This assignment is meant to guide you through a process that may prove useful as you continue in the social work profession. This assignment also builds on what you have done in the previ
This assignment is meant to guide you through a process that may prove useful as you continue in the social work profession. This assignment also builds on what you have done in the previous assignment, providing you an opportunity to dive deeper into the complexity and implications of inclusive programs and policies.
The second of four course papers, this assignment will ask you to prepare a gap analysis that starts with describing the current situation that was identified in the previous assignment discussing a local, state, or federal policy that is negatively impacting an oppressed population. You will include a description of the affected population and the ways in which they are being hurt. You will then describe the change opportunity and the desired state after improvement, explaining why the improvement is needed and what the desired outcome will look like. Remember to support all main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant, credible, and convincing evidence.
By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following competencies and behaviors:
- EPAS Competency 5: Engage in policy practice.
- C5.GP.A: Use social justice, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to assess how social welfare policies affect the delivery of and access to social services.
- Related Assignment Criteria:
- Describe an existing change opportunity for the selected public program or policy and the desired state after improvement.
- Describe the specific outcomes or goals for the proposed change to the public program or policy.
- Related Assignment Criteria:
- C5.GP.B: Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
- Related Assignment Criterion:
- Analyze the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination that exist within the selected public program or policy.
- Related Assignment Criterion:
- C5.GP.A: Use social justice, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to assess how social welfare policies affect the delivery of and access to social services.
Instructions
For this assignment, in a 3–4 page paper:
- Describe an existing change opportunity for the selected public program or policy and the desired state after improvement.
- Explain why improvement is needed and meaningful in this area.
- Analyze the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination that exist within the selected public program or policy.
- Explain specific discriminatory issues in the selected public program or policy.
- Describe the specific outcomes or goals for the proposed change to the public program or policy.
- Discuss potential challenges or obstacles to these goals.
- Support main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant, credible, and convincing evidence.
- Synthesize evidence to demonstrate its importance to your discussion or argument.
- Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.
- Demonstrate correct stylistic conventions, document structure, and source attributions.
Additional Requirements
Your assignment is expected to meet the following requirements:
- Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
- APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting standards.
- Sources: A minimum four sources.
- Length of paper: 3–4 double-spaced pages (not including reference list).
- Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
View the Gap Analysis rubric to ensure you fulfill all grading criteria.
View RubricWeek 5 Assignment: Gap AnalysisWeek 5 Assignment: Gap AnalysisCriteriaRatingsPtsDescribe an existing change opportunity for the selected public program or policy and the desired state after improvement. (C5.GP.A)54 to >45.9 ptsDISTINGUISHEDDescribes an existing change opportunity for the selected public program or policy and the desired state after improvement and explains why improvement is needed and meaningful in this area.45.9 to >37.8 ptsPROFICIENTDescribes an existing change opportunity for the selected public program or policy and the desired state after improvement.37.8 to >0 ptsBASICIdentifies an existing change opportunity for the selected public program or policy.0 ptsNON_PERFORMANCEDoes not identify an existing change opportunity for the selected public program or policy./ 54 ptsAnalyze the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination that exist within the selected public program or policy. (C5.GP.B)54 to >45.9 ptsDISTINGUISHEDAnalyzes the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination that exist within the selected a public program or policy and explains specific discriminatory issues in the selected public program or policy.45.9 to >37.8 ptsPROFICIENTAnalyzes the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination that exist within the selected public program or policy.37.8 to >0 ptsBASICDescribes but does not analyze the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination that exist within a social justice problem and their impact on a specific population or subgroup.0 ptsNON_PERFORMANCEDoes not describe the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination that exist within a social justice problem and their impact on a specific population or subgroup./ 54 ptsDescribe the specific outcomes or goals for the proposed change to the public program or policy. (C5.GP.A)52 to >44.2 ptsDISTINGUISHEDDescribes the specific outcomes or goals for the proposed change to the public program or policy and discusses potential challenges or obstacles to these goals.44.2 to >36.4 ptsPROFICIENTDescribes the specific outcomes or goals for the proposed change to the public program or policy.36.4 to >0 ptsBASICIdentifies the specific outcomes or goals for the proposed change to the public program or policy.0 ptsNON_PERFORMANCEDoes not identify the specific outcomes or goals for the proposed change to the public program or policy./ 52 ptsSupport main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.20 to >17 ptsDISTINGUISHEDSupports main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant, credible, and convincing evidence. Skillfully combines virtually error-free source citations with a perceptive and coherent synthesis of the evidence.17 to >14 ptsPROFICIENTSupports main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.14 to >0 ptsBASICSources lack relevance or credibility, or the evidence is not persuasive or explicitly supportive of main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations.0 ptsNON_PERFORMANCEDoes not support main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence./ 20 ptsApply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.20 to >17 ptsDISTINGUISHEDApplies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing. Exhibits strict and nearly flawless adherence to stylistic conventions, document structure, and source attributions.17 to >14 ptsPROFICIENTApplies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.14 to >0 ptsBASICApplies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing incorrectly and/or inconsistently, detracting noticeably from good scholarship.
