SWK 253 - Disability and Community

This course explores the fundamental importance of community to human life and well-being. This focus on the nature of community will intersect with the concepts of ability, disability, debility and “normality/normalcy” and their social construction, with an especial focus on developmental disabilities. Together, these provide the foundation for understanding how a society views persons who developmentally vary from social expectations of the “norm”, and the values associated with this variance. Students will also delve into the nature of function of “community” with regard to individual and collective well-being. Together these foci provide the context for understanding how programs that support/facilitate community for persons with disabilities are constructed, implemented, and evaluated. Much of the course content is experiential, and opportunities to interact with local organizations and programs that support persons with disabilities are an important component of the course. The course will also seek to compare and contrast who social constructions of disability (and associated programs and services) vary across cultures.

Credits: 2
Terms Offered: Spring