Social Work 695: Poverty in Canada
© Ernie Ginsler
Course Outline
Office: Room 415
Office hours: 12:30-1:20 Tuesdays (by appointment)
Phone: 519-579-9040
e-mail – ernie@ginsler.com, subject line: "SK695" followed by your subject
Course Description: Poverty in Canada and its Implications for Social Work 0.5 Credit
An investigation of the prevalence and impact of economic hardship among the users of social services and the implication of these patterns for social work values, policies and direct interventions with this population.
Lectures Note: Some changes may be made based on the availability of guest speakers. • January 4 • Course overview • What is poverty? o What does "poverty" mean? o In many sub-Saharan countries, over half the population survives on less than $1.25 a day, so how poor can Canadians be? o Who is poor in Canada? o Why should we care if people are poor? • January 11 • What is poverty part 2 • Come prepared to discuss the following: o The socio-demographics of poverty o The polarization of income and wealth o The changing Canadian family o Work and poverty o Read: Why has the Gender Wage Gap Narrowed o Initiatives to end poverty in Canada o Income inequality bad for everyone: Richard Wilkinson (YouTube) o Voice Interview with Hugh Segal: 10-minute mark of voice file CBC Radio • January 18 • Lone parents • Come prepared to discuss the following: o Different expectations of and on males and females o Changes in lone-parent poverty over time o Social and economic supports o Solutions • Read the following: THE SECOND PROGRESS REPORT: Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Down but Not Out: Reforming Social Assistance Rules: that Punish the Poor for Saving FEDERAL POVERTY REDUCTION PLAN: WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TOWARDS NEW ESTIMATES OF THE INDEX OF ECONOMIC WELLBEING FOR CANADA AND THE PROVINCES, 1981-2008 • • January 25 • Immigrants • Come prepared to discuss the following: o Criteria for entry http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp o Classes of Immigrants/refugees o Do we want you? http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/apply-who-instructions.asp#list o Would you be accepted as an immigrant if you applied from outside Canada? Take the test, indicating that your education is from outside Canada and you have no job offer. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/assess/index.asp o Professional certification o Incomes o Education o Canadian bias • February 1 • People with Disabilities • Come prepared to discuss the following: o Work – The International Year of Disabled Persons was 30 years ago, so why is the unemployment rate still so high for people with disabilities? o Housing o Government support o Community support • February 8 • Individuals living alone (unattached individuals) • Come prepared to discuss the following: o What do we know about this population group? o Why is there so little focus on this group? o How is the 45-64 age group affected? o Middle-aged Canadians with little education • February 15 • High School Dropouts • Come prepared to discuss the following: o The impact of low education on youth o The impact of low education on adults • March 1 • Solutions – Community Capacity Building – Paul Born o Review the Vibrant Communities Website o Read the Evaluating Vibrant Communities 2002-2010 Report • March 8 • Networks – At-Risk Youth – Megan Conway o Review – Pathways to Education o Read the BCG Review Pathways to Education Review • March 15 • Solutions – Alliances – Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition (ISARC), Brice Balmer o Read the ISARC Social Audit 2010 to prepare for class o For the rest of the class, come prepared to talk about Campaign 2000 and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty as well. March 22 • First Nations • Come prepared to discuss the following: o History o Who is responsible for addressing the issue? § On Reserve § Urban o Poverty -> Unemployment -> Abuse ->Addictions -> Poor Education -> Poverty • March 29 • Poverty videos assignment on YouTube
Accessible Learning Centre
“Students are encouraged to review the WLU website for information regarding all services available on campus. Students with disabilities or special needs are advised to contact Laurier's Accessible Learning Office for information regarding its services and resources. In order to create a supportive learning environment a student should advise the instructor about any special needs and considerations they may require.”
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
See 'Academic Integrity" and "Plagarism and Cheating"
Refer to Academic and Research Misconduct section of the Graduate Calendar.
Instructor's Philosophy
Poverty is not randomly spread across the population. Nor is it the result of bad luck or a bad lifestyle. There is more than enough wealth in Canada to ensure that no one has to live in poverty. So given these three statements, why is it that so many Canadians (9.2% or 3.13 million) live in poverty? If it's not random, and it's not dumb luck, and by-and-large it's not the result of bad decisions, then something must be happening that causes some groups in society to be more likely to be poor than others. What that "something" is, how it manifests itself, and how social workers respond to it, are what this course is all about. A significant proportion of the social work profession is directed towards working with marginalized populations. We need to understand how some groups become marginalized, what forces keep them there, and what society – and the social work profession – can do about it.
As you will see from this Course Outline, there is no prescribed text. There is no package of material to read. There is, however, an extensive list of resource materials for you to access. I will begin most classes with an introduction to the area of focus for that day, to be followed by a class discussion based on what you have read from the resource list. The last few lectures will involve local professionals talking about what they are doing to lessen poverty in communities. All classes are expected to be discussion-based.
I hope and expect that there will be differences of opinion and lively debate about the causes and effects of, and remedies to, poverty. I also expect that discussions will be respectful at all times, and that arguing against another's point of view will be focused on the argument – not on the person making the argument. I reserve the right to remove from the classroom any student who verbally attacks another person in the room. What constitutes an "attack" is left to me, based on university guidelines.
We all know that different cultures have different attitudes towards various groups in society, and ascribe to them different rights and privileges. This course is about "Poverty in Canada" and will be approached from the point-of-view of the rights and freedoms ascribed to by Canada and Canadians by law (Canadian and international) and by custom.
Course Objectives:
♦ To develop insight into the history, causes, and implications of poverty for Canadians
♦ To develop an understanding of the social work response to poverty based on social work values and the human services that focus on people in need.
♦ To develop an understanding of the economic, social, and human costs of poverty
♦ To develop an understanding of the inter-relationship between public, private, and nonprofit means of addressing poverty
Using Electronic Devices in Class
The use of electronic devices in class (laptops, smart phones, etc.) will be limited to activities associated with the class itself such as note-taking, research, etc. If you must be accessible by phone, please put your phone on vibrate and exit the room to receive calls.
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