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Goshen College

Social Policy and Advocacy Course Listings

Minor in social policy and advocacy

19 credit hours

  • Social policy & advocacy core courses (choose 2 courses)6
    • PoSc 210, Introduction to Public Policy (3)
    • SoWk 322, Social Welfare Policy and Program I (3)
    • Pubh 310, Public Health Policy and Administration (3)
  • PJCS 309, Advocacy Field Work 1
  • Applied advocacy and/or policy courses (6 credits must be upper level) 12

Planning and advising notes

The social policy and advocacy minor is designed to assist students with a liberal arts major in obtaining knowledge and skills applicable to employment in the non-profit sector. The minor’s four key learning objectives include: 1) Explain the role policy and advocacy plays in the well being of individuals and communities; 2) Demonstrate the use of local and global policy and advocacy skills in organizational and governmental contexts; 3) Engage in ethical policy and advocacy development and practice; and 4) Utilize policy and advocacy development skills in the community.

Double counting will be limited to two courses, at least 12 hours of the minor must be met through discrete courses that do not count toward a student’s major requirements.

Social policy and advocacy minors will take PJCS 309 Advocacy Field Work (1 cr) in conjunction with one of the required social policy and advocacy courses, completing a 40-hr internship in which the student works with a community partner on an advocacy and policy issue related to course content and student interests. Additional applied advocacy classes can be substituted upon approval of the minor advisor.

Course Descriptions

Bus 315: Human Capital Management

Human capital management is a central function of any organization. Managers and employees play an integral role in carrying out human resource policies and practices in their organization. In this course students will think systematically and strategically about aspects of managing the organization's human assets. Topics will include ethics, diversity, equity, and inclusion, HR law, and the future of work.

Comm 324: Principles of Public Relations

Introduction to public relations contexts, issues and practices - research, planning, communicating and evaluating. Emphasis on skills in analyzing public opinion and in communication with internal and external publics, with special attention to not-for-profit organizations. Prerequisite: Comm 240 or Bus 316.

Pjcs 220: Inside Out:

An interactive course which addresses justice from the viewpoints of those both inside and outside the criminal justice system. Half of students in each class are inmates in a correctional facility and half are college students. The course is flexible in its specific content, shaped by the expertise of instructors. Recent offerings have been "Justice in Our Lives," focused on restorative justice and conflict transformation and "Borders, Boundaries and Bridges," focused on divisive issues such as immigration through the lens of theater. Special application required to enroll.

Pjcs 325: Mediation:Process, Skills, Theory

Focuses on the third party role of the mediator. Explores the theoretical basis for mediation, its various applications in North America, and critiques of the appropriateness of mediation for certain types of conflicts. Emphasis will be on experiential learning to develop the skills needed for mediation in formal and informal settings. PJCS majors and minors, as well as Interdisciplinary majors with a PJCS component, will complete one hour of applied experience.

Posc 210: Introduction to Public Policy

Explores the nature of the policy-making process in the United States and, to a lesser extent, other pluralist polities. Topics will include constitutional and structural framework in which policies are shaped, interest articulation, policy formulation and the feedback process.

Soc 391: Methods of Social Research

(Cross-listed from SoWk 391) An introduction to the principles and methods of social research. Students will develop the knowledge and skills needed to develop and evaluate research designs, interpret both qualitative and quantitative research, and be effective consumers of research knowledge. Prerequisites: Soc 200 or Pubh 200

Sowk 322: Social Welfare Policy & Program I

Social, environmental, and economic justice all serve as organizing principles in this course for the study of social problems and the critique of existing and proposed social welfare policy. Students will develop an understanding of policy-making processes and the connection between social problems and social welfare policy, programs, and services across local, state and federal levels. Students will also develop an understanding of the role of policy in the context of generalist social work practice, and be introduced to the concept of policy practice. Prerequisites: SoWk 200, 221 or consent of instructor.

