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SWK 113 Working With Diversity |
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Instructor Contact Information |
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Instructor Name: Sheri Narin |
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Office Phone: (336) 599 – 1181 ext. 424, Office Location: L130 on the Person County Campus. Office Hours are posted by door. |
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Email Address: narins@piedmontcc.edu |
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Fax: (336) 598 - 0453 |
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Secretary Phone: Nancy Watts, (336) 599-1181 ext. 437 |
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Faculty Website Address: http://www2.piedmontcc.edu/faculty/narins |
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Course Information |
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Meeting Information: The class meets on Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. in L101. Additional online work is required. |
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Course Description: Course Description: This course examines and promotes understanding, sensitivity, awareness, and knowledge of human diversity. Emphasis is placed on professional responsibilities, duties, and skills critical to multicultural human services practice. Upon completion, students should be able to integrate and expand knowledge, skills, and cultural awareness relevant to diverse populations. Classroom: 3 Lab: 0 Clinic: 0 Credit: 3 Prerequisite/Corequisites: None
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Course Objectives: Course Objectives: 1. Student will be able to describe and demonstrate what it means to be culturally competent. 2. Student will be able to define racism and prejudice and describe its personal and professional effects. 3. Student will demonstrate an understanding and respect for cultural diversity through exercises and oral presentations. 4. Student will be able to identify and describe the impact of institutional bias in service delivery. 5. Student will demonstrate an understanding of how to integrate culturally diverse practices into a workable practice approach through role-plays and workbook activities.
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Prerequisites and Co-requisites: None |
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Course Topics: The course will cover the topics below (Subject to change): (Please note that the nature of this class involves going back and forth between topics; the chapters will not necessarily be reviewed in the order suggested by the topic list)
I: Cultural Competence A. Diller Book Chapters: · Chapter One: Introduction · Chapter Two: What It Means to Be Culturally Competent. II: Defining and Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination A. Diller Book Chapters: · Chapter Three: Understanding Racism, Prejudice, and White Privilege. · Chapter Four: Understanding Culture and Cultural Differences. B. Plous Book Chapters: · Chapter I: Homo Stereotypus: Wired For Trouble · Chapter II: Stigmatization III: History of Racism A: Plous Book: · Chapter III: Racism Then · Chapter IV: Racism Now IV: General Special Topics: A. Diller Book Chapters: · Chapter Five: Children and Parents of Color · Chapter Six: Mental Health Issues. · Chapter Seven: Bias in Service Delivery. · Chapter Eight: Critical Issues in Working with Culturally Different Clients. · Chapter Nine: Addressing Ethnic Conflict, Genocide, and Mass Violence. V: Specific Topics: Heterosexism B. Plous Book Chapters · Chapter VIII: Heterosexism VI: Specific Topics: Sexism B. Plous Book Chapters · Chapter V: Sexism VII: Specific Topics: Latino/Hispanic Populations A. Diller Book Chapters · Chapter Ten: Working with Latino/a Clients: An Interview with Roberto Almanzan. VIII: Specific Topics: Indigenous Populations A. Diller Book Chapters · Chapter Eleven: Working with Native American Clients: An Interview with Jack Lawson B. Plous Book Chapters · Chapter VII: Genocide in America IX: Specific Topics: Black/African-American Populations A. Diller Book Chapters · Chapter Twelve: Working with African American Clients: An Interview with Veronique Thompson. X: Specific Topics: Anti-Semitism
· Chapter Fourteen: Working with White Ethnic Clients: An Interview with the Author.
