SW 5101
Human Behavior in the Social
Environment
Fall, 2005
Instructor: Denny
Falk Office
hours:
220
Bohannon Hall Tue,
2-3:30 pm; Thu, 10:30 am-noon;
726-8862
(office) &
by appointment
724-7407
(home) (sign
up sheet on office door)
e-mail: dfalk@d.umn.edu
Web
URL: http://www.d.umn.edu/~dfalk
Research
page URL: http://www.d.umn.edu/~dfalk/hbse
COURSE OVERVIEW
The general purpose of this
course is to understand and apply different perspectives and concepts on human
behavior to better understand issues and situations related to social
work. More specifically, the
objectives for this course are as follows:
1. to understand basic social systems
concepts.
2 to understand basic concepts
of humanistic social psychology
3. to accomplish several objectives
with respect to the individual, group,
family, organization, community,
societal/cultural, and global level systems.
a. to understand basic concepts
central to each level system
b. to develop a model of an optimally
functioning (healthy) system at each level
c. to understand the needs of each
level system
d. to understand how change occurs in
each level
e. to understand how change is
resisted at each level
f. to understand skills for
social workers at each level
4. to understand the implications of
human development across the life span for social work
practice
5. to apply concepts and the social
systems perspective to understand racism, sexism, discrimination
based on class and sexual orientation and other social problems/opportunities.
6. to develop a personal integrated
knowledge of human behavior in the social environment.
COURSE FORMAT
We will incorporate a
variety of learning activities in attempting to accomplish the goals described
above. A reading list appears
below and a bibliography of additional readings will be distributed. Class meetings will include lectures by
the instructor, group discussions and activities, videos, films, interactive multimedia
applications, and guest presentations.
Students will also be encouraged to participate in additional learning
activities outside of class.
Students
are encouraged to participate actively in the class. If you have ideas on how a certain topic might be presented
or addressed, please express them; if you aware of learning resources that are
not being used, please suggest them.
If we work together, I think this can be a very interesting and
rewarding class for all of us.
READINGS
The primary texts used for
this course will be:
Schriver,
J.M. (2004). Human Behavior and the Social Environment, 4th Ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Covey,
S R. (1989). The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. New
York: Simon & Schuster.
Peacock, T. and Wisuri, M. (2002). Ojibwe Waasa Inaabidaa; We Look in All Directions. Afton, MN: Afton Historical Press.
You will also be asked to
give a quick read to a text on human development. Two of the possible texts you could read are the following:
Berger,
K. S. (2000). The Developing Person through the Lifespan (5th Ed.). New York: Worth.
Zastrow,
C. and Kirst-Ashman, K. (2001). Understanding
Human Behavior and the Social Environment,
5th Ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
The Schriver and Covey books
are available in the UMD bookstore (the Covey book is also available in the
general reading area of the UMD bookstore and can be obtained in just about any
other bookstore as well). Additional readings will come from materials provided
in class or available on reserve in the library. Handouts and materials referenced in the syllabus will be
listed in the bibliography in the general list of materials or in the section
related to the topic covered in the class session.
STUDENT EVALUATION
Grades will be determined on the basis of learning
contracts. In all cases it is
expected that students will do approximately 135 hours of work during this
semester for this course. All
students will be expected to participate in the classes, to demonstrate an understanding of the concepts presented, and to demonstrate an ability
to apply the concepts and
information. To receive an
"A" in the course, you must also demonstrate an ability to
integrate information, concepts, and
applications.
Some of the options for meeting these expectations
are listed below.
Participation
Goal Suggested
method of demonstration
1. participate
in class activities 1. a. attend
90% of classes; complete required reading readings,
and complete videodisc assignment
or
b. see instructor about missing
classes
to
plan alternative activities
Understanding of Concepts and Information
2. demonstrate
basic knowledge of issues, 3. a. complete
final exam
concepts,
and information related to and
human
behavior b. pass groups test
or
b. write summaries of materials
or
b. pass midterm test
Understanding of Concepts and Information
(continued)
3. demonstrate
a more thorough know- 3. a. develop
1-2 pages summaries of one developmental
ledge
of a specific topic related to stage
and one ÒcellÓ in the organizational matrix
human
behavior or
b. develop an alternative means to
demonstrate this
ability
4. demonstrate
ability to obtain and 4. a. use
library's computer search capability and the
communicate
current information Internet
to identify two current articles and
on
human behavior using electronic summarize
both of these resources; use e-mail
technologies or
b. develop an alternative means to
demonstrate this
ability
Application of Concepts
5. demonstrate
an ability to apply con- 5. a. complete
ongoing journal
cepts
from readings and class to or
human
behavior issues b. participate in ongoing discussion
group
or
c. write two short papers
Integration of Concepts
6. *demonstrate
an ability to integrate 6. a. write
a paper integrating concepts related
concepts
and information related to to
this course
human
behavior or
b. develop a presentation offered to
other
students
and instructor
*If you contract for a "B," you need not
complete the integration assignment.
OR
Develop a goal and a method of demonstration for
yourself. Do stay within the
framework of participation, understanding, application, and integration related
to human behavior topics, but otherwise use your creativity (I appreciate
student initiative and you can often engage in work which is more interesting
and valuable to you.) Do check
with me ahead of time, however.
