SW 331 - Human Behavior and Cultural Diversity II (S) (W)

3 Credit(s)

This is the second half of a two-semester course sequence covering the major traditional and nontraditional theoretical perspectives for understanding human behavior and cultural diversity in the social environment. Utilizing the risk and resiliency perspective, students explore theories of human development and cultural diversity using the life cycle as an organizing framework. Within this framework, students engage, discuss, and critically analyze important factors of human diversity, such as, race, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, class status, sexual orientation, and physical ability within different lifecycle stages. In light of these sociocultural dimensions and the life cycle, students reflect upon their own personal development through experiential education, including service learning and structured in-class activities. Particular attention is paid to the application of these theories to understanding the developmental challenges of differing life stages. Implications for social work from micro through macro levels of practice are discussed. This is a writing enriched and service learning course.