· Chapter VI: Anti-Semitism XI: Specific Topics: Asian-American and Muslim Populations
· Chapter Thirteen: Working with Asian American Clients: An Interview with Dan Hocoy. XII: Making Changes
· Chapter Fifteen: Some Closing Thoughts
· Chapter IX: Making Connections · Chapter X: Reducing Prejudice
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Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements |
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Required Textbooks: 1) Diller, J.V. (2007). Cultural diversity: A primer for human services, 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishers. 2) Plous, S. (Ed). (2003). Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination, Boston: McGrawHill Publishers Other Materials: Access to the Internet and a working email address. |
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Supplementary Materials: None |
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Course Website address: |
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Hardware Requirements: Please follow the hardware recommendations mentioned at : http://www2.piedmont.cc.nc.us/DL/hardware.htm, with the addition of access to Microsoft Word. |
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Software Requirements: You may need Acrobat Reader for some assignments. You can get information on downloading it through http://www2.piedmont.cc.nc.us/DL/plugins.htm. You will need JAVA to access the virtual classroom. There is no cost for the downloads. |
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Assessment and Grading |
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Testing Procedures: This class does not emphasize testing; exams may be used of material is not being read, or as an option for a homework assignment. Exams may be given in class or through Blackboard. |
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Grading Procedure: Grades are based on a point system. Points are earned through examinations, homework, assignments, participation, and projects. You will earn a certain number of points out of the total points for that assignment. For example, you complete a journal assignment and receive 15 points out of a possible 20 points. Your grade would be 15. You can translate this into a percentage or letter grade by dividing the top number (15) by the bottom number (20). This would give you a percentage of 75, or a “C.” The specific types of assignments are explained in more detail below. The specific information given below is subject to change. Evaluation: A combination of classroom activities, homework assignments, oral presentations/projects, journals, examinations and Blackboard activities will comprise the basis of evaluation for this course. Evaluation will be based on an accumulative point system with a total of approximately 1500 to 2000 points available. Total point value is subject to change.
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Assignments and Projects (Subject to change): Classroom Activities: The learning process in this class involves strong participation in small group activities, as well as presenting information to your fellow classmates. Your input is essential for your own learning as well as that of your classmates. You will be asked to play various roles in group activities and will be graded on fullness of participation and quality of participation. The grade will include evaluation of your ability to work out conflicts within small groups, using the principles gained in studying issues of diversity. Group members will be responsible for the full participation of all group members. In-class assignments cannot be made up. Homework Assignments: You will be given several homework assignments. Assignments are to be turned on the due date and at the beginning of the class period due. Homework assignments that are late will lose 5 points per day late, including weekends, with the exception of your three freebie cards, which can be used for either in class assignments or Blackboard assignments (except for discussion boards) If you are not going to be in class, assignments can be emailed or faxed or left early. .These assignments are different from the assignments on Blackboard. Oral Presentations/Projects: You may be given group presentations and may have other small projects. You may be assigned a different cultural or religious group about which to learn and will present this information to the class. You will also have a project developing a book for young children to explain prejudice. You will be graded on thoroughness and creativity of presentations and projects. Journal: You will be asked to keep a journal about responses to class content and how the class may other areas of your life. At the end of each class, you will also be given a question to answer in the journal as well. You are responsible for a journal entry each class day even if you are not in class. Thus, each journal entry should answer the following questions:
Journals will be done on Blackboard under group pages, where a group will be developed for only you (to ensure privacy). For each week, you will post your answers to that private board.
Examinations: There may be examinations during the semester. Examinations will involve a variety of question types and will focus on applying information learned. . Exams may be given on Blackboard.
Blackboard Activities: There will be weekly Blackboard discussion board/assignments to be completed on the Internet. You can find more specific instructions on the Blackboard site. Grade Breakdown (subject to change):
Total: 2000 points
GRADING SCALE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDING ON FINAL POINT VALUE TOTAL): 2000 to 1800 = A; 1799 TO 1600 = B; 1599 TO 1400 = C; 1399 TO 1200 = D; Below 1200 = F.
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Academic Integrity |
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In addition to good academic performance, students should exhibit honesty and integrity. If there is any question that academic honesty and integrity are not honored, students may be required to redo assignments in the presence of an instructor-selected monitor. Proof of dishonesty, including plagiarism, will make students subject to disciplinary action. Please consult your college catalog for more information.
Piedmont Community College Plagiarism Policy 7.5.1 PLAGIARISM
Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is “the wrongful act of taking the product of another person's mind and presenting it as one's own" (Alexander Lindey, Plagiarism and Originality, 1952).
The following acts are examples of intentional plagiarism:
Copying material from a published source to avoid having to devise one’s own ideas. Failing to give clear and proper credit to an idea, phrase, or quotation taken from a source. Purchasing a pre-written paper. Having someone other than the stated author complete an assignment, or part of an assignment.
Unintentional Plagiarism occurs when a student provides sources for his or her work, but the sources are cited incorrectly or inadequately. Handbooks with documentation rules for Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychology Association (APA), two source documentation styles, are housed in the Caswell County Campus Resource Center and in the Person County Campus Learning Resource Center. Students are also encouraged to speak with their instructors when they are uncertain about documenting their sources in class assignments.
