Minor in Poverty Studies and Social Justice
The Minor in Poverty Studies and Social Justice is interdisciplinary, available to all students, from all academic disciplines, and is housed in the School of Social Work. This minor is the central academic foundation for the Baylor Interdisciplinary Poverty Initiative.
- The Poverty and Social Justice minor will consist of 18 hours;
- At least 12 of these hours must be in residence;
- At least 9 of these hours must be at a "3000" or "4000" level;
- No more than 3 hours from a student's major may be applied to the "Poverty" minor.
Required Courses include:
1) ECO 3355 – Introduction to the Economics of Poverty
and Discrimination
2) SWO 3322 – Social Policy and Service
3) SWO 4315 – Foundations of Social Justice
ECO 3355 Introduction to the Economics of Poverty and Discrimination
(Cross-listed as SOC 3355) Prerequisite(s): Upper-level standing; not open to pre-business or business students.**
Description: This course develops and applies basic economic concepts to questions of poverty, inequality, and discrimination in the United States, and to global poverty issues. Special attention will be paid to the contribution that economic principles can make to understanding family structure, participation in the labor force, and gender and racial discrimination. Attention will also be paid to evaluating public policies designed to ameliorate poverty and discrimination, including social insurance, welfare programs, minimum and living wage laws, and equal opportunity policies. No previous knowledge of economics is necessary; all necessary economic principles will be developed in this class. (Will not count toward a major in economics.)
**Business students should take ECO 4355 Economics of Poverty and Discrimination which is more appropriate for student who have already taken Macro and Micro Economics (Cross-listed as SOC 4355) Prerequisite(s): Minimum grade of C in ECO 2306; not open to pre-business students.
SWO 3322 Social Policy and Service
Prerequisite(s) for Social Work majors: SWO 2321, and credit or concurrent enrollment in SWO 3301. Non-majors must have consent of the instructor. University scholars take this course even though they are not social work majors.
Description: Historical and current patterns of provision of social welfare services, the effect of social policy on people gaining optimal health and well-being; and the effect of social policy on oppressed and marginalized population groups and countries.
SWO 4315 Foundations of Social Justice
Description: This course examines theories and practices of social justice as related to oppressed groups in a multicultural society utilizing religious and nonreligious perspectives. It analyzes oppression resulting from persistent social, educational, political, religious, economic, and legal inequalities by addressing issues of power, inequality and privilege. The course focuses on the diverse experiences of oppressed groups in order to understand their strengths, needs, and responses to these. It also enhances understandings of and appreciation for diversity in self and others. Finally, the course considers theological issues and ethical dilemmas faced by professionals in empowerment, advocacy, and other strategies for promoting social justice. Please see the attached syllabus (Appendix B).
The remaining 9 hours can be chosen from the following courses:
|
ANT 2305, 3320, 4306, 4327; |
HED 2340, 3313, 3351, 4331, 4340, 4341, 4355; |
Contact Jon_Singletary@baylor.edu or Angela_Traylor@baylor.edu for more information.
