Advocacy and Social Justice in Social Work Practice

(3 Credits)

Advocacy and the pursuit of social justice have long been core values of the social work profession. The NASW's Code of Ethics stipulates that social workers challenge social injustice as one of its six Ethical Principles. Advocacy, as a set of actions taken to achieve social justice for individuals, communities or systems, is a professional mandate and the cornerstone upon which social work is built. This course seeks to prepare students to engage in advocacy practice oriented towards social justice. Students will receive an overview of the historical roots of advocacy in the social work profession and the role of structural racism, oppression, and marginalization in contemporary social injustices. Students will also learn how to apply Hoefer's (2016) Unified Model of Advocacy Practice in their work with clients or communities.