Plagiarism will result in disciplinary action, and repeated offenses will lead to increased penalties that may ultimately result in expulsion from the College, as set out below:
A student who unintentionally plagiarizes will receive a warning and instruction on proper citation, style, and usage for the first offense. A student who unintentionally plagiarizes a second time in a single course will receive a course grade of F in the course in which the student plagiarized. A student who intentionally plagiarizes will receive a course grade of F in the course in which the student plagiarized. If a student receives a course grade of F due to plagiarism, the course instructor will notify the Dean of Student Development using the Plagiarism Incident Report Form. If a student receives three course grades of F due to plagiarism, as determined by records kept in the office of the Dean of Student Development, he or she will be expelled from the College.
Legal Reference: G.S. 115 D-20 History Note: Effective January 20, 2004
Turnitin.com
In furtherance of its Plagiarism Policy, Piedmont Community College has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism in student assignments. To encourage original and authentic written work, any written assignment created in this course may be submitted for review to Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com) and will become a searchable document with the Turnitin-protected and restricted use database. `
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Assignments and Participation |
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Guidelines for Blackboard Discussion Boards: The criteria for earning an A or B on a discussion board post: · The discussion clearly answers the question. · There is some supporting information from a source other than the text and these sources are cited correctly, using the APA style guide to references. This includes electronic references. · The references used are from legitimate websites; these websites will present information in a fair and balanced matter, i.e. it is not a website whose sole purpose is to promote a specific agenda or point of view. · Material used in answering a question is pertinent and related to the question. Just listing a website without tying the information in to your answers will result in your answer being graded as though no references were used. · There is evidence of your thinking on the subject and not simply parroting the ideas of others. The criteria for earning a B or C on a discussion board post:
The criteria for earning a D or F on a discussion:
If no response is posted, the student will receive a “0” for that grade.
Feedback should be helpful to the student receiving it. Feedback will be evaluated for the following:
The following is an example of “A” quality work. The discussion board question was, “What do you think are the most common mistakes made by social workers working in child protective services? What causes these mistakes to be made? How can these mistakes be avoided or reduced? Remember to consider the role of other agents or agencies in these decisions and the multiple party responsibilities in these situations.” The student’s answer is below: I believe that some of the most common mistakes made by social workers working in child protective services are misidentifying serious cases, wrongful removal of children, inaccurate and incomplete data entry for tracking abuse and neglect and monitoring children in foster care, not establishing relationships with the families to make the necessary decisions, and hurting the children that they are supposed to protect. I read an article that didn’t speak too favorably about child protection workers, but I believe the points made are very real. The article states that low salaries, high turnover rates, and staffing shortages put pressure on the remaining staff members of the agencies; this causes insufficient time for workers to establish relationships with the families and make the necessary decisions to ensure safe and stable permanent placements for the children. The heavy caseloads breed errors in documentation of case information. Another mistake is the unnecessary removals - misidentifying serious cases or wrongful removal of children. The article calls it “defensive social work.” It stated that child protection workers are possibly trying to protect themselves from liability (danger creation theory); if they question the safety of a child, they remove that child, which is also what they do when they actually identify safety risks for children in identifiable, abusive homes. It has been identified as the “better safe than sorry” mentality. Some child protection workers do not want to be held accountable for inappropriately returning a child to an abusive parent for fear of liability. What is most unfortunate is the fact that children can and are being hurt by abusive parents and/or child protection workers alike.
I think it is important to provide some additional oversight of child protection cases; have some form of checks and balances to ensure effective and efficient service provision. Agencies should address the recruitment and retention of its child protection workers so to ensure that the children and families are not being shuffled from one worker to another; this would increase the familiarity of the cases and reduce the number of cases per worker. Also, adequate documentation should be kept to help back up the claims of child abuse and neglect. Adequate documentation can also help in identifying what interventions are working within the agency and with the child protection workers. And, what I think is most important to the accuracy and efficiency of providing services to children and families is to engage in self evaluations at the agency and personal level. Agencies can evaluate whether or not their vision, mission, and values all support creating better results for children and families. Child protection workers can evaluate who they are, including, what their morals and values are, what biases they may have, and what drives them to do what they do. Regular self evaluations are necessary for providing children and families the best possible assistance and can also ensure better results for children and families.
