Topics in Social Justice & Social Welfare Policy
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Welcome to OfCourse!, a vibrant new way to learn about policy, social justice, and other macro content. OfCourse! utilizes creative video, animation, innovative graphics, music, and expert interviews to inspire and inform students about historical and current subjects that matter.
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Opening
The Indefatigable Dorothea Dix
Explaining the "Exceptional" US Social Welfare System
The Bad Old Days: Life in the 19th & 20th Centuries
Riding on the Orphan Train
Hull House & The Settlement Home Movement
Saving Babies: The Early Years of The Children's Bureau
The Great Migration
Black Groundbreakers in Social Work
The Great Depression and the Social Security Act
Conclusion: Living in History's Echo
References for Highlights in Social Welfare History
Opening
Introduction to Poverty
Poverty Measures & Basic Needs
Poverty by the Numbers - 2023
Poverty Myths: Exposed
More Than a Statistic: The Pain of Poverty
Updated Budget Numbers
Poverty in Comparative Perspective
Face to Face: Interview with Anti-Poverty Expert Dr. Mark Rank
The Household PULSE Survey & Hardship in the Pandemic
The CARES Act and Poverty Early in the Covid-19 Pandemic
Official Poverty Measure vs Supplemental Poverty Measure (with quiz)
Fighting Poverty: Programs that Work
References for Poverty: America's Enduring Disgrace
Opening
Pandemic Realities: Past, Present & Future
Covid Timeline (with interactives)
Relief Policies During the Pandemic
Deep Dive Podcast: Social Work & Advocacy Practice in the Pandemic
The Striking Success of Covid Vaccines
Covid: Year 5
Opening
Significant People & Events in African American History: 1600s-2022
Disparities in African American Health and Wellbeing
Arguing Reparations
What is Anti-Racist Practice?
African American Life Expectancy in the Covid Pandemic
Black Hardship Across the Lifespan
Black Progress Over the Last 50 Years
The Magnolia Mother's Trust
Recommended Books: African American Women in the Freedom Struggle
Opening: Workin' for a Living
Frances Perkins: Unsung Heroine of the Minimum Wage
Minimum Wage Timeline
The Best of Times: The Minimum Wage in the 60s
Minimum Wage Rates in the U.S. (2025)
The EITC: Anti-Poverty Rock Star
How the EITC Works
The EITC Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic
A Tale of Two Popular Programs
The Family Medical Leave Act at 30
Ten Things You Should Know About the Workers Compensation Program
References for The MW & The EITC
Opening: Food for Thought
SNAP: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Hunger & Food Insecurity
Living on SNAP: The 'Food Stamps' Experiment
Something WIC This Way Comes
WIC Essentials
Strengths and Weaknesses of WIC
SNAP for Social Work Practice
Closing Thoughts
References for Hunger, SNAP & WIC