mailbox in the Social Work Department.
Any student needing to make special arrangements for completing the
assignments due to disabilities, including learning disabilities, are
encouraged to discuss these arrangements with the instructor.
Assignments
1. Students will select a diverse population they want to learn more
about and to better understand;
hopefully appreciate. They will then select certain dynamics of the
population to research and present material on the group. These dynamics may
include population history, foods, dances, languages, family structure,
religion, aging, political involvement, when they came to this country, how
they were treated upon their arrival to this country, how have they been
treated recently, etc). This assignment will be an oral presentation conducted
by small groups. The presentation should be no longer than thirty minutes.
Presenters will be required to ask the class important questions that were
covered in the class (this exercise will be discussed in greater details in
class). The presentation will be conducted before the total class. Depending on
class size the groups may be composed of 2-4 students per group. Formation of
groups and oral presentation dates will be decided jointly by students and the
instructor shortly after classes start for the semester. Although students will
participate in the selection of the population they will research and present,
not everyone will get the population of their choice, because the instructor
will have to make sure all major populations are considered and covered by the
class. The presentation should be performed in such a manner to demonstrate an
understanding of the topic and the “implications for social work practice”. All
students must participate in their oral presentation. Students not present
during their scheduled oral group presentation will not pass this assignment
regardless of their participation in its planning and preparation. This
assignment is worth twenty points (20%) of the final grade. REMEMBER YOUR
PRESENTATION MUST BE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF DIVERSE POPULATIONS LIVING IN THE
UNITED STATES AND NOT ABOUT THEIR LIFE IN A FOREIGN LAND.
Dates for each presentation will be decided shortly after fall classes
begin.
2. To fulfill requirements for the assignment described in # 3 below,
students will critique and summarize a combination of at least five (5)
professional and lay articles, videos, books or documents that focus on racial
and ethnic relations with a culturally diverse population they select. These
publications will provide an understanding of the population as called for in
point 2 of assignment # 3 below. The publications may include the book(s) to be
read in assignment #3. Additionally, each of the five sources of information
will be critiqued and summarized in approximately 1/2 to 1 page per source. The
five summaries will be combined into a report, including a bibliography. This assignment is worth 10 points (10%) of
the final grade and it is due on November TBD, 2000. If you use the Internet
you should search for indexes that are relevant to social work.
3. At the beginning of the class students may have certain assumptions and
feelings about diverse population groups based on their own values and beliefs.
During this course the readings, individual research for small group presentation,
lectures, videos, etc. should have an impact on the student beliefs about
a diverse population. At the beginning of the semester each student will be
given a “Model for Change” to use to gauge their
feelings and growth about diverse populations. Instructions for completing
this assignment are included in the “Model”. Students will chart weekly progress
toward attainment of their goal and write a weekly summary of their chart
explaining how they arrived and/or progress to each step of your scale. This
assignment represents an opportunity for students to challenge their past
experiences in relating to diverse populations and in their own words express
their opinions about those changes. Therefore,
it is expected that students will show that growth and change has occurred
in their values and beliefs as they write the charted summaries. This assignment is worth 20 points (20%) of
the final grade. It is due November TBD, 2000.
NOTE: Each written assignment must have a cover page that has 1.
Student’s name, 2.Title of the paper, and 3. Number of pages. All papers MUST
be stapled or fastened by some firm means.
4.Examination. There will be five mini-quizzes given throughout the
course, each worth 10 points (10%) for a total of fifty points (50%) of the
final grade. Each quiz will cover
topics and issues covered about every three (3) weeks in classroom discussions.
GRADING
Total Points = 100
90-100= A 70-79= C 60-less= F
80-89 = B 60-69= D
COURSE OUTLINE
The chapter outline of the text follows. Please note that not every
chapter will be covered to the same extent in the classroom. That is, some
subjects of some chapters will be covered in depth more than other subjects in
other chapters. Also, the outline will not necessarily be covered in the same
order as presented in the text. The instructor will give you advance notice on
which on which chapters to read and the dates the subjects will be covered in
class.
1. Course introduction and overview-review of expectations. ( readings,
presentations, critique of articles,
Charting Behavior Change by Krajewski-Jaime, etc.)
2. Understanding Race and Ethnicity
3. Prejudice
4. Discrimination
5. Immigration and the United States
6. Ethnicity and Religion
7. The First Native American
8. The Making of African American in a White America
9. African Americans Today
10. Hispanic Americans
11. Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans
12. Asian Americans: Growth and Diversity
13. Chinese American and Japanese Americans
14. Jewish Americans: Quest to Maintain Identity
15. Women: The Oppressed Majority
16. Overcoming Exclusion: Elderly, Disabled and Gay and Lesbians