Works Cited:
A Critical Look at Child Welfare: Defensive Social Work, 5 Feb 2006, Rick Thomas. 6 Feb. 2006 http://www.liftingtheveil.org/defensive.htm
Alexander, R., Jr., Understanding Legal Concepts That Influence Social Welfare Policy and Practice, 2003, Brooks/Cole Publishers. ISBN: 0-534-59661-4
Child Welfare: Improved Federal Oversight Could Assist States In Overcoming Key Challenges GAO-04-418T, 28 Jan. 2004, Government Accountability Office (GAO): Report Abstract. 6 Feb. 2006 http://www.gao.gov/docdblite/summary.php?recflag=&accno=A09174&rptno=GAO-04-41
The following is a response to another student’s post. This response is also “A” quality work: I can understand your concern for the safety of others when a threat of harm has been established. My only concern is that maybe we (me included) are forgetting that sometimes people say things out of anger and with a limited vocabulary or means to express themselves completely. For instance, a mother speaking about the way she feels when her adolescent daughter stays out all night without calling. The mother, out of pure anger says, “I am going to strangle that child when I see her!” Do you automatically report this information to the authorities or the Department of Social Services? I wouldn’t. What I would do is reflect back to the client the message that I am receiving. I might follow up with, “It sounds like you are angry with your daughter because of her behavior. Is strangling her something that you would do?” Not saying that this mother would not strangle her daughter, but she may have used those terms for lack of better word choices. Like using the terms, “I could kill ‘em.” I think it is important to get as much information from the client as possible. Now if the mother says to you, “When my daughter walks in the door, I am going to walk up to her, put my hands around her neck, and choke her until she can no longer breathe and falls over lifeless” there is definite reason to be alarmed and to contact the authorities. Sometimes clients don’t have the “words” to express themselves or their feelings. They use what they know - regardless of how incriminating it can sometimes be. Just something to consider. |
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Class Participation or Attendance: Regular attendance at all class meetings is necessary for students to learn important concepts. In this regard, the following class attendance policy is established: 1. A student is expected to be regular and punctual in meeting all classes. To receive credit for a course, the student must attend prior to the census point and a minimum of 80 percent of classes, labs and shop hours. Failure to attend class is an absence, regardless of the reason. Absences are counted from the first scheduled meeting of the class, not the first day the student attends. All work missed during absences must be made up to the satisfaction of the instructor. Failure to complete required assignments will negatively affect the student's final grade. 2. A student who exceeds the 20 percent limit of absences may be dropped by the instructor through the eighth week of the semester. If a student exceeds the 20 percent limit after the eighth week, the instructor is authorized to award the student the "I" or "F" grade as warranted by the student's performance. 3. Any exceptions to this policy must be authorized by the instructor.
Attendance policy specific to this class: Attendance and participation are important
components of learning. In addition to the Piedmont Community
College attendance policy, the following policies will apply:
Perfect attendance in class at the end of the semester will raise
your overall grade by 1.5% points. Thus, if your average at the end
of the class is an 88.5 % and you have perfect attendance, your
grade will be increased to a 90%, or an A. Being on time for every
class will result in another .5% grade increase. After six absences,
every subsequent absence will result in an overall grade reduction
of 3%. Every fifteen minutes missed of class counts as 1/3 absence;
thus, three incidences of being late or leaving early or not coming
back from a break within the specified time will count as an
absence. For example, if you have 5 absences, were late three times
and left early three times, this would count as 6 absences and your
final grade would be reduced by 3% points, such as an 82% being
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Punctuality: |
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Course Ground Rules |
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1) Please contact your instructor with any problems or concerns! 2) You are expected to be on time and prepared for class. If you are unable to e in class, you are expected to let the instructor know by leaving a message by phone or email previous to the class period. 3) Assignments are to be turned in on the date due and at the beginning of the class period due. You are responsible for making up any missed in-class assignments; however, some assignments cannot be made up. 4) As noted in the attendance policy, excessive absences will reflect negatively on your grade. 5) The ability to write well is an important skill for your professional development. Assignments that are difficult to read due to handwriting will be returned with one opportunity to redo the assignment, within 2 days. Typing is strongly recommended. Some assignments require typing and will not be accepted if not typed. Assignments with excessive grammatical or spelling errors (excessive as subjectively defined by the instructor) will be returned with one opportunity to make corrections. 6) Cell phones should be turned off, or if they must be kept on, put on a vibrate mode. If you must take a call during class, you are expected to conduct the call outside of the classroom. 7) If you decide to withdraw from the class, you must complete the paperwork for the withdrawal. If you simply stop attending the class, you will receive an “F” for the class. |