The relative weights of the
various tests and assignments are as follows:
Requirement "A" contract "B" contract
Class
participation 05
% 05
%
Midterm
test or equivalent 15
% 20
%
Final
test 20
% 25
%
Specific
information assignment 10
% 10
%
Current
information assignment 10
% 10
%
Application
activities 20
% 25
%
Integration
assignment 20
% 00
%
100% 95%
DUE DATES
September
20 Social
service scenario due
September
27 Learning
contract due
One
week after topic Summaries
from each ÒcellÓ of organizational matrix due
October
25 First
set of journal entries due; short paper due; half of group discussions
due
November
1 Current
information assignment due; mid-term test due; first group test due
November 29 Long
papers due if you want feedback and a chance to revise
December
6 Long
papers due; second set of journal entries due; second group test due;
human
development summaries due
December
20 Take
home final exam due
Disabilities
My highest priority is for
our classroom and course work to facilitate participation and exchange. I am eager to make accommodations to
guarantee to students with disabilities access to class sessions, course
materials, and the activities of the class. You are encouraged to contact the
Access Center-Disability Services to discuss and arrange reasonable
accommodations (102 Kirby Center, tel. 726-8217). In addition, please let me know as soon as possible if
you have a disability for which accommodations will be requested. Note that you are under no obligation
to disclose the nature of your disability to me or other faculty.
EVALUATION OF THE COURSE
AND INSTRUCTION
During the semester I will
solicit feedback from you in several ways. First, I will encourage you to speak up with feedback at any
time as the course progresses.
Feel free to tell me what is valuable and useful and what is not. At mid-semester and at the end of the
semester, I will ask you to fill out forms asking for you reactions and
feedback. I appreciate any
feedback you may offer and will try to incorporate what I can in order to make
the course more interesting and valuable.
GROUND RULES FOR
DISCUSSION
Since this course includes a
variety of topics that could raise controversy or conflict, the following
ground rules for how we discuss sensitive topics are proposed. These ground rules are adapted from
Lynn Weber Cannon's "Fostering Positive Class, Race, and Gender Dynamics
in the Classroom," which appeared in Women's Studies Quarterly, 1990, 1&2, 130-132.
¥ We can
assume that discrimination exists in many forms (e.g. sexism, racism, classism,
ageism, homophobia, anti-semitism, ableism, etc.). Any critical understanding of these various -isms means that
we need to recognize that we have been taught misinformation about our own
groups and well as about members of other groups. This is true for both dominant (e.g. white, male, upper
class, heterosexual, able-bodied, etc.) and subordinate (e.g. people of color,
women, poor and working class, gay/Lesbian, disabled, etc.) group members.
¥ Based on
these assumptions then, let's agree that we cannot be blamed for the
misinformation we have learned, but we should take personal responsibility for
repeating misinformation after we have learned otherwise. This is not to suggest that any one
person has a corner on truth or that disagreement with any one idea carries
with it any kind of punitive response.
People and groups are not to be blamed for their subordinate positions.
¥ Let's
assume that people are always doing the best they can. Let's actively pursue information
about our own groups and those of others.
Let us share information about our own groups with other members of the
class but never demean, devalue, or in any way put down people for their
experiences.
¥ Essentially
what this means is that we can talk about ideas the class agrees to discuss,
but that we will do so with respect for each other as human beings. We will not engage in depersonalized
name-calling. We each have an
obligation to actively combat the myths and stereotypes about our own groups
and other groups so that we can break down the walls that prohibit group
cooperation and group gain. Let's
create a safe atmosphere for open discussion. Thus, at times, members of the class may wish to share
writing or make comments that they do not want repeated outside the
classroom. If so, the student will
preface his/her remarks with a request and the class will agree not to repeat
the remarks.
We will discuss these guidelines further in class.
WRITING GUIDELINES
The
Department of Social Work provides guidelines for all written work. Please consult these guidelines in
preparing written materials for this course, particularly if you are completing
a longer paper.
Tentative Schedule
Class Date Topic Reading
1 9/6 Introduction
to the course; get acquainted; distribute *=read
selectively
assess
current knowledge of HBSE
2 9/13 HBSE
and paradigms Schriver
xvii-43
Traditional
and alternative paradigms (begin) Schriver
44-105
3 9/20 Traditional
and alternative paradigms (finish) Schriver
44-105
Paradigm
thinking and social work knowledge (begin) Schriver
106-165
4 9/27 Paradigm
thinking and social work knowledge (finish) Schriver
106-165
Private
victory; learning contract due Covey
13-182
5 10/4 Traditional/dominant
perspectives on individuals Schriver
166-219
Focus
on addictions Readings/handouts
6 10/11 Alternative/possible
perspectives on individuals Schriver
220-301 Introduction
to groups Schriver
380-425
Focus
on social systems Readings/handout
7 10/18 No class; meet
attendance requirements for St. Louis County Conference
8 10/25 Perspectives on
groups (continued) Schriver
380-425
Public
victory; application materials due Covey
183-284
9 11/1 Perspectives
on families; current information due Schriver
302-379
Focus
on American Indian families; mid-term due Readings/handouts
10 11/8 Perspectives
on organizations Schriver
426-487
Focus
on healthy organizations
11 11/15 Perspectives on
communities Schriver
488-541
Focus
on small communities Readings/handouts
12 11/22 Society and
culture *Peacock
& Wisuri
Learning
about culture; focus on power Readings/handouts
13 11/29 Global
perspectives on human behavior Schriver
542-565
focus
on social change Readings/handouts
Sharpening
the saw Covey
285-319
14 12/6 Individual
development in the social environment; student Skim
part of human
presentations;
long paper & application assignments due development
book
15 12/13 Putting it all
together; student presentations
Summary
and evaluation; all materials but final exam due
Final
take home exam due by 4:00 pm Tues,
December 20, 2005 in 220 BohH (or by email)