Self-assessment paper for social policy

Self-assessment on Course Content Name Affiliation Course Instructor Due Date Self-assessment on Course Content When I started the Social Welfare Policy unit, I thought that the class would mainly focus on the technical aspect of policy crafting. However, I have gained more as the course places an emphasis on how policy making intersects with systemic oppression and discrimination and has subsequently equipped me with valuable skills that will allow me to analyze, formulate, and advocate for equitable policies. The class has impressed upon me the indispensable role that social workers play in advancing social and economic justice. In this paper, I assess knowledge gained from the class by reflecting on two of the course objectives. One of the class objectives was: “Describe the history, nature, structure, and characteristics of the social welfare system in the U.S., giving particular attention to their effects on oppression and discrimination of populations at risk, and describe how these factors impact current policy (EPAS 2.1.5 and 2.1.8).” During the class, we explored the evolution of the US social welfare system and how it has interacted with poverty and inequality. The class revealed how biased lens informed by racism and classicism resulted in the endemic systematic barriers. For example, policy intended to drive war on poverty often reinforced oppression. Notably, the integration of primary sources was vital to my learning as they offered the means to contextualize abstract concepts. Equally, case studies on policy programs such as Medicaid enable me...