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Guidelines for Communications |
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Email: · Always include a subject line, with your name, the course number and the topic of the email. · Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases. · Use standard fonts. · Do not send large attachments without permission. · Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication. · Respect the privacy of other class members. |
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Web Resources for distance learning (but may
be useful for other classes as well): American Psychological Association, Electronic References, 5th edition of the APA Publication Manual, 2001, Retrieved 21 July 2007 from http://www.apastyle.org/elecgeneral.html
Learning Resources Center, Online Services For Distance Learners, Piedmont Community College, Retrieved July 21, 2007 from http://www2.piedmont.cc.nc.us/DL/online_services.htm
Blackboard Student Support The North Carolina Conference of English Instructors offers this site with support information for online learners. North Carolina Conference of English Instructors, CEI Blackboard Support, North Carolina Conference of English Instructors web site, Retrieved 21 July 2007 from http://www.nccei.org/blackboard/students.html Netiquette, Or How to Mind Your Manners When Using E-Mail, Virginia Shea, Netiquette , May 1994, http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html, Netiquette Home Page, Retrieved 21 July 2007 from http://www.albion.com/netiquette/index.html |
| Library |
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The Piedmont Community College Library Website includes links and
services for: an online catalog, basic library information, Help,
electronic resources, distance education library services,
interlibrary loan, instructional services, citation help,
reserves, searching the web, and periodicals. http://www2.piedmontcc.edu/lrc/ |
| Students With Disabilities |
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If you have a learning or other disability, and you want to request special accommodations to ensure equal access to education at PCC, please see Melissa Woods in the Office of Student Development on the main campus, 599-1181, ext. 210. The information that you provide Ms. Woods will be kept confidential. If you are on the Caswell campus, please see Terri Hamrick, 336-694-5707, ext. 232. |
| Student Success Center |
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Piedmont Community College now offers a comprehensive package of services to assist students with their academic success. The Student Success Center (SSC) is located in Room G-204 on the Person County Campus and in Room K-152 on the Caswell County Campus. The SSC provides a variety of free learning support services including computer access, tutoring, supplemental instruction, study groups, and other academic services. Visit or call Gloria Bennett, Coordinator of the Student Success Center, at 599-1181, ext. 276 to access this valuable student resource. |
| Syllabus Changes |
| A statement that any necessary changes to the course syllabus will be sent to the student by e-mail and posted on the bulletin board. |
| Technical Support for Distance Learning |
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Libbie McPhaul-Moore, 336-599-1181, ext. 445, mcphaul@piedmontcc.edu Earl Stenlund, 336-599-1181, ext. 225, stenlue@piedmontcc.edu may be able to assist you with troubleshooting access to Blackboard and navigation of Blackboard. The College does not provide technical support for any problems with your ISP accounts or software, to include AOL. |
COURSE DATES:
Weeks for Blackboard Assignments: Week One: Monday August 20, 2007 to Sunday, August 26, 2007 Week Two: Monday, August 27, 2007 to Sunday, September 2, 2007 Week Three: Tuesday, September 3, 2007 to Sunday, September 9, 2007 Week Four: Monday, September 10, 2007 to Sunday, September 16, 2007 Week Five: Monday, September 17, 2007 to Sunday, September 23, 2007 Week Six: Monday, September 24, 2007 to Sunday, September 30, 2007 Week Seven: Monday, October 1, 2007 to Sunday, October 7, 2007 Week Eight: Monday, October 8, 2007 to Sunday, October 14, 2007 Week Nine: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 to Sunday, October 21, 2007 Week Ten: Monday, October 22, 2007 to Sunday, October 28, 2007 Week Eleven: Monday, October 29, 2007 to Sunday, November 4, 2007 Week Twelve: Monday, November 5, 2007 to Sunday, November 11, 2007 Week Thirteen: Monday, November 12, 2007 to Sunday, November 18, 2007 Week Fourteen: Monday, November 19, 2007 to Wednesday, November 21, 2007 and Monday, November 26, 2007 to Sunday, December 2, 2007 Week Fifteen: Monday, December 3, 2007 to Sunday, December 9, 2007 Week Sixteen: Monday, December 10, 2007 to Saturday, December 15, 2007 The last day to drop this class with a “W” is October 17, 2007. |