The last topic to be covered in this course is Chapter 14, Social Movements. Choose to view one of the movies in this Unit, either The Garden (in English and somein Spanish with English subtitles) or Holding Ground Parts 1 and 2.
Then consider the following social justice issues listed below that have impacted physiological, social, psychological and spiritual human behavior and development on the macro (societal) and mezzo (family and community) person and environmental dimensions of human functioning. These issues could serve as the foundation to the creation of a social movement in your local (city, small town), state, or federal level. Choose a topic that you have some passion for that you or others known to you have experienced. If you have your own topic, not on the list, check with the Instructor.
Some examples are:
- Medical health care costs
- Disability accessibility
- Housing conditions (lack of or segregated sub-standard housing and rent)
- Environmental air/ground conditions (e.g. sinkholes in a neighborhood, ground pollution causing birth defects, etc.)
- Nutrition needs (e.g. hunger, poverty, etc.)
- Political representation (e.g. lack of access to voter registration, municipal representation, or suppression)
- Safety measures – (e.g. police profiling, lack of police patrols, neighborhood violence, racial violence)
- Unemployment e.g. layoffs, segregated workplaces by gender/race/age
- Poverty low income, lack of health insurance, lack of access to payment for medications.
- High property taxes
- Neglected or segregated schools
- Banking and regulatory practices that may profile or discriminate against specified populations
- Discriminatory practices involving vulnerable minority populations
- Toxic air/water pollution
Conduct a literature review of 10 peer-reviewed sources to research the social justice aspects of your chosen issue and its consequences – e.g. physiological, political, social, psychological, and spiritual consequences on the macro (societal, community) and mezzo (family and community) personal and environmental dimensions. Integrate by way of in-text cited content the research findings into your papers content from the Hutchison text – e.g. Chapters 13 on Communities and Chapter 14 on Social Movement and from the supplemental sources. Instructions on how to write a literature review is posted under Assignments. (See above.)
Respond to the following:Explain historically how this issue came to be and the current conditions that are impacting on what specific population/s of people. Discuss the importance of your issue. What are the two or three cultural frames that would motivate people to engage in collective action on this issue.How important do you think emotions are in motivating people to participate in [this] social movement activity (Hutchison, 2019, 450)? Explain and support your rationale by way of in-text cited content.
What Elite Allies (p. 436) could be recruited as influential forces to aid the social movements success? Explain.What opposing forces may your social movement organization encounter? Explain. Interview an agency involved in the delivery of services representing your social issue. What is their perspective? How are they funded and who is responsible for their practices? What possible activities/plans do they have, if any, to resolve the issue of your chosen social justice issue? Review Exhibit 14.2 regarding Key Ideas of the Mobilizing Structures Perspective. In light of the literature review, social media and newspaper sources, supported by in-text cited content which mobilizing structure do you think would be the most user-friendly and possible to create a social movement involving recruitment, funding, and publication of the issue? What activities would need to take place to make the public/powers be aware to bring about change? What “cultural framing” slogans could be used to get the seriousness of the issue known and its negatives effects?.How might this slogan also convey hopeful change? Explain and support your rationale by way of in-text cited content.
Review the types of social movements that have been described and discussed in Ch. 14 and in the recommended supplemental readings and websites. In light of your findings, supported by in-text cited content which strategies would be the most effective to facilitate a successful outcome to your chosen issue? What are your conclusions regarding the chances of this social movement to be successful: the advantages and challenges. Provide your rationale for this discussion.
Finally, what have you learned from this assignment in light of your goal to become a social worker, advocating for social justice issues impacting on the developmental behavioral consequences for the living conditions that our clients may face?Use headings for each section. The paper is to be written in a Microsoft Word document, double-spaced, size 12 type. Review and correct before submission all spelling, sentence structure, grammar, and APA in-text cited content. A cover page and bibliography are to be included. Students are advised to check the Originality Report of their submissions to be sure that they have cited properly. If not, correct and resubmit again.
