A deep dive into policy, some may say, can be dry. While it’s true that legislat

A deep dive into policy, some may say, can be dry. While it’s true that legislative acts, governmental rules and the processes made necessary by both may be uninspiring, many of these functions began as a passion for change.
You have examined some of the key policies related to the biggest social problems in society after first reflecting on your desire for change. This week, you begin to connect these two themes by focusing on the role of social worker in effecting social, political, and policy change and by more deeply exploring a social problem or issue and the policies that aim to address them.
Politics and policy are interrelated, as the ability to effect a broad social change is often through the halls of government. Many key policies you studied in this course and use in practice are the result of a long political journey. Social work and politics may seem to exist in different worlds, but one can inform the other in beneficial ways. In this Discussion, you examine the purpose of social work on the journey from social to change to political change.
Submit a 5- to 8-page paper that addresses the following:
The social problem/issue
Identify a social problem/issue you would like to address.
Describe the context—historical and/or contemporary—of society’s perception and approach to this social problem/issue.
What current research (including facts and statistics) supports the need to address the social problem/issue?
The policy
Identify a specific policy that addresses the selected social problem/issue.
Describe the historical context of the policy.
Briefly provide enough detail about the social, economic, and political circumstances that inspired action.
Include reputable references/resources to support current updates, implementation, and/or changes related to the policy.
The population and programs
Identify the population served by the policy.
What qualifies a client for inclusion in the policy?
What successful or widely accepted programs have come out of the policy?
In practice
What role(s) do social workers play in the success of the program?
Does the policy work in practice as intended? Why or why not?
Does the policy achieve its goals?
Social change
Does the policy contribute to social justice? How?
If not, explain how or why it does not contribute to social justice.
Identify opportunities for improvement in the policy.
Explain how you would go about improving the policy.
Sources
You must reference a minimum of eight scholarly references, which may include electronic government documents and reputable websites.
Your reference list should appear on a separate page, and it is not included in the 5- to 8-page requirement.
RESOURCE TO INCLUDE:
Popple, P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2019). The policy-based profession: An introduction to social welfare policy analysis for social workers (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
Refer to the Social Welfare Policy: Search Tips site listed in the Learning Resources for strategies for finding additional research. Also note that reputable non-profits and other organizations, some of which you will find throughout the Learning Resources in this course, can be good sources. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/socialwelfarepolicy/searchtips