Purpose
This assignment is to help students begin applying a Macro Perspective on Human Behavior and also develop understanding of larger environmental forces which impact communities.
Reading Assignment For Week 2:
1. Read Ch. 5 in Rogers textbook & Spencer, M. S. (2008). A social worker’s reflections on power, privilege, and oppression. Social Work, 53(2), 99-101 (Posted in Week 2 Module).
Answer the Following Prompts:
1. Describe the importance of a Macro Perspective in understanding human behavior.
2. How does power & privilege and discrimination & oppression influence human behavior/development?
3. Choose a current event that is impacting society, such as pandemic, climate change, war, political, natural disaster or other events that interest you. Identify & briefly describe the current event. How does power & privilege and discrimination & oppression affect the community’s response to the event?
3. Choose one theory/perspective from Ch. 5 to apply to this situation to help/explain the community issues & needs. Identify the theory you have chosen and apply it to the event. How does this theory/perspective help us to understand and/or intervene in the situation?
Assignment Tasks:
1. Readings: Complete the readings for Week 3
2. Watch following video excerpts from the documentary “Unnatural Causes” (these are all fairly short video excerpts from a longer documentary). Optional: Go to the documentary website to learn more about these topics Unnatural Causes Website
3. While watching the videos, consider themes of how income, power, discrimination, stress, biology & environment influence an individual’s health status.
Videos:
1.” Unnatural Causes”
Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?
2. “Being Poor in Louisville”
Being Poor in Louisville
3. “The Latino Paradox”
The Latino Paradox
4. “Kim Anderson’s Story”
Kim Anderson’s Story
5. “How Racism Impacts Pregnancy Outcomes”
How Racism Impacts Pregnancy Outcomes
6. “Diabetes Among Native Americans”
Diabetes Among Native Americans: Genes or Environment?
7. “Importance of Culturally Appropriate Care for Native Americans’
Importance of Culturally Appropriate Care for Native Americans
Answer the Following Prompts:
1. What did you find most interesting or surprising in the videos?
2. What is the connection between health, wealth and race/ethnicity?
3. How much is a person’s health status dependent on biology? environment? How much is an individual responsible for their health vs. the social environment?
4. Identify and describe one program or policy (micro, mezzo or macro level) which helps to reduce health disparities. You may know of one or you can do a quick internet search.
1. Readings: 1) Rogers, Ch 10
Answer the Following Prompts:
What are some markers of adulthood? How do you know when you are an adult?
Choose a topic or issue which may occur in Young Adulthood to explore further. Some possible topics/issues: Stress, Mental Health Disorders, Chronic Illness, Disability, Substance Use, Social Media Use, Under/unemployment, or Trauma. You can also choose another topic that is of interest to you. You can use your textbook or do an internet search (it is not a research assignment).
Describe the problem in terms of Young Adulthood, such as: how many people in this age group does it affect? what are some risk factors or causes of the topic/issue? how does it impact normative development in this age group? what are some challenges people face?
Identify at least one resource or intervention to address the topic/issue. Please be specific in identifying resource or intervention.
1. Watch the following videos.
2. While watching think about the themes & messages in the videos. How does immigration impact an individual’s development? Why do people leave their homeland to come to U.S.? What are some risks in their journeys?
Dos Madres:
Hamilton Mixtape:
Answer the Following Prompts About the Videos:
1. What were your initial reactions to the videos? What are the themes & messages of the videos?
2. What does it mean that the U.S. is a country of immigrants? How do the videos portray the stories of immigrants?
3. How does immigration impact an individual’s development? (consider issues such as separation, loss, safety, healthcare, trauma)
4. Using the internet or your own knowledge, identify one program at any level (macro, mezzo, micro) which helps address the needs of immigrants and/or refugees. Explain the program.
Purpose and Knowledge
This discussion board is meant to help students to reflect upon late adulthood & also learning experiences this semester.
Answer the Following Prompts:
1. Late Adulthood:
Imagine yourself as an older adult. Describe: How old are you? What do you look like? What is your life like? Who are the people in your life? What is important for people to know about you?
With medical advances & technology, people are living longer. Would you want to live forever? Why or why not?
2. Reflect upon this semester;
What was the most interesting or impactful topic/concept you learned this semester?
What is something you are curious to learn more about?
Submit Assignment:
Click “Submit Assignment”to upload your assignment. After uploading, click “Submit Assignment” to complete submission.
Submission Format:
Submit your assignment in Microsoft Word or PDF format.
Criteria for Success:
Assignment is worth 10 points. A successful assignment will include:
Paper in 12 point font & double spaced.
Clear headings for each prompt.
Each prompt is clearly & thoroughly addressed and shows evidence of material related to readings & case study.
