Your first essay must make use of the course materials to answer one of the following questions:
1. Analyze the role of ideas, values, and commitments in shaping policy in the human services and explain how social reform can come about in a society with conflicting tendencies.
2. Discuss the causes and effects of oppression and, using an example from the human services, provide some possible solutions to empower a client.
3. Discuss the significance of ideology on large-scale social policy changes. The essay must include a thesis statement, definitions of key terms that demonstrate your comprehension and appropriate application of them, factors that contribute positively or negatively to the change, and why, and a conclusion indicating possible responses or next steps in learning more about this particular policy change.
4. Discuss the underlying values and beliefs of each of the main ideological stances by applying these to the concept of equality and the free market. Summarize your learning about ideology in relation to the human services field.
USE the ASSIGNED READING to complete: either 1st or 2nd edition:
Ernie Lightman, Introduction to Part II and “Defining Social Policy,” Chapter 2 in Social Policy in Canada (1st ed.), pp. 35–83
or
Ernie Lightman and Naomi Lightman, Introduction to Part II and “Defining Social Policy,” Chapter 3 in Social Policy in Canada (2nd ed.), pp. 63–114
