Social Work

This course is is about the immigrant and refugee experience.  It is designed to introduce students to immigration and refugee policies and theories and social work practice with immigrantants and refugees using a case study approach and documentary films to illustrate core content.  The course explores:

1.        The social, economic, and political factors that influence the movement of  

           peoples;

2.        Who the immigrant and refugee groups are now and in the past, with a particular emphasis on more recent groups and current refugee situations;

3.         The consequences of being designated an immigrant or refugee Astatus@ and how these Alabels@ have emerged (immigration and refugee policy in the United States);

4.         Issues of social and economic justice and human rights as they relate to immigrants and refugees;

5.         The experience of transition itself for the individual, family and/or community - the leaving, the journey and the arrival; and the biopsychosocial assessment of immigrant and refugee needs; and

6.         Working with immigrants and Refugees (e.g. the international humanitarian response to the needs of refugees; the U.S. social service response to the needs of immigrants - government and non-government responses, and mutual assistance).