Values Paper
Write a 5-page paper in which you explore your own personal value system, and how it fits with social work values and ethics. Address the following:
- What are your core values?
- Where/how did you learn these values?
- In what areas do your values agree with social work values?
- In what areas do your values diverge from social work values?
- How might any areas of difference between your values and social work values affect your ability to practice social work?
Social Service Agency Visit
Visit a social service agency and write a 5-page paper describing your experience. While there, request a brochure or other written material that describes the agency. You should include information about the following:
- Who does the agency serve?
- How do they determine who is eligible for services?
- How is the agency funded?
- How do clients learn about the services that the agency offers?
- How do most clients get to the agency?
- Compare and contrast what you saw in the agency with what you learned about this type of agency in the textbook and in class.
Interview Paper
For this assignment each student should interview (have a real conversation of some length) with a person who is a member of an oppressed group. This includes an ethnic or racial minority person, a woman, someone living in poverty, an elderly person, a person with some type of disability, or a lesbian or gay man. Your objective should be to gather information on the following:
· What has been their experience living as an oppressed person within the dominant culture?
· What specific strengths have they developed as a result of living as a person in the minority?
· What barriers in various systems have they encountered in trying to get their human service needs met? In other words, what systems have not worked well for them?
· What can you as a potential social worker learn from what the person you interview has told you that might help you and other social workers provide better services to people who are members of oppressed groups?
Write a 2-3 page paper summarizing your conversation, including information about all of the points described above. You should also include a brief (only a sentence or two) description of the individual you interviewed, including:
· How you know the person
· In what way they self-identify as a person in the minority. By this I mean are they female, a member of an ethnic or racial minority group, a lesbian, etc. They may fit into more than one category.
DO NOT include any identifying information about the person, such as their name.
Final Paper (Course Assignment) is DUE as a Word document or PDF attachment on December 13th, 2025.