5
NASW Code of Ethics
Kiara Bonds
Capella University
SWK 5006
4/28/2024
Addressing Discriminatory Issues in Policy through the NASW Code of Ethics
In examining a policy or program that contains discriminatory issues, we can consider the criminal justice system in the United States. One specific issue of discrimination is the over-incarceration of Blacks and Hispanics about Whites within the United States (Stober, 2020). This kind of gross racial disproportion in incarceration rates is a violation of the core value of social justice in the NASW Code of Ethics. Social justice implies that all human beings have to be treated justly and based on equity without considering their color, culture, or economic status. In a real sense, the overrepresentation of people of color in the criminal justice system showcases systemic failures to put principles of social justice and equality into practice. Several factors may be considered as mechanisms leading to this discriminatory issue within the criminal justice system. One such key issue is racial profiling by police officers, who tend to target people of color unequally for suspicion and arrests.
Systemic racism in the justice system may result in harsher penalties for people of color. Disparities in access to effective legal representation may also contribute to African American and Hispanic incarceration rates. These systems sustain the criminal justice system's racial imbalance. Systemic changes are needed to fix discrimination in the criminal justice system and maintain social fairness. Anti-bias training for law enforcement to combat racial profiling, culturally competent judicial practices, and equal legal representation for all citizens, regardless of race, may be among these measures (Hardwick, 2022).To establish a fair and just criminal justice system, legislative reforms that address the root causes of racial disparities in incarceration are needed. Poverty, education inequality, and mental health care shortages are the causes. We can create a more equitable and inclusive society if we confront discrimination and maintain social justice.
Evolution of Affirmative Action Policies in Higher Education
Affirmative action policies in education have changed over time to address alienation, injustice, and prejudice. The policies were initially implemented in the 1960s to address historical inequalities and structural barriers that most people faced. These guidelines have been criticized for promoting bias and weakening the merit-based admissions process. In response to criticism, affirmative action policies have become more refined and targeted. According to Wong et al. (2021), colleges and universities are considering not only test scores and grades but also personal experiences, the ability to overcome obstacles, and diversity contributions. All of these programs aim to eliminate disparities and impediments for underrepresented groups while retaining merit-based admissions.
The changes in implementation of these affirmative action policies follow some of the core values, such as social justice, diversity, and equity. Adaptation and refinement in reaction to criticisms and challenges of these institutions of higher learning are aimed at creating more inclusive and equal learning environments for all students. At the bottom of it all, what the changing face of affirmative action policies constitutes is a recommitment to dealing with issues regarding oppression, alienation, and discrimination within higher education systems and towards the promotion of diversity and equal opportunities for all concerned.
Specific Population Impacted by Criminal Justice Policies
One of the specific populations affected by such policy-based discrimination in criminal justice is the Black community in the United States. Blacks are overly represented in policies like the "war on drugs" and mandatory minimum sentencing, resulting in higher imprisonment rates and harsher sentencing compared to Whites (Exum, 2021). Systemic racism and bias against Black people within the system of criminal justice augment the overrepresentation of Black people in prisons and continue the cycles of oppression and discrimination.
Real-life examples of such racist policies would be disparities in the sentencing of Black and White people for the same crimes committed. There have been claims that Black people get longer prison terms than White people for similar crimes. For instance, in cities like New York, stop-and-frisk practices targeted Blacks and Hispanics to a much greater extent than their White counterparts, leading to higher rates of arrests and incarceration within those communities. Discriminatory criminal justice policies impact directly on the lives and future opportunities of Blacks involved in the system. The regulations thus legitimize racist nature of policies on which they are based, thereby enhancing injustice in society. They fuel poverty, trauma, and disenfranchisement, thus contributing to marginalization and alienation. These policies disproportionately affect black populations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the impact of discrimination against the Black population in the United States by the criminal justice system's policies reminds us of the systemic operation of racism and bias in the criminal justice system. Many factors contribute to the continuous oppression and alienation that people of African descent have to undergo. This covers disparity in the rates of incarceration, disparity in the lengths of sentences, and disparity in the use of enforcement techniques. Using these real-world cases points out the necessity of reform and changes within the criminal justice system in addressing prejudice issues and attaining social justice and equality for all persons. To create a more just and fair society for marginalized communities, some processes of perpetuating these practices must be acknowledged and done away with. We can advocate for reform and hold institutions responsible in the journey toward a criminal justice system based on principles of fairness, equality, and dignity of the individual.
References
Exum, J. J. (2021). Reconstruction Sentencing: Reimagining Drug Sentencing in the Aftermath of the War on Drugs. American Criminal Law Review, 58, 1685. https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/amcrimlr58&div=52&id=&page=
Hardwick, L. W. (2022). Justice for All: An Overview of the Supreme Court of Missouri’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness. Washington University Journal of Law & Policy, 67, 111. https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/wajlp67&div=9&id=&page=
Stober, E. (2020). The Race Warfare and the United States Justice System. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Studies, 2(6), 01-14. https://doi.org/10.32996/jhsss.2020.2.6.1
Wong, A. A., Marrone, N. L., Fabiano-Smith, L., Beeson, P. M., Franco, M. A., Subbian, V., & Lozano, G. I. (2021). Engaging Faculty in Shifting Toward Holistic Review: Changing Graduate Admissions Procedures at a Land-Grant, Hispanic-Serving Institution. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(5), 1925–1939. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_ajslp-20-00383
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