Wgs 325: Topics

Special topics courses in different disciplines that focus on specific issues related to women and/or gender.

Sust 205: Sustainability Policy

The course will provide an understanding of sustainability policy in order to strengthen students' ability to understand, interpret, and react to future developments. Emphasis will be on how existing and evolving judicial, statutory, and regulatory environments influence organizational approaches to protecting, managing and/or using sustainable resources. Participants will understand the interplay of various policy drivers in shaping policy, and how they fit into the policy process regardless of their role in society.

Pjcs 309: Advocacy Fieldwork

Advocacy Field Work includes the application of policy and advocacy skills outside the classroom and thus must be taken in conjunction with one of the following Topics courses: SoWk 315, SoWk 320, SoWk 345 or SoWk 350. The requirements include: 1) the completion of a 40 hour internship with a community partner focused on advocacy and policy skill development; and 2) the completion of a culminating project focused on an advocacy or policy project determined by the student, minor advisor, and agency supervisor at the beginning of the placement.

Pubh 210: Culturally Responsive Health Promot

This course focuses on how an individuals social, cultural, and economic background influences both their health status as well as the health care they receive. The emphasis in this course is in culturally responsive health promotion programs, which is one of public health's primary tools for reducing health disparities. Concepts, models, frameworks, and communications that occur within intercultural health situations will be discussed, as well as the application of these concepts in real interventions and health promotion programs. More broadly, this course also explores the ways in which health disparities are created and sustained at a societal level and how social, behavioral, and environmental factors affect a populations health, including risk of infection and disease. The first half of the course emphasizes basic principles, while the second half provides a closer examination of several different populations in the U.S. A case study approach will be used to explore the intersection between culture, health, and health care.

Pubh 310: Public Health Policy & Administrat

This course provides an overview of the Public Health policy-making process in the U.S. and the issues related to the provision of health-related services. It examines the political and institutional settings and constraints on the formulation of policy, including the role of federal, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, special interest groups, and the media. In addition, the course content provides the foundational understanding for the organization and function of public health activities within the health care delivery system of the United States.

Cjrj 100: Introduction to Criminal Justice

This course provides an introduction to the criminal justice system in the United States. Students will develop a general understanding of the criminal justice system's response to crime in society and be introduced to the components of the system: police, courts, and corrections. Offered every fall.

Sowk 229: Child Welfare

Through a careful analysis of US policies and practices related to the protection and empowerment of children, this Social Work elective addresses the socio-historical roots, inequalities, professional roles and responsibilities, and contemporary realities of what it means to care for children in US society. A Peacemaking course in the Goshen Core offered on a rotating basis every fourth year.

Sowk 231: Aging in US Society

This Social Work elective explores the normal aging process, the unique challenges experienced by older adults, and the US societal context related to aging. Course content engages a range of issues present in our current context of the rapid growth of the US population over age 65. The course explores how policies, practices, systems and services influence, and are influenced by aging individuals, families, and US society. It examines the ways in which older adults adapt to changes, as well as the ways that interventions/services may assist with these adaptations. It also explores the needs and issues encountered by older adults both within the community and within institutional settings, including a focus on caregivers. This is a Social World course in the Goshen Core, offered on a rotating basis every fourth year.

Sowk 245: Women's Concerns

This course critically examines the social and economic justice issues related to how gender and sexuality impact the roles, statuses and social locations of women and nonbinary individuals. Course content explores the impact of the women's movement, along with other social movement(s) related to gender and sexual liberation in the United States. It also identifies the cultural, religious, racial, social, economic, environmental, and political processes that affect the lives of gender minorities in the US. This course is primarily discussion-based. As a Social Work elective, this course is offered on a rotating basis every fourth year.

Sowk 250: Human Services: Special Studies

An in-depth seminar on a selected field of service, program or policy issue. Particular emphasis is given to concepts of exploitation and social/economic justice. Check the course offering list to see current options. As a Social Work elective, this course is offered on a rotating basis every fourth year.

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