Animals, Society, and Environment in Social Work

3 credits · Undergraduate

This course is designed to provide perspectives of human relationships to other animals and to the natural world, including theoretical explorations of the meaning of animals and of nature in human lives as well as for their own sake. Applications of ideas regarding other animals and natural environments in social work practice examine the effects of animals and nature for children and youth with trauma histories; animal-assisted interventions; what animal companions in families can tell the social worker about risk assessment and interventions; the human-animal bond; grief, loss, and animal companions; and why companion animal welfare/wellbeing is relevant to human welfare/wellbeing