Law, Power, and Social Change: The Role of Social Work

3 credits · Undergraduate

This course requires students to understand the intersections of social work and law by analyzing legislation and policies through social work theories and determining how to engage and respond to clients and communities in helpful ways. In addition, this course explores the differential impacts and overlaps of socially constructed concepts including race, gender, class, age, ability, and sexual orientation related to a range of social-legal issues. Consideration is given to the application of critical race theory, feminist legal theory, jurisprudence theory, and social and relational theory. All theories and concepts will be viewed within the context of social justice and access to justice. Historical and contemporary legal harms to Indigenous and Francophone peoples, gender fluid and queer people, people of African descent, and additional priority communities, are analysed.? The contemporary legislative context for Indigenous Peoples is also considered.