A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless to protect her from academic repercussions, is getting her master’s degree in social work. As a conservative, she’s often been at odds with the conventional wisdom of her field.
Here’s an example of the coursework that’s due in “Policy Analysis and
Social Change”–a class that’s required for graduation:
- “Search the web for one agency that conducts advocacy in
your area of interest. List the name of the agency and describe the
agency. In your classmates? posts, find an agency that might collaborate
with your posted agency in a coalition. Respond to the classmate that
posted this agency and describe why these two agencies should join
together in a coalition.” (Emphasis mine.) - “Find one bill in the Florida House or
Senate that interests you. Describe the bill and why you think it is
important to pass or defeat the bill. Reply to one of your classmates?
posts on another bill with your own opinion on why the bill is good or
bad.” - “Find one appropriation in the Governor?s
Budget Recommendations (http://peoplesbudget.state.
fl.us/). Describe the
appropriation and why you think it is important to advocate for or against
the expenditure. Reply to one of your classmates? posts on another bill
with your own opinion on why the appropriation is good or bad.”
The second and third questions, if graded by a fair professor, might be harmless. However, one of the course’s final assignments convinces me that they won’t be: going to the Florida general assembly with the National Association of Social Workers to help them lobby for their causes.
