Does Learning About Social Policy in a Global Context Change Students’ Views On U.S. Social Policies?

Authors

Dirk de Jong, SIena CollegeFollow
Dennis Kao, Carleton University, OttawaFollow

Keywords

BSW education, social policy, globalization, neoliberalism

Abstract

This article reviews the development and implementation of a course titled “Social Policy Without Borders” and an evaluation of students’ attitudes toward social policies as a result of having taken the course. “Social Policy Without Borders” is an undergraduate social work elective and involves a cross-national analysis of social policies and an examination of the impact of neoliberalism on social policies and social welfare systems globally. This paper reports on an evaluation of outcome in terms of possible changes in students’ views on social policies in the United States as a result of learning about their global context. The evaluation findings indicate a statistically significant change in perspectives on the part of the students towards a more critical view of U.S. social policy and social welfare.

Recommended Citation

de Jong, Dirk and Kao, Dennis (2024) "Does Learning About Social Policy in a Global Context Change Students’ Views On U.S. Social Policies?," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 51: Iss. 3, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.4769
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol51/iss3/3