Social Work Policy Practice
Changing Our Community, Nation, and the World
3rd Edition
Published on 30. August 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
364 pages
978-1-7935-4087-4 (ISBN)
Description
The third edition of Social Work Policy Practice: Changing Our Community, Nation, and the World demystifies policymaking for social work students and demonstrates why policy practice is a critical dimension of social work. The text provides a comprehensive introduction to political advocacy and the political process to inspire social work students to enter the field with a mind for advocacy and social justice.
The book is divided into three parts. In Part I, students learn a brief history of social welfare legislation in the United States and the role of social workers in policy development. Part II includes an overview of the levels and branches of government, in-depth descriptions of the policy change process, and various strategies advocates employ to enact change. Part III consists of real-world stories of advocates and advocacy organizations that have attempted to change policies on behalf of vulnerable populations in a wide range of social work fields such as healthcare, mental health, children and families, aging, immigration, and civil rights.
This edition features updated policy changes throughout all chapters including fresh material on social movements, such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, and the impacts of the Trump presidency and the coronavirus pandemic on social welfare policy.
Engaging and accessible, Social Work Policy Practice is an ideal resource for courses that introduce policymaking to undergraduate and graduate students of social work.
The book is divided into three parts. In Part I, students learn a brief history of social welfare legislation in the United States and the role of social workers in policy development. Part II includes an overview of the levels and branches of government, in-depth descriptions of the policy change process, and various strategies advocates employ to enact change. Part III consists of real-world stories of advocates and advocacy organizations that have attempted to change policies on behalf of vulnerable populations in a wide range of social work fields such as healthcare, mental health, children and families, aging, immigration, and civil rights.
This edition features updated policy changes throughout all chapters including fresh material on social movements, such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, and the impacts of the Trump presidency and the coronavirus pandemic on social welfare policy.
Engaging and accessible, Social Work Policy Practice is an ideal resource for courses that introduce policymaking to undergraduate and graduate students of social work.
Reviews / Votes
"Professor Ritter, I wanted to drop a quick note to thank you for such an amazing social policy class this semester. Admittedly, I was dreading the class just a little bit, but I think it was mainly because I expected the material to be dry and intimidating. However, your engaging textbook with real-life examples brought concepts to life, and your passion for inviting in-class discussion was contagious. I never considered policy work as something I would be interested in, but after taking this class, I realize now that policy work combines so many parts of myself that are important to me: working for larger changes, advocating, and research. Because of this class, I am seriously considering working towards macro work and hope to get much more involved in policy even throughout the rest of my BSSW. I learned so much, and I appreciate your grace and flexibility in supporting our learning process even in the midst of such a strange semester. Thank you for your enthusiasm; I hope I'm able to take more classes taught by you!"Abigail, BSSW student, Metropolitan State University Denver
"Excellent social welfare policy text for undergraduate social work majors: up-to-date, readable, and includes valuable information on social welfare history, values, diversity, advocacy, and fields of practice."
John C. Rife, MSW, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
"Social Work Policy Practice by Jessica Ritter is a timely, relevant, and applied social welfare policy practice textbook which will help train future social workers in the important work of social change."
LeaAnne DeRigne, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work, Florida Atlantic University
"Dr. Ritter has a way of making social work policy come alive. Her quality of writing and ease of reading makes students feel an increased confidence and understanding while gaining valuable insight to multiple aspects of policy practice."
Scott W. Gaffney, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Southeastern University
"Ritter provides an engaging, thorough, and passionate look at social welfare policy, with an emphasis on advocacy efforts. This is truly a text devoted to policy as it relates to social and economic justice."
John Quinton Hodges, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work, University of North Alabama
"A contemporary analysis of important issues and policies impacting social workers that can easily be adopted for many other fields including human development, psychology, sociology, criminal justice, and education."
Mary H. Garcia, Instructor of Human Development, Washington State University
More details
Edition
Third Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
San Diego
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 203 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
768 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-7935-4087-4 (9781793540874)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Jessica A. Ritter is a professor of social work at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level social work courses. Dr. Ritter earned her doctoral and master's degrees in social work from the University of Texas at Austin. As a practicing social worker, she is committed to improving and protecting children's rights in the United States and around the world. Dr. Ritter is a Fulbright scholar and has authored and coauthored numerous books, book chapters, and articles within the field.