Social Work
Social work is a challenging and changing field with opportunities for personal and professional satisfaction. Social workers are professionals who assist people with complex interpersonal and social problems. They not only respond to people's individual needs, but are committed to making society more just by utilizing available resources and challenging the development of needed resources. The social work major at Xavier offers students an opportunity to develop practice based skills in solving problems and strengthening individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities and society while also developing as a fully engaged citizens.
1 Religion, Ethics and Professional Practice
Designed for majors entering practice professions such as social work, nursing, psychology, criminal justice, medicine, and education, the primary goal of this course is for students to understand and use a justified reasoning process for ethical decision making that recognizes the role of religion and/or spirituality for both clients and professionals using intriguing and complex real-life case studies. With emphasis on the importance of cultural competence and diversity when interpreting ethical dilemmas, this course is a support core elective for social work majors, is designated as a Gender & Diversity Studies Minor elective, and satisfies core curriculum theology and E/RS requirements.
2 Social Institutions as a System
This course serves as a core curriculum social science elective and an Ethics/Religion & Society fourth course elective. Required for all social work majors, it offers students basic knowledge and understanding of the overall concept of social welfare in our society, including its historical development from religious roots. The social institution of social welfare, and how its services and systems are implemented, is examined and analyzed in relationship to the five other social institutions considered to be the pillars of any society: the political, economic, education, religious, and family institutions. Emphasis is placed on critical analysis of the influence of society values as well as student exploration of individual values. Theories of power, privilege, and poverty are examined as they relate to the evolution of social welfare policies and programs nationally and internationally.
3 Women/Men: Myth & Reality
In this course students examine the changing roles of men and women in American culture, sex roles, sex stereotyping, and socialization of the sexes. This course will also look at the social conditions and attitudes which affect the role and status of women and men in the institutions of society are explored.
4 Social Work Field Instruction
Field Instruction is referred to as the capstone experience, the course that often distinguishes social work from other undergraduate degrees. This course provides the social work student with an opportunity to work in an agency under the supervision of a professional social worker. The real life cases and work experience provide the vehicle through which the student integrates the course work of the program and becomes a professional social worker.
Xavier Advantage